Their name reflects the ensemble's structure and purpose. "Stimmwerck" comes from a 16th-century German term often used for a group of instruments of the same type but of different ranges, similar to the English term "consort of instruments". Thus, the ensemble is a “Stimmwerck” of classically trained male voices in varying ranges, attuned to one another in skill. The focus of their work together is the bringing of forgotten or less well known renaissance composers of early music in the German-speaking regions once again into public recognition. To achieve this, they collaborate extensively with musicologists such as Ian Rumbold, Inga Mai Groote, and Katelijne Schiltz and actively engage in research. The results take form as recordings, public performance in concerts, on tour and at early music festivals, and as their own 3-day annual festival in August, the Stimmwercktage, on the Adlersberg near Regensburg, Germany, which is broadcast each year by Bayerischer Rundfunk.
Recordings
Stimmwerck records with Christophorus Records, Aeolus and Cavalli Records, among others, and has received praise for their work from the critical press. Their first compact disks, with works by Heinrich Finck, and Adam of Fulda, each received the highest possible rating of 5 stars in “Goldberg Magazine”.
Discography
Heinrich Finck : Missa Dominicalis und Lieder, 2006*
The St. Emmeram Codex, 2008 - Their most recently released recording covers a late medieval repertoire taken from the Regensburg Codex St. Emmeram, and received praise from the musical press for the quality and importance of the music chosen as well as for the singing performances.
Susanne un jour'' - Lassus, Missa Susanne un jour and other works. Aeolus Records 2012
Live performance
Stimmwerck give concerts both in Germany and abroad. They have been featured guests at
Laus Polyphoniae Antwerp
Bach Festival Leipzig
Vienna’s “Resonanzen” Festival of early music.
Festival: Stimmwercktage – Stimmwerck Days
Since 2005, the ensemble holds an annual festival in early August named the “Stimmwercktage” on the Adlersberg near Regensburg. There, using such modern technology as laptops and projectors in place of paper manuscripts, the works of a particular renaissance composer are the subject of German language lectures by musicologists and performances by Stimmwerck. In previous years, works by the following composers were examined:
