February 8, 2024, new article on a musical moravicum in the Klosterneuburg abbey

Please note the new article by Hana Studeničová on the musical moravicum in Klosterneuburg abbey, Austria, entitled From Moravská Třebová to Klosterneuburg: To the Fate of One Part Book. For further information click here.

February 7, 2024, book on Maria of Austria

We would like to draw your attention to Rubén González Cuerva's book on Maria of Austria, Holy Roman Empress (1528-1603). Dynastic Networker, which deals with the personality of Rudolf II's mother, including her activities in the early years of the emperor's reign (including her role in the founding of the Confraternitas Corporis Christi, etc.). Published by Routledge, London - New York 2022, 308 p., ISBN 978-0-367-64659-2. Further information here.

November 17, 2023, recording of Carl Luython's compositions on the website of the Cabinet for Classical Studies of the Institute of Philosophy of the CAS

On 7 October 2023, the vocal ensemble Dyškanti performed compositions from Carl Luython's collection Popularis anni iubilus with commentary by Marta Vaculínová, Petr Daněk and Martin Horyna on the humanist poet Jiří Barthold Pontan of Braitenberg (1550-1614) and his texts for musicians of the Rudolphine period. This event was one of the outputs of the AV 21 Strategy project. You can watch it here.

March 21, 2023, cooperation of the Musica Rudolphina members on the project of the Strategy AV21: Anatomy of European Society

Martin Horyna and Petr Daněk are involved in the project of the Philosophical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences called Strategy AV21: Anatomy of European Society, in which they are working on the topic Catholic Intellectual as a Member of the European Community: the Interconnection of Music and Poetry in the Works of Jiří Barthold Pontan of Braitenberg.

February 2023, papers presented during the international symposium The "Luython Year" Conference published in Clavibus Unitis

The third issue of the 10th volume (2021) of the online periodical Clavibus Unitis is monographically dedicated to Carl Luython. The published articles are based on papers presented during the international symposium The "Luython Year" Conference. However, they have been substantially expanded and revised not only on the basis of the conference discussions, but also through the international peer-review process. For further information click here.

January 2023, edition of the Mass by Valentin Judex

Within the Musicalia Istropolitana series published by the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava appeared Missa Super Rectius Vives by Valentin Judex. The mass was edited by Adriana Grešová-Sekelská. It was prepared from the manuscripts of the Levoča and Bardejov music collections, which are in the collection of the Evangelical Church in Levoča and the Széchényi Library in Budapest. Valentin Judex was a composer who was active at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries in Bavaria and probably also in western Bohemia. For further information click here.

January 2023, Italian translation of the study on Jiří Kropáč

Bolletino dell'Istituto Storico Ceco di Roma, produced by the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, has published in its 13th issue a study by Marta Vaculínová and Petr Daněk entitled Nuovi appunti sulla stampa veneziana di Georgius Cropatius Missarum tomus primus (Gardano 1578) e sulla vita del suo autore. For further information click here.

December 2022, an article on Jiří Carolides in the periodical Musicalia

The journal Musicalia, produced by the National Museum - Czech Museum of Music, has published in its new issue 2022/1-2 an article by Marta Vaculínová and Petr Daněk entitled Vita ceu harmonia Jiří Carolides, poet and composer between the imperial court and the New Town of Prague. For further information click here (Czech version; English version).

August 13, 2022, Bernhard Rainer became a new member of Musica Rudolphina

Bernhard Rainer, Ph.D. (Institute of Early Music and Performance Practice – University of Music and Performing Arts Graz) became a new member of Musica Rudolphina. It is one of the fruits of the participation of Musica Rudolphina team during the 50th Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference in Uppsala (Sweden). To see his profile click here.

July 2022, Czech Music Quarterly on the edition of double-choir motets of Rudolfine Prague

The journal Czech Music Quarterly has published in its new issue 2022/2 a review by Jiří Pešek on the edition by Petr Daněk and Martin Horyna, The Double-Choir Motets of Rudolphine Praque. Prague: KLP, 2020. xvi, 142 pp. (Clavis Monumentorum Musicorum Regni Bohemiae. Series A; VI). ISBN 978-80-87773-73-4 (for further information click here).

