WORKSHOP | The Motet in the German-Speaking World, 1500–1550

June 1–3, 2022 | University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna & Gustav Mahler Research Center

Organized by the Institute for Musicology and Performance Studies at the mdw

The “motet” genre underwent significant changes around 1500. While these changes have long been discussed in scholarship with regard to Franco-Flemish composers, the contributions of German-speaking composers to this central vocal genre have thus far been neglected and dismissed as works of limited regional interest. Studies on the motet in the German-speaking world during the first half of the 16th century—covering both its musical production and its reception—are almost entirely absent, apart from a few older studies on individual composers. Whether and how the compositional shift in the genre around 1500 manifested itself in the German-speaking world, and how it related to international trends, has therefore received little attention or scrutiny to date. Consequently, a comprehensive account of the music-historical development and the cultural-historical contexts of the genre in the German-speaking world remains impossible to this day.

A two-day roundtable discussion aims to address this research gap. Building on the recently re-examined and critically analyzed motet works of Ludwig Senfl, the workshop will, for the first time, raise questions regarding the repertoire, transmission structures, and compositional characteristics of motets by German-speaking composers. The goal of the workshop is to discuss repertoire issues, contexts, and styles in the works of Senfl and his contemporaries, and to explore ways to foster a new understanding of the genre in German-speaking countries.

All contributors are asked to submit, by April 29, a text of approximately 6,000 characters on a topic of their choice that explicitly relates to one of the following areas of discussion. The text will be sent to all participants on May 26 (i.e., before the actual workshop) and presented in plenary as an expandable introductory talk, so that it can serve as a starting point for further discussions. The workshop will take place in person.

Participation in all events is free. Registration is requested.