ConTAKT

9.10.24

A rather extravagant man
News about Johann Hieronymus Kapsberger

Guest performers Accademia degli Stravaganti: Anne Marie Dragosits (harpsichord),
Ulrike Hofbauer (soprano), Niels Pfeffer (theorbo)
Moderators: Ilse Strauß and Franz Gratl

Internationally successful Tyrolean musician Anne Marie Dragosits, winner of the 2022 Jakob Stainer Prize of the Province of Tyrol, has spent the last few years intensively researching the life and work of Johann Hieronymus (or Giovanni Girolamo) Kapsberger, a grand master of the early Baroque period. In her comprehensive and informative book Giovanni Girolamo Kapsperger – Ein ziemlich extravaganter Mann (Lucca 2020), she has published groundbreaking new insights into his biography and also reevaluated the previous view of the work of the great lute virtuoso and composer. This exciting scientific journey of discovery is not over yet: she is still searching through the archives and constantly finding new documents. In the first part of the evening, she talks about her research work and gives us an insight into Kapsberger's personality. In the second part, an approximately one-hour concert, she will transport us, together with soprano Ulrike Hofbauer and lutenist Niels Pfeffer, into the musical world of the cosmopolitan master, who was born in Venice, went to school in Augsburg, and established himself in Rome.  

 

Dec. 4

The monk in the rose garden
The life of Carthusian monk and translator Heinrich Haller in the late Middle Ages

Guest Max Siller (Germanist), Ensemble Rosarum flores
Idea, concept, and moderation Ilse Strauß and Franz Gratl
 
Max Siller, professor of medieval German studies at the University of Innsbruck (retired), will present an overview of the life and work of the Carthusian monk Heinrich Haller, who lived in the Schnals Charterhouse in the Middle Ages. As a monk, he was not allowed to leave his cell, but his translations took him on imaginary pilgrimages and fantastic journeys to terrible as well as paradisiacal other worlds. The presentation will be accompanied by music of the time, including works by Oswald von Wolkenstein and from the exciting Codex 457 of the University Library of Innsbruck, which originates from the Schnals Charterhouse.

 

1/22/25

Tuba mirum. The trombone in the Classical and Romantic periods
Guest appearance by Bernhard Rainer and the Marini Consort Innsbruck
Idea, concept, and moderation by Ilse Strauß and Franz Gratl

Following on from one of our recent ConTakt events, in which trombonist and musicologist Bernhard Rainer and the Marini Consort Innsbruck shed light on the trombone in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, we now turn our attention to the instrument's continued existence in the Classical and Romantic periods. The trombone has proven to be durable and versatile. We will once again immerse ourselves in exciting worlds of sound – guided by renowned specialists.

Tyrol has an extremely lively early music scene. A wide range of activities testify to the high standard of local musicians and the intensive commitment of the organizers. The great acceptance among audiences is proof of the special status of this musical genre in the region. ConTakt sees itself as a platform for the early music scene in Tyrol and as an open forum for musicians, organizers, and interested listeners. It offers a wide range of different formats, from discussions and lectures by musicians and instrument makers to concert talks and workshops with a didactic approach to presentations of instruments and collections. Ilse Strauß and Franz Gratl are responsible for the idea, concept, and moderation, while the Haus der Musik Innsbruck and Innsbruck Tourism are the sponsors. The event is supported and co-sponsored by the Tyrolean State Museums.

19.2.25

Rebellious songs: 500 years of the Peasants' War
Guests include Robert Rebitsch, historian at the University of Innsbruck
Idea, concept, and moderation by Ilse Strauß and Franz Gratl

This event focuses on the peasant uprisings that broke out in many places in the Holy Roman Empire 500 years ago and went down in history as the "Peasants' Wars." In his latest book, "Rebellion 1525," Tyrolean historian Robert Rebitsch takes an in-depth look at these uprisings and, above all, their impact in Tyrol. He recounts the events and offers some reevaluations and corrections of clichés, for example with regard to the Tyrolean peasant leader Michael Gaismair. The event will be accompanied by songs and chants from the early 16th century that reflect the social conflicts of the time.