The Good Musician

Slovenian composer got it done

by csnowden on May 29th, 2008

Jacobi Handl (Lat. Jacobus Gallus Carniolus), 1550-1591, is perhaps the best known Slovenian composer. Writing primarily masses and motets (374 of those mamas), he worked with a printer in Prague to ensure his compositions were printed before his death. Pretty remarkable in any period.

Here is a fascinating Web site that gives a run-down on Slovenian church music during the Reformation and subsequently a run-in with the Communist regime.

Composers of that time made their living as many do today–writing secular pieces, forming secular instrumental and vocal groups, and teaching in addition to the court duties to produce masses for the cathedrals in Prague, Vienna, those nice Alpen capitols. His students learned and performed his pieces, in a workshop environment similar to universities today.

Here is a quaintly phrased bio of the Slovenian rock band Siddhartha.

More photos from The Good Photographer, er, Musician.

POSTED IN: Choral, Ethnomusicology, Instrumental, Performance practices, Vocal, music history, musicology