The album's title, 'Ein Vierfaches Musicalisches Kleeblatt' (A Four-Leaf Musical Clover), comes from the revised edition of Daniel Speer's practical and didactic work on musical art, published in 1697.
Composer Biography
Daniel Speer published three anonymous 'autobiographical' picaresque novels, including Ungarischer Simplicissimus, which depict the travels of a court trumpeter and town piper through southeastern Europe, Turkey, and the Middle East.
Compositional Technique
The 'quodlibets' on this album, such as 'Von drey Vexations-Handwerckern', are short cantatas where caricatured characters converse and confront each other, often degenerating into burlesque cacophony.
Performer Biography
Capella Itineris previously explored the repertoire of "Stadtpfeifer" (town pipers), poly-instrumentalists who held a monopoly on musical activities in large European cities from the 14th to the early 19th century.
Recording & Production
Several pieces on this album, including religious music and humorous quodlibets by Daniel Speer, are world premiere recordings.
Composer Biography
Daniel Speer (1636-1707) was a versatile figure, serving as a Stadtpfeifer (town piper), composer, music theorist, teacher, political commentator, and writer.
Instruments
The organ used for this recording, located in the church of Sainte-Aurélie in Strasbourg, was originally built by Andreas Silbermann in 1718 and was restored in 2015 to its 1768 condition.
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