July 2022, presentation of Musica Rudolphina on the pages of the music magazine Harmonie

The summer double issue (7-8/2022) of the music magazine Harmonie also brought a comprehensive presentation of the Musica Rudolphina research centre. In addition to information about the founding, operation and mission of the Musica Rudolphina research centre (PDF here), it also contains popular articles summarizing partial results of the work of several of its members. The article about the Rudolfine court was written by Michaela Žáčková Rossi (PDF here), the musical life in Brno at the beginning of the 17th century is described by Hana Studeničová (PDF here), Jan Baťa (PDF here) deals with the ceremony of awarding the Order of the Golden Fleece in Prague in 1585, Vladimír Maňas follows the fate of the composer Nicolaus Zangius (PDF here), the Cistercian abbot and composer Johann Nucius is discussed by Magdalena Dostálová (PDF here), the Utraquist priest and composer JanTrojan Turnovský is dealt with by Martin Horyna (PDF here), and Jan Campan's contribution to Czech music is reviewed by Marta Vaculínová and Petr Daněk (PDF here).

July 4-7, 2022, Musica Rudolphina at the 50th Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference in Uppsala

Musica Rudolphina team presented papers during the 50th Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference in Uppsala (Sweden). Session 30, simply entitled Musica Rudolphina, consisted of four papers read by Jan Bata («Sub umbra alarum tuarum.» Music and Liturgy in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague 1526-1620), Jan Bilwachs (Music Inventories from the St. Nicolas Church in the West Bohemian Town Cheb (Eger)), Ferran Escrivà-Llorca (Jacob Regnart in Iberian libraries: some clues about unknown work) a Erika Supria Honisch (Mustering Troops and Teaching Counterpoint: The Musical Legion of a Rudolfine Military Commander). Other members of the Musica Rudolphina team - Hana Studenicova (Polyphonic fragments of Mass Ordinaries and Propers from the Bratislava City Archive) and Christian Thomas Leitmeir (Protesting too much? Crypto-Catholicism and the Origins of the English(ed) Madrigal)- presented their research whithin different sessions.

April 2022, Czech Music Quarterly brought an English translation of the text about the so-called Sabbateni Collection in New York

The journal Czech Music Quarterly (1/2022) published sn English translation of Petr Daněk’s article On the Fate of the Collection of Bohemian Musical Prints and Manuscripts in the Sabbateni Collection New York. For further information click here.

April 1, 2022, successful defense of Rudolfine dissertation

Hana Tillmanová, a member of the Musica Rudolphina team, successfully defended her dissertation entitled Evangelista Papazzone and his manuscript Tractatus de arte saltandi at the Institute of Musicology of the Charles University on Friday, 1 April 2022. Congratulations!

January 2022, new book relating to Rudolfine culture

At the end of 2021 appeared a collective monograph on Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria published by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The book examines the cultural patronage of Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (1529–1595), a son of Emperor Ferdinand I. Being the second-born, the Archduke never reached the imperial throne but served as the Governor of Bohemia in Prague and then he reigned in the Tyrol. The volume aims to show how Ferdinand II’s unclear dynastic position was significant in determining his fate, and which strategies he used to represent himself as an important member of the Habsburg dynasty. Twenty-three essays organized in five sections cover his main cultural aims, starting with the structure of his court and its entertainment, architectural projects, visual arts, and the interests of the humanistic circle he gathered around him. The book also presents new information about his famous collection of art and curiosities at Ambras Castle in Innsbruck, which served as a model for Emperor Rudolf II's collecting practice. For more information click here.

January 2022, Jan Bata’s report from the international symposium Philippe de Monte at 500

The journal Czech Music Quarterly (4/2021) published Jan Bata’s essay commemorating 500th aniversary of Philippe de Monte (1521-1603) which is also devoted to the evaluation of the international symposium Philippe de Monte at 500 organized in Prague from 19 to 20 August 2021. For further information click here.

October 2021, Adriana Gresova’s article on Jiří Třanovský

The journal Czech Music Quarterly (3/2021) published an essay on life and works of Jiří Třanovský, the most significant Central European hymnographer between the Renaissance and the Baroque. The article is written by Adriana Gresova, the member of the Musica Rudolphina team. For further information click here.

September 26, 2021, echoes of Philippe de Monte at 500 at Musica Rudolphina Youtube channel

Musica Rudolphina Youtube channel published the highlights from the concert performed during the international symposium Philippe de Monte at 500. For watching the video click here.

September 2021, new member of Musica Rudolphina

Magdalena Dostálová, PhD. candidate from Masaryk University in Brno, became new member of Musica Rudolphina. To see her profile click here.

August 19-20, 2021, the international symposium Philippe de Monte at 500

The two-day international symposium “Philippe de Monte at 500” organized by the research centre Musica Rudolphina, the Archbishopric of Prague, Institute of Musicology of Charles University and the Association for Central European Cultural Studies will take place in Prague on 19–20 August 2021. Further information here.

