Music for Dancing in the Empire of Maximilian I
The sketches for the illustrated tale of Freydal — one of several pictorial works commissioned by Maximilian I to commemorate the cultural significance of his court — have long been of interest to music historians due to their depiction of diverse forms of dancing accompanied by various combinations of instruments. This paper will explore the extent to which the musicians depicted in Freydal might be regarded as representative of the instrumental ensembles that accompanied dances both at Maximilian’s court and across his Empire. It will consider the degree to which court and civic society engaged with a shared repertoire of dance music and steps, and how instrumental music for dancing thereby contributed to the representation and interaction of members of the social elite across Maximilian’s realm.
Date: 27 February 2025, 17:00
Venue: Faculty of Music, St Aldate's OX1 1DB
Venue Details: Online
Speaker: Helen Coffey (The Open University)
Organising department: Faculty of Music
Organiser: Margaret Bent (Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: all.souls.music.seminars@gmail.com
Part of: All Souls Seminars in Medieval and Renaissance Music
Booking required?: Not required
Booking url: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7pNhQxEY-138ZHMgNMPTxvb1KWnS_rxUBq9syDjzikj5SkA/viewform
Cost: Free
Audience: Public
Editor: Laura Howorth