During the period around 1600 Kassel was one of the cultural centres of Europe. Prof. Hartmut Broszinski, one of the proven experts on this period, will use the example of the festivities surrounding the christening of Elisabeth of Hessen to give an introduction to the cultural and political position of the city. The Chamber Choir of  the Kreuzkirche in Kassel, which celebrated its diamond jubilee in 2015, will be directed by Jochen Faumhammer and will perform a number of pieces…

This presentation of manuscripts will offer glimpses of courtly life in Kassel at the turn of the 17th century. In addition to musical scores the audience will be shown play scripts and other manuscripts including Elisabeth's famous “Lute Book” and the texts she composed for madrigals and canzonettes. The opportunity to view the magnificent prints by Wilhelm Dilich illustrating Elisabeth's christening will be a high point of the tour. Maximan 20 Teilnehmer, Anmeldung unter 0561 804-7318 Dr. Brigitte Pfeil: Tour

During the second half of the 16th century Kassel as the capital city of the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel experienced a great increase in prosperity. In particular the artistic ambitions of Landgrave Moritz the Savant led to Kassel's becoming one of the cultural metropolises of Europe. The developments within the Kassel court orchestra demonstrate this in an exemplary manner. Moritz fashioned it into an ensemble which was not only able to promote talents like that of Heinrich Schütz but also to…

Together with Dr. Justus Lange and the lutenist Andreas Düker we will set out on a search for music, especially lutes, in the paintings in the collection of the Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel. This guided tour is the first of a series of activities for children and young people in connection with the theme “lute”. During the festival weekend there will be a workshop about building lutes and a children's concert.   Dr. Justus Lange: Image critic Andreas Düker: Lute Entrance…

The lute maker Martin Hurttig from Leipzig will demonstrate a series of plucked instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque. Martin Hurttig, lute maker, Leipzig            

The program focuses on two women who were both enthusiastic about music: Elisabeth of Hessen-Kassel and Queen Elizabeth I of England, and consequently on the English lute songs written by John Dowland (1563 – 1626) and Thomas Campion (1567 – 1620), and their circle. As an added attraction, songs from the Lute Book belonging to Princess Elisabeth of Hessen-Kassel are included. Who could represent the relationship between the courts in England and Kassel than Dame Emma Kirkby with her rich…

Pastor Karl Waldeck, Director of the Academy, will lead a tour of the campus and talk about the history of the area.         Karl Waldeck: Guided tour  

The lute maker Martin Hurttig from Leipzig will demonstrate a series of plucked instruments from the Renaissance and Baroque. Martin Hurttig, lute maker, Leipzig            

This workshop given by the lute maker Martin Hurrtig will be a very special experience for children and young people. He will demonstrate the many different types of lute and the various techniques of playing them. In addition he will give the young people the opportunity to see how lutes are built and get to know the various materials – different types of wood, glues and lacquers – used in the process. The young people will have the opportunity to…

Which instrument is 4000 years old and is still played today? It has been found in Egyptian graves; kings had it played to put them to sleep; Shakespeare praised it; Schubert sang about it; but it had its place in everyday life, too: in barber shops it hung on the wall, waiting to help the customers pass the time. We're talking about the lute. The name comes from the Arabic al-'ud “the wood” and has nothing to  do with the…

Elisabeth was far more than the favorite daughter of Moritz the Savant. During a period in which daughters of aristocratic families were mainly guarantors for strategic marriage alliances she grew up, with the assistance of her father, to be an autonomous poetess, composer and musician. In particular her Italian madrigals, which were set to music by the Kassel court musician Georg Schimmelpfennig, are extremely impressive. In the dialog between the text and the music the special relationship between Elisabeth and…

The old Graz Hofkapelle and the Kassel Hofkapelle were contemporaries, so it is only fitting that the Neue Hofkapelle Graz will be giving its debut in this area with music played by the old ensembles. A large section of both their repertoires came from the most important centre for printed music during that period: Venice. From there virtuoso Italian instrumental music and vocal monody spread out triumphantly across Europe. As a result many German speaking musicians went to Italy to…

Lucubrationes is the Latin word for “burning the midnight oil” to write at night. But you don't always have to work while burning the midnight oil as the audience will learn in this short digression into the lighter side of the history of Gesundbrunnen as a spa. Dr. Christoph Heinrich Böttger (1737 - 1781), also known as D. Charles Forêt-Coin, professor for Pharmacology and Botany at the Collegium Carolinum in Kassel and full member and doctor of the French Hospital,…

Devotional service; sermon with reflections on the philosophy of Landgrave Moritz. Organ music by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (1562 – 1621, Amsterdam). Sweelinck's  method of improvisation influenced the development of Northern German organ music in the 17th century. One of his students was the organist of the Katharinenkirche in Hamburg, Heinrich Scheidemann (ca. 1596 – 1663), whose Galliarda ex D. will also be played.  Adelheid Böhme: Organ  Karl Waldeck: Predigt