August 2021, Martin Horyna’s article on the finding od Notre-Dame polyphony in CZ-Pu, Ms. V E 15

A revealing article by Martin Horyna concerning the recently published discovery of a fragment from the 13th century with the repertoire of double-voice organs of the Notre-Dame period in the National Library in Prague has been published in English in the online journal Clavibus unitis in English. For further information please click here.

August 14, 2021, fourth Musica Rudolphina Youtube video promoting Philippe de Monte

Musica Rudolphina Youtube channel published fourth short video of Laura Hafner promoting the quincentenary of Philippe de Monte (in German). For watching the video click here.

August 13-15, 2021, presentation of Musica Rudolphina at Singer Pur Tage

From 13th to 15th August 2021, Singer Pur Tage took place in Adlersberg, Bavaria. The former fortified monastery near Regensburg hosted the small festival for the third time and this year was dedicated in 1521 with two important musical anniversaries: Josquin's death and the birth of the Rudolfinian "maestro di cappella" Philipp de Monte. In addition to three evening concerts by Singer Pur and Ensemble Leones, the organizers dedicated a one-day academy to the both Renaissance composers with presentations by historians and musicologists Harriet Rudolph (Long 16th century as a turning point in European modernism), Thorsten Hindrichs (Philippe De Monte as "musico vero"), Michaela Žáčková Rossi (The Life of Musicians at the Court of Rudolf II), Paul Kolb (The motets of Josquin Des Prez and Liber selectarum cantionum) and Bernhold Schmid (Josquin 's Missa de Beata Virgine in the Tradition). The honorary guest of the Adlersberg's Singer Pur Tage was the Korean musician living in Basel, Junghae Lee, whose compositions received long applauses from the local audience. For further information please click here.

July 29, 2021, third Musica Rudolphina Youtube video promoting Philippe de Monte

Musica Rudolphina Youtube channel published third short video of Erika Supria Honisch promoting the quincentenary of Philippe de Monte (in English). For watching the video click here.

July 2021, review of Michna’s Loutna česká in Music and Letters

A leading international journal of musical scholarship Music and Letters, Volume 102, Issue 1, brings Geoffrey Chew’s review of the edition of Adam Václav Michna’s Loutna česká published in 2018 by Bärenreiter Praha. The editorial team was formed by Petr Daněk, Adam Viktora and Tereza Daňková (Dvořáková). For further information please click here.

July 17, 2021, second Musica Rudolphina Youtube video promoting Philippe de Monte

Musica Rudolphina Youtube channel published second short video of Ferran Escrivà Llorca promoting the quincentenary of Philippe de Monte (in Spanish). For watching the video click here.

July 2021, article concerning recently discovered fragments of Notre-Dame polyphony in Czech Music Quarterly

The journal Czech Music Quarterly (2/2021) published an essay on recently discovered fragments of Notre-Dame polyphony in the National Library of the Czech Republic. The article is written by Martin Horyna, the member of the Musica Rudolphina team. For further information click here.

June 18, 2021, first Musica Rudolphina Youtube video promoting Philippe de Monte

Musica Rudolphina Youtube channel published first short video of Petr Danek promoting the quincentenary of Philippe de Monte (in Czech). For watching the video click here.

May 28 - November 7, 2021, Rudolfine exhibition in Hradec Králové (Königgrätz)

Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové invites to admire the masterpieces of the court artists of Emperor Rudolf II. within the exhibition entitled Rudolf II. Art for the Emperor. It is a collection of commonly inaccessible works of art by Bartholomew Spranger, Hans von Aachen, Joseph Heintz Sr., Roelant Savery, Pieter Stevens, Dirk de Quade van Ravesteyn, Matthias Gundelach, Adriaen de Vries and Aegidio Sadeler. Furthermore, a set of graphic sheets and drawings is presented, including several hitherto anonymous interesting Rudolfinian works, coat of arms privileges, maps and other objects related to the Rudolfinian period. Most of the items are presented for the first time. The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a. m. to 6 p. m. (Tuesday until 8 p. m.). For further information please click here.

April 2021, article concerning Jan Sixti of Lerchenfels in Czech Music Quarterly

The journal Czech Music Quarterly (1/2021) published an essay on life and works of Jan Sixti of Lerchenfels written by Marta Vaculínová and Petr Daněk. The article is a preliminary study for more extensive work devoted to Sixti of Lerchenfels (in preparation). For further information click here.

