Music in Egerland from the viewpoint of preserved music collections from the second half of the 16th century
Abstract
Eger (Cheb), a town in the Czech Republic near the present-day border with Germany, retained its autonomy from both Bohemia and the Germany from the beginning of the 14th century as a free city, until the 18th century. During the Reformation, Egerland became an important center of musical life, as is evident from the considerable activities of its preachers, teachers and book publishers (Philipp Avenarius, Wolfgang Ottho Egranus, Johann Hagius, Clemens Stephani...).
Although previous musicological studies have provided basic knowledge about the institutional background and biographies of individual composers, the musical sources have only been partially evaluated. This paper uses surviving music prints to highlight the connections between Egerland and the broader Lutheran sphere of the mid-sixteenth century, showing that music prints bearing the name of composers affiliated with Egerland reflect Lutheran relationships and preferences, either through occasional compositions that name specific individuals, through the chosen repertoire, or music theoretical and aesthetic characteristics.