Andreas Christoph Clamer (1633-1701) – Mensa Harmonica – at Heiligenkreuz Monastery

P. Roman Nägele

Thursday, October 24, 2019

We have received the following from P. Roman Nägele:

On 26 October, the national holiday in Austria, abbot prelate Dr. Maximilian Heim OCist once again invites you to look at the various collections of the monastery. A very special musical rarity by Andreas Christoph Clamer (1633-1701) will be performed by the ensemble dolce risonanza: Mensa Harmonica (RISM ID no. 990009998), entertainment for Prince-Archbishop Maximilian Gandolph Graf zu Küenburg in Salzburg (1682). Little is known about Andreas Christoph Clamer, who worked at the same time as Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber and Georg Muffat in Salzburg as choir director at the cathedral in the 17th century. His only surviving work is this Mensa Harmonica, which was performed as part of magnificent festivities in front of a choice audience on the occasion of the 1100-year anniversary of the archbishopric of Salzburg in 1682. The instrumentation of the Mensa Harmonica is also unusual: in addition to two violins and one violone, a viola da gamba enriches the harmony with chords and double stops.

RISM siglum: A-HE (Heiligenkreuz Monastery)

Photograph courtesy of Martin Rainer.

Category: Events