April 30, 2021, deadline for paper proposals for the international symposium Philippe de Monte at 500

The year 2021 marks 500 years since the birth of the Flemish composer Philippe de Monte (1521–1603), who spent the last two decades of his life in Prague as the chapelmaster of Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II (r. 1576–1612). Despite being one of the most prolific and renowned composers of his time, today he stands in the historiographic shadow cast by his contemporaries Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Orlando di Lasso. This year’s quincentenary anniversary presents an opportunity to revisit de Monte’s life and works, situating his career and output in the context not only of the cosmopolitan Imperial court, but also the rich musical culture of late Renaissance Europe more broadly. The two-day international symposium “Philippe de Monte at 500” organized by the research centre Musica Rudolphina, the Archbishopric of Prague, Institute of Musicology of Charles University and the Association for Central European Cultural Studies will take place in Prague on 19–20 August 2021. The conference committee welcomes papers engaging a wide range of problems. CFP here.

February 2021, new anthology of Rudolfine music

Koniasch Latin Press has published a first volume of an anthology of eight-voice motets from Bohemian manuscripts and prints entitled The Double-Choir Motets of Rudolphine Prague. The score edited by Martin Horyna, Petr Danek with contribution of Jiri K. Kroupa (Latin texts) appeared within the series Clavis Monumentorum Musicorum Regni Bohemiae, Series A / VI (ISBN 978-80-87773-73-4). For sample pages click here.

January 2021, article concerning Wolfgang Rumpf’s music library in Music and Letters

A leading international journal of musical scholarship Music and Letters, Volume 101, Issue 3, brings an article concerning Wolfgang Rumpf’s music library by Erika Supria Honisch, Ferran Escrivà-Llorca and Tess Knighton. For further information please click here.

January 2021, new issue of Musicalia. Journal of the Czech Museum of Music

Latest issue of Musicalia. Journal of the Czech Museum of Music (1-2/2020) brings an essay of Marta Vaculínová and Petr Daněk New Findings about the Life and Work of Jiří Cropatius Teplický that focuses on his collection of masses published in 1578 by Venetian printer Angelo Gardano. For further information please click here.

January 2021, new Rudolfine publication

State Regional Archives in Prague - State District Archives Kutná Hora, in cooperation with the Association for Central European Cultural Studies and Koniasch Latin Press published a collective monograph entitled Rudolfinská Kutná Hora [Kutná Hora/Kuttenberg in the Rudolfine Period]. Most of the texts were supplied by the members of Musica Rudolphina team. All the texts have extensive German summary. For the table of contents please click here.

Fall 2020, echoes of The "Luython Year" Conference

The journal Czech Music Quarterly published a report from the The "Luython Year" Conference in Prague. For further information please click here.

July 30 - August 2, 2020, The "Luython Year" Conference in Prague

The four-day international symposium commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of the composer and organist Carl Luython (1557/58–1620) organized by the Institute of Musicology of Charles University, the Association for Central European Cultural Studies, the Archbishopric of Prague and the Metropolitan chapter of St. Vitus in Prague under the auspices of His Eminence Dominik cardinal Duka takes place in Prague from Thursday, 30 July to Sunday, 2 August 2020. The symposium is organized with generous support of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Czech Music Fund. For further information please click here.

February 29, 2020, deadline for paper proposals for The "Luython Year" Conference

August 2020 will mark the 400th anniversary of the death of the composer and organist Carl Luython (1557/58–1620). The time is ripe for musicologists to pay tribute to this neglected figure—a cosmopolitan who lived at the intersection of multiple cultural worlds, bridged the gap between court and city, and eagerly pushed the limits of contemporary musical conventions. The “Luython Year” presents an opportunity to revisit his life and works from many perspectives, and situate his career and output in the context not only of the cosmopolitan court of Habsburg Emperor Rudolf II (r. 1576–1612), but also the rich musical culture of late Renaissance Europe more broadly. This three-day international symposium organized by Musica Rudolphina will take place in Prague from Thursday, 30 July to Sunday, 2 August 2020. The conference committee welcomes papers engaging a wide range of problems. CFP here.

September 4, 2017, successful defense of Rudolfine MA thesis

On Monday 4 September, 2017, Jan Bilwachs, member of the Musica Rudolphina team, successfully defended (summa cum laude) his MA thesis Motet compositions by Carl Luython in the music print Selectissimarum sacrarum cantionum... fasciculus primus (1603).

July 2017, new Rudolfine publication by Michaela Zackova Rossi

In the occasion of the 45th Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference held in Prague was presented the publication dedicated to The Musicians at the Court of Rudolf II. The Musical Entourage of Rudolf II (1576-1612) reconstructed from the Imperial Accounting Ledgers by Michaela Zackova Rossi (Prague: Koniasch Latin Press, 2017; ISBN 978-80-87773-03-1). As the title suggests this first volume presents as a result of the comprehensive study of the regular wages (Hofbesoldung) the complete list of the Rudolfine musical staff with their salaries. It contains about 300 court servants in different musical functions who were active in almost 36 years of the Emperor’s reign in the Chapel, in the Imperial stables (trumpeters and drummers) but even in other court areas. The forthcoming second volume will bring a complete elaboration of all the remaining typologies of Rudolfine payments: clothing money, New Year bonuses, pensions, provisions, journey money, grace money etc.

