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Schubinger and the “musica maximilianea”

Markus Grassl

The specific musical qualities that earned Schubinger his high esteem—whether technical perfection, virtuosic brilliance, musical inventiveness, or a particular sound—cannot be determined with certainty. Contemporary reports about him are too general, and we know too little about the criteria for judging aesthetic qualities in music at that time. However, there are some clues helping to clarify Schubinger’s “value” to Maximilian I and the music at his court.

As far as their origins can be traced, the musicians whom Maximilian recruited from the mid-1490s onwards, with exceptions such as Heinrich Isaac, came from the Austrian territories or the southern German-speaking region. In this respect, Schubinger’s engagement fits into the overall picture. One characteristic—which he shared with the Fleming Isaac—distinguished him from most of his colleagues: his international experience, acquired during his years of activity in Italy and Burgundy, and possibly also during travels through Spain, France Savoy and elsewhere.

It can therefore be assumed that Schubinger had extensive knowledge of musical repertoires and practices from many parts of Europe and was integrated into transregional personal networks. That this benefited the music at Maximilian I’s court, is not only likely in principle but may also be shown in concrete detail. As mentioned, Schubinger probably introduced Isaac to the imperial chapel (» G. Ch. Schubinger, Lorenzo de’ Medici and Isaac) and was the source for the dances and Agricola’s pieces in the Augsburg Songbook (» Kap. Schubinger und das Augsburger Liederbuch). The same could apply to the works of Pierre de La Rue, another colleague from the time with Philip the Handsome, which are found in sources containing Maximilian’s repertoire (A-Wn Mus.Hs. 18810 and D-Mu, 8°Cod. ms. 328–331).[47] Schubinger may also have played a role in the reception of the lira da braccio (» Instrumentenmuseum. Lira da braccio) at Maximilian’s court.[48]

Schubinger’s familiarity with Italian music and culture may have brought another advantage: Bianca Maria Sforza, Maximilian’s second wife from 1493, tried to maintain her connection to her homeland even in Austria. She surrounded herself with numerous Italian ladies and servants, engaged an Italian solo singer, practised Italian dances, and had a clavichord sent from Mantua.[49] Schubinger’s experiences from his time in Florence could have been welcome in this regard as well.

Beyond these individual aspects, Schubinger’s significance must be seen on a general level, in relation to the overall profile of Maximilian’s music. Instrumental music was evidently highly valued at Maximilian’s court.[50] Remarkable is the density of first-rate players, including Schubinger, Paul Hofhaimer, Hans Steudl and Hans Neuschl. Equally notable is the integration of instrumental music into the practice of the vocal chapel, manifested in the inclusion of wind players in the performing ensemble and the practice of the so-called missae ad organum, in which sections of vocal polyphony and organ versets alternated (» D. Kap. Isaac als Schlüsselfigur: choralbasierte Propriums- und Ordinariumszyklen). That instrumental music was among the special highlights of Maximilian’s court music is evident in the Triumphzug (» I. Instrumentalists at the Court of Maximilian I). Four of the five musician wagons are occupied solely by instrumentalists or instrumental ensembles, and even on the fifth, the choir wagon, the instrumental part is emphasised by the images of Schubinger and Steudl and, even more clearly, by the text program. Additionally, all musicians named in the Triumphzug are instrumentalists.[51] All this leads to the conclusion that Schubinger, as one of the most brilliant instrumentalists of his time, played a key role in the musical culture at Maximilian’s court.

[47] Schwindt 2018c, 280; see also Birkendorf 1994, Vol. 1, 184.

[48] Schwindt 2018c, 120–124.

[49] Unterholzner 2015, especially. 79–89, 96–98; Schwindt 2018c, 73–76.

[50] Cf. Lütteken 2010 LIT, 20–21; Polk 2001b; Schwindt 2018c, 20–24.

[51] Besides Schubinger, these include the organist Paul Hofhaimer, the lutenist Albrecht Morhanns, the trombonists Hans Neuschel and Hans Steudl and the piper Anton Dornstetter. See the relevant image program texts in Schestag 1883, 155 and 158–160.