Tyrolean Musical Treasures 23

Music for Ambras Castle
Ambras Castle was Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol’s generous gift of love to his wife Philippine Welser, who was a commoner. In keeping with its purpose, the magnificent building was filled with choice works of art and was the venue for exuberant court festivities in which music played a leading part. The extremely art-minded Tyrolean prince had the best musicians from every country under the sun in his court ensemble of singers and instrumentalists, including the two Netherlandish composers Jakob Regnart (ca. 1540-1599) and Georg Flori (ca. 1555-after 1599).
Regnart was a European celebrity thanks to his song compositions. His German songs, based on traditional folk songs, were the hits of the late 16th century, as it were. This CD production makes a selection of his five-part song compositions (Neue kurtzweilige Teutsche Lieder, Nuremberg 1580) available for the first time.
Georg Flori composed a collection of six-part Italian madrigals that was printed in Venice in 1589 and dedicated to Archduke Ferdinand of Tyrol (Il primo libro de madrigali). This splendid book of madrigals contains brilliant and moving settings of contemporary Italian love lyrics. Interpreting them with exclusively male voices as on this CD is historically well documented and acoustically the ideal type of performance.

Track 21, 3:09
Ich schlaf ich wach
Jakob Regnart (ca. 1540-1599)