July 4-8, 2017, Musica Rudolphina at the 45th Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference in Prague

Musica Rudolphina team will present papers during the 45th Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference organized by the Association for Central European Cultural Studies in cooperation with the Institute of Musicology of Charles University in Prague. On Thursday 6 July 2017, the session "D" will be entirely devoted to the "Rudolfine" papers according to the following schedule. Musica Rudolphina I (9:00-11:00): Martin Horyna - Die böhmische Reformation und Musik; Jan Bata - Lutheran Musical Culture in Rudolfine Prague; Cecilia Luzzi - From Italy to Prague: Literary and musical networks and the circulation of manuscript poetry in Philippe de Monte’s madrigals at the end of sixteenth century; Laura Sonnabend - Messenkompositionen von Stefano Felis in einem Kölner Chorbuch Prager Provenienz. Musica Rudolphina II (11:30-13:00): Erika Honisch - Writing Motets and Rewriting History in Imperial Prague; Jan Bilwachs - Die Verhältnis zwischen Text und Musik in Motetten von Karl Luython aus dem Gesichtspunkt der textlichen und melodischen Vorlagen; Ferran Escrivà-Llorca - The Procession of the Relics of Sao Roque (Lisbon, 1588): Individual and Collective Representations against a Musical Background; Hana Studeničová - Possible parallels in the urban musical culture of Brno and Vienna in the sixteenth century. Musica Rudolphina III (14:00-15:30): Petr Danek - Historische Musikdrucke in den böhmischen Ländern vor 1630; Vladimir Manas - Neglected sources, unreflected information? Musical inventories in the Bohemian lands between 1590 and 1670 as a valuable testimony of the distribution and performance of Renaissance repertoire; Scott Edwards - The Dream of the Quill: Music, Books, and Reform in Sixteenth-Century Hradec Králové; Kateřina Maýrová - ‘Protestant’ Composers of the first half of the sixteenth century in the Rokycany Music Collection. Musica Rudolphina IV (16:00-18:00): Michaela Zackova Rossi - The ‘Gnadengeld’ as an important source on the Rudolfine patronage: Can the imperial accounting ledgers testify about music?; Petra Jakoubková - Odae suavissimae: A Rudolﬁne collection of panegyric motets; Klemen Grabnar - A Little-Known Double-Choir Hymn Cycle from c. 1600; Peter Martinček - Double-choir music by Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern (1594-1648): Differences between compositions preserved in the Sammlung Bohn and the Levoča Music Collection; Magdalena Dostálová - Choirbook from the former Opava gymnasial collection (A 1775).

May 10, 2017, 60th birthday of Petr Danek

On Wednesday 10 May 2017, Petr Danek, musicologist, pedagogue, conductor and head of the research centre Musica Rudolphina celebrates his 60th birthday. For the tabula gratulatoria click here.

May 2017, a discovery of an unknown copy of Luython’s Liber primus missarum

Petr Danek discovered hitherto unknown copy of Charles Luython’s Liber primus missarum (Prague 1609). It is held in the collection of the former dean’s library of the church of St Gothard in Slany. Thanks to the exlibris and other inscriptions it can be attributed to the literati brotherhood in Slany. The choirbook is preserved completely in the original binding.

April 2017, new issue of Czech Music Quarterly

New issue of Czech Music Quarterly contains Petr Daněk‘s article Řehoř Pešin / Gregorius Peschin Bohemus Organista (b. cca 1500, Bohemia / d. after 1547, Heidelberg). A Czech Composer who travelled throughout Europe.

March 2017, contributions to the rudolfine musical culture in Musicologica Brunensia

Musicologica Brunensia published in its volume nr. 51 (1/2016) contributes of the 50th Musicologial Colloquium held in Brno in October 2015. Among these, papers of the Musica Rudolphina center can be found, with topics on Jacobus Handl‘s (Marc Desmet) and Carl Luython’s compositions (Jan Bilwachs), festivities of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Prague in 1585 (Jan Baťa), on the Choir Lofts in the Church of St. James in Brno (Vladimír Maňas) and on the typology of non musical sources in Vienna regarding the rudolfine cultural environment (Michaela Žáčková Rossi).

January 31, 2017, death of a member of the research center Musica Rudolphina

On Tuesday 31st January 2017 died Gabor Kiss, C.Sc. (Zenetudományi Intézet, Bölcsészettudományi Kutatóközpont), one of the members of the research center Musica Rudolphina. Requiescat in pace!

