Music at the court of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1485-1520)

The Holy Roman Emperor and progenitor of the Hapburg dynasty, Maximilian I, had a vision to unify the great city states of Central Europe under one family crest. He absorbed Burgundy through marriage with Mary. After Mary's accidental death, he absorbed Lombardia (Milan) via marriage to Bianca Maria Sforza. He betrothed his only surviving son Philip to Joana, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella - thus joining the Kingdom of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.

Other than being a shrewd politician, Maximilian was a well endowed patron of the arts who collected some of the greatest musicians from across Central Europe. He hired Heinrich Isaac, a Netherlander, as court composer and later, Isaac's protégé Ludwig Senfl, a Swiss, as music director of the Imperial band.

This video highlights some of the music familiar to the Imperial circle in Vienna and Innsbruck around the year 1500. The musical selections were edited from MIDI files uploaded to various websites. To skip to a different piece, click on the time stamp below.

Abbreviations: AD (Albrecht Dürer), EA (Erhard Altdorfer), HB (Hans Burgkmair), HM (Hans Memling), ToM (Triumph of Maximilian), HHY (Hans Holbein the Younger)

MIDI sources: BR (Brian Russell, CPDL.org), CB (Christian Brassy, apemutam.org), Hmo (Hans Mons, IMSLP.org), JC (Juliane Claudi, CPDL.org), JCC (J.Curtis Clark, curtisclark.org), MR (Michel Rondeau, IMSLP.org), SG (Sarge Gerbode, gerbode.net), UA (Ulrich Alpers, CPDL.org)

0:07 Innsbruck ich muss, dich lassen (H. Isaac) (UPLOAD: JCC)
a. Tenor line, Stat.Bibl.Ulm, c1555
b. View of Innsbruck (home of the Emperor), AD, 1495
c. Portrait of Maximilian I, AD, 1519
d. View of Innsbruck castle courtyard,
2:17 Was wird es doch (L. Senfl) (UPLOAD: BR)
a. Portrait of Ludwig Senfl, 1486
b. Matthäus Schwarz with lute, Hans Maler, 1526
c. Sedano triptych, Gerard David, c1495
d. Sedano triptych (detail of lute)
4:12 Carmen in Fa (H. Isaac) (UPLOAD: CB)
a. Mounted shawms and sackbuts, detail from ToM, , 1526
b. Parable of Lazarus (detail), EA, c1520
5:12 Herzliebstes Bild (Paul Hofhaimer) (UPLOAD: BR)
a. Unknown girl, Anon.German, late 16th c
b. Flute player, Monogram HE, 1529
c. Coronation of the Virgin (detail), Berner Nelken Meister, 1508
6:37 Al mein Mut (H. Isaac)
a. Cantus line, Trium vocum carminum, Nürnberg, 1538
b. Ghent altarpiece (detail angels singing), Jan van Eyck, 1432
c. Cantoria del Duomo, Firenze, Luca della Robbia, c1438
d. Woman from Basel, HHY, c1523
e. German couple, Anon. c1500
9:17 Ich stund an einem Morgen (H.Isaac) (UPLOAD: UA)
a. Gallery musicians, HHY, c1520
b. Mary Magdalene, Michael Erhart, c1475
10:32 Der ander welsch Danntz (Anon.) (UPLOAD: SG)
a. Duet, Anon.German, c1500
b. Christ with musical angels (detail), HM, c1485
11:23 Ade mit Leid (P.Hofhaimer) (UPLOAD: MR)
a. Bayerische S.Bibl. 3155, c1520
b. Wind band (detail), Nürnberg, c1520
12:23 Gross Leid muss ich tragen (H.Isaac) (UPLOAD: JCC)
a. Coronation of the Virgin, Master Lyversberg Passion, c1463
b. Isenheimer altarpiece (detail), Matthias Grünewald, c1515
c. Innsbruck Stadtturm
13:49 Der Kuenigin welscher Danntz (Anon.) (UPLOAD: SG)
a. Virgin of the rose garden, Stefan Lochner, c1448
b. Tanz, Schedelsche Weltchronik, Hartmann Schedel, 1493
c. Genesis - Ruth, Furtmeyr Bibel, c1470
d. Bride and groom, Anon.Swabian, c1470
15:58 Ach herzigs Herz (Heinrich Finck) (UPLOAD:JC)
a. Mounted trumpets, HB, detail from ToM, , 1526
16:39 Der maruscat Dantz (Anon.) (UPLOAD: SG)
a. Pythagoras with lute, Ulm Cathedral
b. Dancehall in Augsburg, Anon.South German, 1500
c. Christ with musical angels (detail), HM, c1485
d. Joseph and angels, Adriaen van Wesel, c1477
e. Virgin of the rose garden, S.Lochner
f. Lovers, Master of the Housebook, German, c1480
19:49 Der welte Fundt (H.Isaac) (UPLOAD: CB)
a. Pontus und Sidonia, Ludwig Henfflin Studio, c1475
b. Wind band, Nürnberg, c1520
c. Parable of Lazarus, EA, c1520
21:19 Ach Gott wem soll ichs (W.Grefinger) (UPLOAD: HMo)
a. Unknown woman, Anon. German, c1530
b. Elblag recorder, c1450
c. Concert, Tilman Riemenschneider, c1504
d. Maximilian I ivory medallion, AD, 1515