Detmold Hochschule für Musik

Only a few years old is the Baroque Academy of the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. In consideration of ancient music in the future the professors Ulrike-Anima Mathé and Gerhard Weinberger established the Academy in 2003.

Devotion

Their artistic collaboration is, so to speak, the fundament of the Baroque Academy. Whilst Prof. Mathe leads the instrumental soloist ensemble which consist of students that are interested in ancient music with all different kinds of instrument classes, Prof. Weinberger on the other hand manages the vocal soloist ensemble which mainly consists of students majoring soloist singing classes as well as the overall direction of bigger perfomances. The project-related rehearsals take place for two to three concerts a year. Luckily the interest of students is so large that often not all applications can be taken into account, especially since th occupation in both the orchestra and the choir is deliberately kept small.

Historical performance practice

The development of the works is done with particular attention to a historically oriented and historically sound performance practice. Speaking articulation, consideration of the accent level tact, economical use of vibratio and mezza di voce technique are only a few parameters of a total very chamber-like way of making music in which each ensemble member individually is required. As more often knowledge of baroque music style as practice of concerts is asked for in the subsequent practice of the profession it is necessary to learn historical play and singing practice during the studies and to aquire this on the basis of pieces of the baroque literature. Furthermore it is important to teach the students at an early stage about the repertoire that will be a daily basis in their later job such as the great spiritual works of Bach und Haendel.

We think that learning this way of music on a new instrument is vert important because in the job practice often no old insturments are available. Nevertheless old instruments should be the goal as they help to a better realisation (such as the sound balance between choir and orchestra).

The Hochschule already did a lot of work in that field such as the purchase of Baroque arches or more recently the purchase of Baroque timpani. The latter were used in Bachs Christmas Oratorio December 2007 and 2008 and during the Mozart Requiem in May 2006 - here in combination with vential trumpet and baroque trombone.

Reputation

Even in the short time of its existence the vocal and instrumental ensemble of the Baroque Academy was an outstanding success among the audience and the press. It is a great luck and opportunity to have concerts not only in Detmold but also in the beautiful and baroque rooms (Imperial Room and Abbey Church) of the castle Corvey. After a cycle of Bach solo cantatas in 2003 and 2004, the vocal soloists ensemble together with the renowned baroque orchestra "La Stravaganza Cologne" in December 2004 performed the Christmas Oratorio (Part 1) by Bach, which, in March 2004, followed the Passion of Bach in the Corvey St. John (with the baroque orchestra Concerto Hamburg). In December 2005 the vocal and instrumental soloists performed the second part of Bach's Christmas Oratorio and last April they performed the St. Matthew Passion by JS Bach. Only a few weeks later the vocal soloist ensemble of the Baroque Academy and the Detmold chamber orchestra played the Mozart's Requiem as the Hochschule's weighty contribution to the Mozart year.
The year 2007 was closed with a concert tour to Paris with Handel's Messiah and a CD-production with excerpts from the Messiah.