April 2016, new issue of Czech Music Quarterly

New issue of Czech Music Quarterly contains a collective article presenting portraits of Philippe de Monte, Charles Luython, Franz Sales and Hans Leo Hassler by Petr Daněk, Šárka Hálečková a Jan Bilwachs.

January 2016, new issue of Czech Music Quarterly

New issue of Czech Music Quarterly contains a second part of a collective article Music and Musical Culture in the Czech Lands During the Reign of Emperor Rudolf II written by Martin Horyna, Vladimir Manas, Petr Danek and Hana Tillmanova.

October 2015, new issue of Czech Music Quarterly

New issue of Czech Music Quarterly contains a collective article Music and Musical Culture in the Czech Lands During the Reign of Emperor Rudolf II written by Petr Danek, Michaela Zackova Rossi, Jan Bata and Petra Jakoubkova.

October 12-14, 2015, presentation of Musica Rudolphina members at the 50th International Musicological Colloquium in Brno

Most of the members of the Musica Rudolphina team (Jan Bata, Jan Bilwachs, Scott Edwards, Martin Horyna, Marta Hulkova, Gabor Kiss, Vladimir Manas and Michaela Zackova Rossi) will present their research during the 50th International Musicological Colloquium in Brno which is devoted to the Monophony and Polyphony in the Liturgical Music of the 15th and 16th centuries: Coexistence and Mutual Inspiration in Central Europe. The conference is organized by the Institute of Musicology of Masaryk University in Brno. One of the sessions will be chaired by Petr Danek.

July 6-9, 2015, presentation of Musica Rudolphina members at MedRen in Brussels

Members of the Musica Rudolphina team will present their research at Medieval and Renaissance Music Conference organized by Université libre de Bruxelles.

July 1, 2015, new issue of Czech Music Quarterly

New issue of Czech Music Quarterly contains the article of Petr Danek "My beauty enraptured God", Newly discovered original prints of instrumentál ritornellos extend the best-known Czech baroque music collection, Loutna česká / Czech Lute (1653) and the review of Michaela Zackova Rossi of Danek's book Historical Prints of Vocal Polyphony, Early Monody, Music Theory and Instrumentál Music in the Czech lands before 1630 published by Koniasch Latin Press.

May 15, 2015, successful defense of Rudolphine dissertation

On Thursday 15 May, 2015, Ferran Escrivà–Llorca, member of the Musica Rudolphina team, successfully defended (summa cum laude) his PhD thesis Eruditio, Pietas et Honor: Joan de Borja i la música del seu temps (1533-1606) at Univeristat Politècnica de València.

March 6, 2015, 5 p.m., presentation of Petr Danek's new book on historical prints of vocal polyphony, early monody, music theory, and instrumental music in the Bohemian Lands before 1630

On Friday 6 March 2015, the library of the Association for Central European Cultural Studies will host a presentation of a long-awaited book of doc. PhDr. Petr Danek, Ph.D. Historické tisky vokální polyfonie, rané monodie, hudební teorie a instrumentální hudby v českých zemích do roku 1630 [Historical Prints of Vocal Polyphony, Early Monody, Music Theory, and Instrumental Music in the Bohemian Lands before 1630 (Supplemented with a List of Prints published between 1488 and 1628, now in Czech collections)] (Prague, Koniasch Latin Press, 2015). The book with exstensive English summary is the output of a research project supported by the Czech Science Foundation, in 2009-2013 (No. 408/09/1857). The first part of the book is dedicated to the Bohemian printing production of vocal polyphony within the aforesaid time period, while a separate chapter summarizes and analyzes developments in vocal polyphony printing in Bohemia. The following chapters deal with Georgius Nigrinus (Jiří Černý), the most important music printer in pre-White Mountain Bohemia, Franciscus Sale, a composer and singer under Rudolf II, a recently re-discovered 1580 print of motets by Orlando di Lasso, the music library of the last lords of Rožmberk and an important Czech collection of music prints and manuscripts exported to the USA in the 1990s. After this, the author finally comes to the very core of the work which consists of a catalogue of music prints dated between 1488 and 1628 and preserved in Bohemia. The catalogue is limited to Bohemia, as the holdings in Moravia have in this respect already been compiled by Dr. Theodora Strakova. The historical prints of vocal polyphony, early monody, music theory, and instru-mental music as preserved in Bohemia are arranged chronologically and their cataloguing follows the standards of RISM. Indices in the back of the book facilitate the orientation in the catalogue; they include provenance indices of printers and publishers, indices of composers, music theorists, and editors (included are also the authors of compositions published in collective volumes), and an index of personal names. Altogether, more than 600 prints were identified that comprise 313 individual entries in the final list. Because this collection of historical music prints continuously transforms in light of new discoveries, losses, dislocations etc., the printed catalogue has been made available also in the form of a database that can be visited on the web page of the Association for Central European Cultural Studies, section Early Musical Prints. The database has been enlarged with early music prints preserved in Moravia, thus creating an extensive collection documenting the reception and survival of these sources in the Bohemian Lands. Several criteria of the internet-based version make the catalogue open to and useful for the work also of the international scholarly community.

