The Musical Culture of Silesian Churches and Monasteries in Early Modern Era

Tomasz Jeż, Danielis Sartorii Musicalia Wratislaviensia, Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Sub Lupa 2017

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The subject of this publication is a unicum on a global scale: a collection of music-related sources brought together in the 17th century in Breslau’s Gymnasium Elisabetanum. The collection, which consists of 399 music prints published in 1606–1665 and five manuscripts dated to the same period, has attracted the keen interest of musicologists and musicians working in many countries of the world. However, it has never been a subject of a comprehensive monograph. The vast repertoire of works contained in this collection (more than 8,000 pieces) has been presented here in the form of a catalogue, preceded by a rather more-detailed-than-usual historical-cultural introduction. We hope that the present publication will support more comprehensive research on Breslau’s musical culture and on the reception of the Italian Seicento heritage in Central Europe, as well as facilitating the future editions of selected repertoire from this collection and restoring this repertoire to contemporary music life through concert performances and recordings.

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The monograph is devoted to the rich musical culture of Silesian Cistercian monasteries – from the province’s founding in 1651 until the dissolution in 1810. Drawing on extensive source material, the author presents the practice of vocal and instrumental music coexisting with Gregorian chant in seven monasteries (Leubus, Heinrichau, Kamenz, Grüssau, Himmelwitz, Rauden, and Trebnitz) and reconstructs the musical life of Cistercian communities. Music was not limited to the liturgy – it also accompanied non-liturgical ceremonies, community events, monastic recreation, and guest visits, becoming an integral element of everyday life in the monasteries. The author reconstructs the repertoire performed in individual abbeys, the composition of vocal and instrumental ensembles, and the instruments used. The book’s appendix includes a glossary of cantors, organists, and choirmasters active in the monasteries studied, significantly expanding our knowledge of the musical community associated with the monasteries. The research yields a fascinating reconstruction of the musical life of the Silesian Cistercians—its organization, performance practice, and repertoire—showing the monasteries not only as centers of spiritual culture but also as important centers of artistic life in Baroque Silesia.