Turmmusik – Tower Music

Turmmusik
Copyright: Linz09

29 November 08 – 31 December 09 daily at 6 pm
Idea / Concept: Ars Antiqua Austria, Gunar Letzbor

A tradition that was interrupted 150 years ago is being revived: from on high, from the steeple of the city’s parish church, the signals of natural trumpets will go forth to the four points of the compass.
Arrivals of members of the ruling dynasty, the opening and closing of the city gates, the beginnings of the market, fire alarms: These were some of the events signalled by the tower trumpeters in a bygone age. In TOWER MUSIC trumpet signals will sound again from the steeple of the city’s parish church on every weekday of the year. This ‘tower service’ will be performed by students of the Musikschule Linz, where a natural trumpet course was started in 2007/08 to acquaint advanced students with the special characteristics of this difficult instrument. On the Sundays of Capital of Culture Year the programme will be enlarged: students of the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität will join their professors to perform one of the Clarin trumpet duets by Romanus Weichlein, a Linz baroque composer. A short signature tune, appropriately named ‘Good Night’, will signal the end of the tower trumpeters’ performance.

The composer Romanus Weichlein (1652-1706) was well known throughout Europe in his days. Born into a Linz family of musicians, he is believed to have been a pupil of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. Particularly popular was his collection of five-part sonatas for strings and two clarin trumpets entitled ‘Encaenia Musices’. This lavishly produced volume also contains 24 pieces entitled ‘Pro tabula’ for two clarin trumpets.

WHERE //
Stadtpfarrkirche
Pfarrplatz, 4020 Linz

In cooperation with Diözese Linz