Capella Antiqua Bambergensis –
Musical Journeys Into the Middle Ages
For its musical journey to the Middle Ages, Capella sounds over 60 medieval instruments such as the nyckelharpa, bagpipes, bladderpipes, hurdy-gurdies, organettos, psalteries, different sized flutes, harps, bombardons, vielles, shawms, cithers, mute cornetts, doumbeks and the Kara Def. In doing so, much importance is attached to achieving the greatest possible authenticity of the instruments (which for the most part are made by master instrument maker Andreas Spindler, who is also a member of the Capella ensemble).
The concert presents special musical treasures such as wonderful and mystical songs from the Catalonian Libre Vermell (Red Book), which Arianna Savall so magically sounds with her extraordinary voice and gothic harp. The Nibelungenlied (The Lay of the Nibelungs) is weaved into original music dating from the era in which it was written. Musical instrument maker Andreas Spindler has reconstructed special musical instruments for this purpose, which enable the rich variety of sounds from the Middle Ages to be reproduced. Petter Upland Johansen from Oslo casts a spell over his concert audience with his interpretation of the world-famous Song of Roland which he sings in the original Norwegian dialect of the Middle Ages.
The music from this time in which the most important and beautiful cathedrals in Southern Germany were built spans a cultural bow from Andalusia all the way to Franconia. The Romanesque and Gothic periods, the variety of sounds from the Hohenstaufen dynasty and of subsequent kings and emperors fill an authentic and unique concert venue to create a truly festive occasion for the celebration of 1100 years at Münchsteinach.