January 8, 2015, world premiere recording of The Songbook of Prachatice (1610) released

Koniasch Latin Press released a long-awaited world premiere recording of the Songbook of Prachatice. The recording was made by Dyškanti ensemble conducted by Martin Horyna. The songbook was written mainly by Václav Vít Chlumecký, a bachelor of Charles University in Prague who began to write the collection when he was at St. Castullus' school in the Old Town of Prague. Around 1615 or 1615 he brought the book to his new workplace in Prachatice. The songbook was used until the end of the 17th century. It contains 150 compositions mainly for four to six voices. Its repertory, which was to complement the Utraquist Service is written both in the Czech and Latin languages. The recording is a compilation of reperesentative selection of music. Following the arrangement of the Songbook, the introductory section of the recording presents Matins for Easter Sunday; the Proprium of the subsequent morning Mass is replaced by songs covering the period from Easter to the Feast of Corpus Christi; afternoon Vespers are linked with Advent; and the last of the Divine Office, Compline, is complemented by compositions related to Lent and funerals. This recording offers a convincing and unadorned view of the hitherto little known music of the Bohemian late Renaissance in its sober discreetness. The sleeve-note as well as all the sung texts are translated into English.

January 2, 2015, start of the students' page of Musica Rudolphina

On Friday 2 January 2015, the students' page of the project Musica Rudolphina was uploaded. It brings profiles of students that cooperate with the project. It is accessible either through the menu "people" or you can reach it here.

December 18, 2014, 4 p.m., lecture on Charles Luython

Two student collaborators of the project Musica Rudolphina - Bc. Jan Bilwachs and Mgr. Šárka Hálečková - will give a lecture Charles Luython (1557-1620), his motets and madrigals. The lecture organized in the frame of The Early Modern History Study Group will be held on Thursday 18 December 2014, at 4 p. m. at Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague.

November 12, 2014 - March 29, 2015, exhibition The Masters of Rudolf II’s Era – Works of Art by Court Artists of Rudolf II in Private Czech Collections

Cruel destiny awaited the famous collection of Rudolph II which was one of the largest ever assembled. As soon as the emperor perished, his brother and successor Matthias took the majority of the collections to Vienna and the rest passed to his younger brothers. Others with access to the castle area also took numerous items. Swedish soldiers finished the destruction when they took the rest to Stockholm to please Queen Christina. In the past decade, enlightened private collectors emerged and were instrumental in the return of some artworks from abroad. On display are works of B. Spranger, H. von Aachen, J. Heintz the Elder, P. Stevens, D. de Quade van Ravesteyn, M. Gundelach, and A. de Vries. Furthermore, several interesting works made by unknown artists in Rudolph’s era and a collection of graphic sheets will be exhibited. The exhibition called The Masters of Rudolf II’s Era – Works of Art by Court Artists of Rudolf II in Private Czech Collections takes place in the City of Prague Museum, Na Poříčí 52, Prague 8 (metro line B or C - "Florenc").

September 10, 2014, presentation of the project Musica Rudolphina in Czech Music Quarterly

Worldwide distributed journal Czech Music Quarterly, developped by Czech Music Information Center published an article Musica Rudolphina. A project of international co-operation in musicological research. The article was written by the Musica Rudolphina team.

September 8, 2014, successful defense of two theses on Rudolphine topic

Two student collaborators of the project Musica Rudolphina defended their theses at the Institute of Musicology of Charles University in Prague - Bc. Šárka Hálečková (MA thesis Carl Luython – The First Book of Madrigals 1582. Edition and analysis) and Jan Bilwachs (BA thesis The motets from the collection Selectissimarum sacrarum cantionum ... fasciculus primus of Carl Luython and their concordances. Critical edition and analysis of the chosen motets).

