Four mute cornetts, considered the 'Rosetta Stone' of the instrument, survived from the Kassel court collections and are now kept in Leipzig.
Instruments
The mute cornett, an instrument with a sweet and tender sound, is described by Michael Praetorius in his 1619 work Syntagma Musicum.
Compositional Technique
This recording explores solutions proposed by Michael Praetorius, a composer and theorist, that considerably expanded the mute cornett's range and repertoire, including its use in the upper register or as an alternative timbre.
Recording & Production
This recording was made with the support of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Direction générale de la Culture, Service de la Musique).
Historical Context
The court of Hesse-Kassel possessed an impressive total of thirty mute cornetts, with musicians having access to three different types: standard, longer (one tone lower), and smaller (a fourth higher).
Instruments
The cover illustration features a painting by Felice Brusasorzi (1542-1605) depicting Bartolomeo Carteri, a Veronese academician, with a mute cornett and a score identified as his own madrigal.
