The liturgical music of the Waldauf foundation

The legal and procedural basis of the foundation is summarised in the Heiltumbuch. The liturgical prescriptions there include some information about the musical aspects of the liturgy:

Wie das lobgesang Salue Regina alle abent gesungen wirdet.
Zum VIII., das zu lob und eere der hochgelobten junkfrauen Marien alle abent, suntags, feirtags und werchtags, das ganz jar das lobgesang Salue Regina zu rechter gewondlicher Saluezeit, das ist nach completzeit, und nach jedem Salue alweg ain sequenz oder antifon von Vnser Lieben Frawen in mensuris und organis mit aller solempnitet in der heiligen Capellen loblichen gesungen wirden, darzu der caplan der heiligen Capellen alle abent das ganz jar ein gewondliche collecten von Vnser Lieben Frawen liset und den segen in der heiligen Capellen gibt. Und darnach gibt er auch alle abent nach dem Salue vor der heiligen Capellen den umbstenden cristenmenschen den weichprunn, zu erlangen die gnaden und aplass, so darzu verlihen sind
(Heiltumbuch, Hall in Tirol, Pfarrarchiv (A-HALn, o.Sign.), f. 37r–v, ed. Garber 1915, lxxxii).

(How the antiphon Salve regina is sung each evening.
VIII. Each evening, whether Sunday, feast-day or weekday throughout the whole year, the antiphon Salve regina is sung to the praise and honour of the most Blessed Virgin Mary, at the usual time for singing the Salve, that is, after compline. After each Salve, a sequence or antiphon of Our Lady is always to be sung with all solemnity and dignity in polyphony and organ in the holy chapel. Furthermore, each evening throughout the entire year the chaplain of the holy chapel reads a usual collect of Our Lady and gives the blessing. And every evening after the Salve, he sprinkles all the faithful standing before the chapel with holy water, to bring about the associated blessing and indulgence.)

Beside the Salve regina, another Marian antiphon, Recordare virgo mater, was also to be sung in the chapel:

Wie die antiphon Recordare virgo mater und Da pacem domine ze singen gestift sind.
Zum VIIII., das alle tag, suntags, feirtags und werchtags, das ganz jar ausserhalb der freitag nach einem jeden hochambt in sand Niclasen pharrkirchen zu Hall die antipfon von Vnser Lieben Frawen Recordare virgo mater, aber alle freitag die antiphon Da pacem domine knient gesungen und ain collecten darauf gelesen wirdet.
(Heiltumbuch, Hall in Tirol, Pfarrarchiv, f. 37v, ed. Garber 1915, lxxxiii–lxxxiv).

(How the antiphons Recordare virgo mater and Da pacem domine are founded.
VIII. Every day throughout the year, whether Sunday, feast-day or work-day (but excluding Fridays), after each high mass in St Nicholas’ parish church in Hall, the antiphon of our Lady, Recordare virgo mater, is to be sung; every Friday, the antiphon Da pacem domine is to be sung kneeling, and then a collect to be read.)

On Fridays further Marian devotions were offered:

Wie alle freitag ain respons von Vnser Lieben Frawen und die antiphon Gaude dei genitrix virgo immaculata ze singen gestift sind.
Zum X., das der pharrer und die siben gesellen und darzu all caplän und priesterschaft im pharrhof zu Hall im Yntal mitsambt dem schuelmaister alle freitag das ganz jar nach dem Benedicamus der letzsten vesper in der heiligen Capellen loblichen singen ein respons von Vnser Lieben Frawen und darzu die antiphon Gaude dei genitrix virgo immaculata, darauf dann der heiligen Capellen wochner aus dem pharrhof, der alle tag in seiner wochen die funfzehen ermanungen und gepete von dem heiligen leiden Christi, als hernach geschrieben stet, petet, ain gewondliche collecten liset und darauf den segen in der heiligen Capellen gibt. Aber am heiligen Karfreitag petet jeder priester aus dem pharrhof zu Hall zu gewondlicher vesperzeit kniende in der heiligen Capellen fünf Pater noster, fünf Aue Maria und ain glauben zu lob, eere und dank den heiligen fünf wunden und dem heiligen pittern leiden und marter unsers herrn Jhesu Christi.
(Heiltumbuch, Hall in Tirol, Pfarrarchiv, f. 37v, ed. Garber 1915, lxxxiv).

(How on Friday a responsory of Our Lady and the antiphon Gaude dei genitrix virgo immaculata are to be sung:
X. Following the Benedicamus at vespers every Friday throughout the year, the parish priest, the seven associates, all the chaplains and priests in the presbytery at Hall in Tirol and the schoolmaster solemnly sing a responsory of Our Lady in the holy chapel, and then the antiphon Gaude dei genitrix virgo immaculata. Each day while he is on weekly duty, the assigned priest from the presbytery should then pray the fifteen reproaches and prayers of the holy passion of Christ, as set out below; then he should read the usual collect and then give the blessing in the holy chapel. But on Good Friday, at the normal time for vespers, every priest from the presbytery at Hall should kneel and pray five Our Fathers, five Hail Marys and a Creed in praise and honour of, and in thanks for the holy five wounds and the holy bitter suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ.)

The Heiltumbuch also hints at the size of the musical forces required by the foundation for various services:

Zum Vierden haben sy gestift, das der caplan der heiligen Capellen alle montag, feirtags und werchtags, das ganz jar in der heiligen Capellen mit vier schuelern singet ein seligs andechtigs seelambt.
(Heiltumbuch, Hall in Tirol, Pfarrarchiv, f. 34v, ed. Garber 1915, lxxxii).

