A Royal Meeting

On 16th July 1515, Maximilian had met his royal guests for the first time at Schwechat, just outside Vienna. The order of procession of the royal retinues – including the many musicians amongst their ranks – can be pieced together from the above-mentioned contemporary accounts. Trumpeters and drummers were dotted throughout the Emperor’s train: towards the front of the procession were the trumpeters of the Duke of Württemberg (“des Hertzogen von Wirtenberg Trumetter, der waren drey”[10] (the trumpeters of the Duke of Württemberg, of which there were three)), and after those representing the Cardinal of Gurk, there followed thirteen stallions. Thereafter “ritten drey ernholden … den volgten nach zwelff trummeter mit zwayen heer paucken”[11] (rode three heralds, … after which followed twelve trumpeters with two drummers). Ecclesiastical dignitaries were next, and then finally the Emperor himself, in a litter surrounded by his officials, which, according to one report was accompanied by “trumetten pusawnen und heerpaucken”[12] (playing on trumpets, trombones and drums), confirmed in other reports as including the trumpeters of Duke Wilhelm of Bavaria.[13] As the Emperor reached the tree where the meeting was to take place, he called on all trumpeters present to herald his arrival: “Aldo beualch. K.M. den Trumettern allen zu blasen, der waren … bey fünff und viertzig, mit sechs herpaucken, das mochten die Ungern wol hören, dann der wint ging gegen inen”[14] (There His Imperial Majesty commanded all the trumpeters to play. There were … around 45 with six drummers, so that the Hungarians should hear them well, for the wind blew against them). (» Abb. Posaunen, Trompeten und Heerpauken)

As the Imperial train arrived, they were met by the retinues of the Kings of Hungary and Poland, which counted Tatars and Hussars amongst their numbers. The unusual sounds of their instruments were described with some wonder in the reports that spread the news of the wedding across Maximilian’s Empire. Towards the front of this train, there appeared a number of Muscovites “die hetten nach jnen etlich Trumetter, mit grossen Trumettern, und waren nit zusamen gestimbt. Nach inen hetten sie zwen, die bliesen auff grossen stratzen hörn, lautent wie ain grobe schalmey, solcher Trumetter waren inn dreyen hauffen, yeglicher bey sechs”[15] (who were followed by several trumpeters with large trumpets, which were not sounded together. After them there were two who blew on large rough horns, sounding like a coarse shawm. These trumpeters were in three groups of six). And later in the procession there followed Polish musicians who announced the arrival of their king. While some reports simply comment here on the “bayder Künign trumetter und heerpaucker auf dy Teutsch manier geklaidet.”[16] (trumpeters and drummers of both kings [of Hungary and Poland] dressed in the German style), others provide further details of the instruments played at this point: “Darnach kamen etlich Polen … die hetten Trumeter und herpaucken auch ir zwerchpfeyffer und trumelschlager gut, der waren bey drehundert.”[17] (After that came a number of Poles … who had trumpeters and drummers, also good fifers and drummers. There were around three hundred). The collective noise of the musicians gathered on that day must have created quite a din: one report noted “da waren auff yeglicher seiten trumetter und herpaucken die bliessen zu allen seiten auff das niemandt gehörn möcht.”[18] (there were trumpeters and drummers on each side, who blew in all directions so that no-one could hear). And another account summed up the great impact of the sounds of these instruments: “Ist allenthalben geschray der rossen trumetten und paucken erhort worden: und ain groß spectakel gewesen, darvon all nachkumen sagen und wundern werden.”[19] (All around, the clamour of trumpeters and drummers on horseback could be heard; and it was a great spectacle, which will be spoken of and marvelled at by all posterity).