Insula et Eremus
Music of the Middle Ages from the Monasteries of Reichenau and St. Gall
Since their foundation in the early Middle Ages, the monasteries of Reichenau and St. Gall have been a cradle of European cultural and musical history. In both monasteries, in addition to the sciences and the arts, liturgical chant in particular was cultivated and recorded in manuscripts.
One of the most famous figures of the monastery of Reichenau is Hermannus Contractus/the Lame (1013-1054), who, versed in all sciences, was called the "miracle of the century". In addition to works on music theory, he also composed chants in honor of saints from southern Germany for the Liturgy of the Hours, probably on commission. The hitherto lost chants for the saints Gordianus and Epimachus for Kempten were recently rediscovered by Stefan Morent and can be heard again for the first time in almost 1000 years.
In St. Gall, which was both in prayerful brotherhood and in friendly productive competition with the island monastery of Reichenau, the two founding figures, the hermit Gallus and the abbot Othmar, were honored with chants on their feast days.
The program provides a sounding overview of the musical landscape of the "monks on Lake Constance" (Arno Borst), in reference to Walter Berschin's study of the literary landscape alluded to in the program title.
Program:
Excerpts from the Offices for Saints Gallus and Othmar
Hermannus Contractus: Officium St. Gordiani et Epimachi
6 singers
Medium to large church rooms
Performances
- International Lake Constance Festival (2022)
- Gregorian Festival Watou (2012)