Fourthly, the founders have specified that every Monday in the year, whether it is a feast-day or a work-day, the chaplain of the holy chapel and four pupils should sing a mass for the dead with devotion.

The musical forces required at the processions and expositions of the sacrament were somewhat more extensive; the Heiltumbuch mentions “cantores and choir singers” (cantorn und chorsingern), which may hint at a division between singers of polyphony and chant. These singers also sang in alternation with instruments. After the wind players performed from the relic platform, the singers sang a processional responsory in alternation with a small organ that was perhaps mounted on a cart:

Darauf plasen und hofiern auf dem heilthumbstuel zu lob und eere dem hochwirdigen heilthumb und den pebstlichen grossen Römischen gnaden und aplas die thrumetter und darnach die pfeifer und pusauner. Darnach singen die cantores zum ersten umbgang die respons Regnum mundi und der Organist slagt den vers auf ainem positiff.
(Heiltumbuch, Hall in Tirol, Pfarrarchiv, f. 124v–125r, ed. Garber 1915, cxxxii).

After this the trumpeters, and then the pipers and sackbut players blow and play on the relic platform in praise and honour of the blessed relics and the great grace and indulgence of the pope of Rome. After that the singers sing the responsory Regnum mundi during the first procession, and the organist plays the verse on a positive organ.

The procession of the relics included twenty-one stations, at which a different set of relics was displayed, culminating in the fragment of the True Cross. At each station, the Heiltumbuch specifies that the choir was to sing the following responsory or antiphon:

1. Regnum mundi*
2. Surge virgo et nostras sponso preces aperi
3. Quadam die Olybrius molestus deo et hominibus
4. Pulchra facie sed pulchrior fide beata es Walpurgis
5. Ipsi sum desponsata, cui angeli serviunt
6. Virgo gloriosa semper evangelium Christi gerebat in pectore
7. Induit me dominus vestimento salutis
8. Simile est regnum celorum
9. Beati estis sancti dei omnes
10. Sint lumbi vestri praecincti*
11. Gloriosus apparuisti inter principes Austrie, sancte Leopolde
12. Isti sunt sancti*
13. Absterget deus omnem lacrimam*
14. Gaudent in caelis anime sanctorum
15. Istorum est enim regnum caelorum
16. Triumphant martyres
17. Quam preciosa mors sanctorum
18. Fuerunt sine querela ante dominum*
19. Felix namque es sacra virgo Maria*, or Regina celi letare, alleluja
20. In monte Oliveti oravit ad patrem*
21. [O] Crux benedicta, quae sola fuisti digna

Some of the same chants (marked above with an asterisk) were also sung at the exposition of relics at Vienna, as described in the book In Disem Puechlein ist Verzaichent das Hochwirdig Heyligtumb so man jn der Loblichen stat Wienn jn Osterreich alle iar an sontag nach dem Ostertag zezaigen pfligt (Vienna: Winterburger, 1502 [VD16 H 3283]).[20] Other somewhat unusual chants have concordances concentrated in other Austrian sources, such as Quadam die Olybrius.

At some of the stations at Hall, the responsories and antiphons were to be preceded by the playing of trumpets, then of pipers and sackbuts (e.g. “Darauf plasen und hofiern die trumetter und darnach die pfeifer und pusauner”, Heiltumbuch, f. 139r). The display of relics from St Leopold (station 11), the Habsburg house saint, whose cult had been promoted by Friedrich III and Maximilian and whose liturgy was first promulgated with his canonisation in 1487, was a visible and audible acknowledgment of the ties between Waldauf and the Habsburgs. Gloriosus apparuisti is also transmitted as the Magnificat antiphon in the earliest liturgies to St Leopold, introduced in 1487, as witnessed by Melk Hs. 937, which contains the notation for the entire Leopold office; and in two sources without notation: a late fifteenth-century breviary, Klosterneuburg Hs. 1193, and an edition printed at Passau in about 1490 (» ISTC il00178000).[21] The Heiltumbuch provides a detailed liturgy for the twenty-first station, led preferably by a high-ranking prelate if one was present, and authorised by papal indult. The Heiltumbuch provides both the text and notation (in Hufnagel notation) for the preces and responses sung in alternation by the celebrant and the choir for this final station. The procession was completed with the singing of Christ ist erstanden in German, presumably sung by the choir and laity together. If the third Sunday after St George’s day fell on Ascension or Pentecost, Christ ist erstanden was to be replaced by Kum heiliger geist herre got, for which the Heiltumbuch provides a melody in cantus fractus notation (vgl. » Rhythmischer Choralgesang: Der Cantus fractus).

The Waldauf foundation thus represents an important witness to a complex of piety, display, ambition and emulation with several parallels in the late mediaeval Holy Roman Empire, particularly the displays of relics at Nuremberg, Vienna and the All Souls’ foundation in the castle church in Wittenberg, which Frederick the Wise stocked with sacred remains with an enthusiasm that rivalled that of Waldauf. Waldauf’s plan to print an illustrated catalogue of his collection of relics has a direct parallel in the catalogues printed for Nuremberg, Vienna and Wittenberg. But more importantly, the Waldauf foundation is a superb example of the way in which members of Maximilian’s court responded to his own promotion of liturgical foundations simultaneously as an expression of personal piety and as conspicuous displays of magnificence.