Ludwig Senfl: New Edition of the Collected Works IV

Since the nineteenth century, Ludwig Senfl (c.14901543) has been recognized as one of the most important Renaissance composers in the German-speaking world. Despite the outstanding quality of his extensive uvre being acknowledged since the establishment of musicology as a discipline, the major part is still inaccessible in an edition and has so far been not accordingly recognised by scholars and performers alike. This is all the more astonishing as Senfl was active in two of the most important musical centres of the early sixteenth century: at the court of Emperor Maximilian I he launched his career as a singer and composer; and from 1523 he worked in Munich as court composer for Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria. The New Senfl Edition (NSE) aims to close this research gap by preparing Senfls work in a scholarly edition. This edition will provide a comprehensive overview of the composers output based on the latest research. Compared to earlier, incomplete editions, the NSE offers numerous advantages: the repertoire to be edited is systematically organized, and the transcriptions, as well as the critical apparatus, are uniformly prepared and adhere to the most modern editorial standards. To achieve the most complete picture of his work, both fragmentarily preserved works and compositions whose authorship must remain questionable for the time being will be edited. Following the initial edition of the entire (para-)liturgical repertoire (motets, canons, Magnificat settings, polyphonic masses, and polyphonic Proper settings for Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the church year) across eight volumes, the fourth module of this long-term project will focus on the first half of Senfls German songs. These 168 pieces will be organized alphabetically into two volumes, slated for publication as Volumes 9 and 10 of the NSE in the Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich series. Another goal of the research project is to further develop Senfls World, an interactive map freely accessible on the projects homepage. This map will supplement the edition by digitally integrating contextual material to an extent that would be unimaginable without electronic storage media. Materials such as facsimiles and letters will be brought together with other archival materials, images, and acoustic resources to form an interactive platform. This will expand knowledge about the compositions presented in the NSE and Senfls working environment, thereby creating a picture of life in the first half of the sixteenth century.

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