Ludwig Senfl - A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works and Sources

Up to the present day, mainly the editions by Theodor Kroyer (1903) and the Ludwig Senfl, Sämtliche Werke (1937-74) serve as works of reference for investigations on the musical uvre of Ludwig Senfl (c. 1490-1543). Both of them - intended as complete editions - remained unfinished and thus cover only part of his uvre. According to the current state of research, they document an incomplete picture of the transmission of Senfl`s works. Due to the lack of information encompassing and profound research on the most important Renaissance composer of the German speaking areas during the first half of the 16th century remained difficult. Research conditions improved with Birgit Lodes` article "Senfl" (MGG2). On the basis of her worklist the research project "Ludwig Senfl - Verzeichnis sämtlicher Werke" / "Ludwig Senfl - A Catalogue Raisonné" (P 20820-G13; beginning: 1 September 2008) aimed at defining the repertoire of Senfl`s works and at publishing a catalogue raisonné. Due to extensive research on catalogues and source material it was possible to revise and amend B. Lodes` worklist and to present a detailed catalogue of the works and sources of Ludwig Senfl. The tracing of Senfl`s compositions in more than 360 sources documents the importance attributed to Senfl during his lifetime as well as during the second half of the 16th century. The present project "Ludwig Senfl - A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works and Sources" continues the previous research and concentrates on important aspects of the catalogue which could not be dealt with as the amount of sources increased unexpectedly by 100%. Apart from further identifying anonymously transmitted pieces by Senfl this includes brief characterisations of the individual compositions (concerning the authorship and the musical structure), musical incipits, as well as the documentation of related settings by contemporary composers. Moreover, questions of reception will be dealt with in order to draft a picture of the transmission of individual works and patterns of dissemination. A systematic evaluation of the secondary literature will - among other uses - offer a survey of the rediscovery of Senfl in the 19th and 20th centuries. While preparing the printed catalogue of works and sources research findings will already be provided at the online database www.senflonline.com. Both publications form the indispensable basis for a new complete edition of the works of Ludwig Senfl and shall serve as a comprehensive work of reference for scientists of various disciplines.

Ludwig Senfl was one of the most important composers in the German-speaking realm during the first half of the 16th century. Born around 1490 in Switzerland, he enjoyed a noteworthy career first as a choirboy then as a scribe and singer at the Court of Emperor Maximilian I, finally serving in the role of court composer. In 1523 Senfl became court composer of the Bavarian Duke Wilhelm IV in Munich, a position he would hold until his death in 1543. Senfl systematically expanded the Munich Court chapel in terms of repertoire and musicians using the imperial chapel as a model. He was highly esteemed by his contemporaries and corresponded with important figures of the Reformation such as Martin Luther and Duke Albrecht of Prussia. Senfl left behind an extensive uvre which comprises all vocal genres of his time. However, during the 20th century scholars concentrated mainly on the vast amount of his c. 350 German songs. His motets (c. 120), his numerous settings for the proper of the mass (c. 120 cycles), his eight preserved settings for the ordinary of the mass, his cycle of Magnificat settings as well as his 42 ode settings were neglected for a long time.In the course of the research project the complete body of Senfls compositions has been catalogued for the first time. For this purpose, all commentary found in secondary literature have been documented and verified. In many cases, research activities led to identifications of hitherto anonymously transmitted pieces, corrections and new information regarding the dating of sources. Moreover, the transmission patterns of each composition were described in detail. Nearly all of the sources have been examined in the original and a digital archive of the source material has been created. The catalogue comprises two volumes (c. 1200 pages): one focussing on the compositions and the second volume listing and describing the sources as well as providing indices and bibliographical data. The catalogue of works is organized by genre. Each entry provides extensive information on the composition, including incipits (of every part), a brief analytical description, a statement concerning authenticity and detailed information on concordances, facsimiles, editions and secondary literature.The catalogues richness of detail is an innovation in the field of Renaissance musical studies and will serve researchers in Renaissance music and performers alike. Moreover, the Senfl Catalogue paves the way for various fields in neighbouring disciplines like German studies, liturgics and church history. Thus, it eventually demonstrates the importance, the network and the impact of this composer in the 16th and even the 17th centuries.Until the publication of the printed catalogue, an overview of Senfls uvre as well as the research results has been provided for the interested public in an open access online database (www.senflonline.com). The website offers a glimpse into the transmission of Senfls compositions by linking to digital libraries and databases and will be continually updated.