July 23-25, 2014, “Music in the Western Mediterranean – Intercultural Communication Networks” International Conference in Valencia (Spain)

This conference, which marks the 10th session of the Jornades de Musicologia organized by AVAMUS since 2005, aims to use music as the point of departure for a collective exploration of how the peoples inhabiting the Western Mediterranean have lived, how we continue to converse, and what we what we can do in the future to restore harmony to each of the lands and among the peoples bathing in the Mediterranean Sea. The conference languages will be Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Italian. However, presentations may be given in any of the languages in the Mediterranean area. Abstract (200-250 words) in the language used in the paper and English: the deadline is April 28th, 2014). For more information: http://www.avamus.org/val/conference.html

May 20, 2014, Carolus Luython's Regina Coeli

The recent recording of Carolus Luython's Regina Coeli by graduate Choral Conducting students of the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, transcribed by Tony Ward and recorded by Nicholas Lee on May 5th, 2014 in the Village Presbyterian Church, Kansas (USA): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6NiDjGnLBo&t=84.

February 7, 2014, successful defense of MA thesis on Rudolphine topic

Bc. Petra Jakoubkova defended her MA thesis at the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague Typography of Jiří Nigrin's musical prints (61 pp. of text, 61 pp. of appedices). Advisor: Petr Danek, opponent: Petr Voit.

January 19, 2014, new book on Paulus Spongopaeus Jistebnicenus (c1560-1619)

At the end of the year 2013, there has been published a monography on the Czech composer of Rudolphine era called Pavel Spongopaeus Jistebnický (128 p., ISBN 978-80-7405-326-9). It was written by PhDr. Dana Souskova, Ph.D. Her book examines the life and works of the above mentioned composer and it involves a thematic catalogue of his extant output. It also contains the edition of selected works. The book has a summary in German.

The Palatium 1400–1700 International Colloquium in Prague

The ESF project entitled Palatium 1400–1700 has now moved into its second half and has turned from the residences of the Valois and Habsburg families to the theme of summer houses. On 5–7 June 2014 an international colloquium will take place in Prague, which is being prepared by the Palatium 1400–1700 team in cooperation with the Institute of Art History, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The programme of the colloquium will consist of papers on those parts of residential complexes which we most often find in Central European sources from the 15th to the 19th century under the name of Lusthaus. In addition to the purely philological question of delimiting the term, an important part of the Prague meeting will be the typological identification of these buildings in terms of culture, history, and construction, with particular reference to the relationship with functionally similar architectural entities such as hunting lodges, villas, garden pavilions, and casinos. Researchers will also devote attention to the iconology of the decoration of these additional buildings in residential complexes and to the urbanistic function of the gardens, parks, and game preserves in which these buildings were situated. The call for papers ends on 31 January 2014. More information at http://www.courtresidences.eu/index.php/home/.

December 8, 2013, new conference proceedings containing Rudolphine studies

Department of musicology of the Faculty of Philosophy of Comenius University in Bratislava has recently published its yearbook Musicologica Istropolitana X-XI that contains papers presented at the conference commemorating 90th anniversary of the foundation of this department (Bratislava, 26/10-28/10/2011). The subject of the conference was concentrated on the musical culture of cities in Central Europe. The conference proceedings was edited by prof. Marta Hulkova. It contains 21 papers, some of them concerning Rudolphine subjects. One of them was written by Petr Danek a Jan Bata and it analyzes 16th-century music manuscript of the National Library of the Czech Republic, shelf-mark 59 r 483, originally from Usti nad Labem (Aussig). For the facsimile of the manuscript see Links of this website.

November 15 & 16, 2013, presentation of the project Musica Rudolphina in Venice

During the international conference "La ricezione della musica di Andrea e Giovanni Gabrieli in Europa", the project Musica Rudolphina will be presented in Venice, thanks to the invitation by the Foundation Fondazione Ugo e Olga Levi. The Foundation headquarters in Palazzo Giustinian Lolli will host, on 15th and 16th of November 2013, experts on Italian music and on its reception in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The meeting will be held on the initiative of TRA.D.I.MUS. (Tracking the Dissemination of Italian Music in Central and Eastern Europe), an international group founded in 2009 at the Fondazione Ugo e Olga Levi by musicologists from Italy, Slovenia, Poland and Slovakia. Among the main objectives of TRA.D.I.MUS. is the implementation of the multimedia database with music written by Italian Renaissance and early Baroque composers operating in various parts of Europe, new releases, critical editions and scientific publications. The association is open to all those involved in the reception of Italian 16th and 17th century music. Therefore the TRA.D.I.MUS. and the conference coordinator Marina Toffetti from the University of Padua turned to the Musica Rudolphina founders with the request of a presentation during the Italian meeting. After the very recent report on Musica Rudolphina prepared by Petr Daněk for another international conference, in Bratislava, the Venetian participation is the next important step towards international cooperation between musicologists, art historians, cultural historians and other researchers who deal with Rudolf's era and its european cultural centers. For the conference program consult www.fondazionelevi.it.