Purpose:
To study an example of contemporary prose on 15th-century music, specifically the methodology of the communication of ideas.

Problem:
How does Harr reflect Munich during the time of Lassus?

 James Haar’s article “Munich at the Time of Orlande de Lassus” focuses on musical activity development in Munich during the 15th century, particularly emphasizing Lassus’s affairs.  Haar first addresses the marked improvement of the country residences culturally, especially musically, under Duke Albrecht V’s rule.  He lays the background for the arrival of Orlande de Lassus, and afterwards, elaborates on the achievements of Lassus and his contemporaries.  Haar dwells especially on Lassus’ directing the stellar musical activities for the marriage of Wilhem V to Renata of Lorraine.  He then addresses Lassus’s lifestyle during Wilhem V’s reign, musically, circumstantially and emotionally.  Haar concludes the article by addressing the issue of Lassus’s death, and then briefly, the situation surrounding Lassus’s absence.

The article is divided into four sections.  The first seven paragraphs highlight the background of the sixteenth century Munich court, its history and circumstances before Lassus’s arrival.  The next section, thirteen paragraphs in length, describes Lassus’s duties and achievements upon working for the court.  The third section, the following ten paragraphs, is by far the longest of all.  It turns attention wholly to “the most celebrated event in Munich during Lassus’s 37-year residence” (251), each paragraph packed tightly with details concerning the instrumentalists, and music festivities and procedures.  The concluding section, the last seven paragraphs, concern the latter years of Lassus’s service for the Munich court and his life.

 The first section’s paragraphs progressively lead up to Lassus’s arrival to the Munich court.  They focus not on Lassus, but completely on the Munich court.  The introductory paragraph attracts readers’ attention with Montaigne’s positive reaction to a visit to Munich.  The second paragraph begins the overview of the events of the Munich court, introducing the readers to Albrecht V, and his distinctive position by being the “first of the Wittelsbachs to rule alone” (243).  The third paragraph extols the court’s reputation under Albrecht’s leadership, and the following paragraph continues to boast about Munich’s success.  For the remainder of the section, Haar chronologically traces the events that culminate in Orlande de Lassus’s arrival.  Paragraph five focuses on Ludwig Senfl’s contribution to music in Munich under Duke Wilhelm IV in 1523; and six, on that of Wolfgang Finck, Andreas Zauner, and Ludwig Daser.  The sixth paragraph depicts Albrecht’s musician search in 1555, while the seventh paragraph explicitly describes how Lassus eventually landed the position in the Bavarian chapel.

 The second section follows the same format of that of the previous section, the paragraphs also giving an overview of events at the Munich court, but the focus during Lassus’s service.  The first paragraph provides information on Lassus, including his marriage status, knowledge of language, compositions published up to 1557, and reputation.  The second and third paragraphs dwell on his compositions as well as on their regards to printing.  The fourth paragraph strays away from Lassus and informs readers about Munich’s history of music printing.  Then, it transitions back into Lassus’s time, and for the following two paragraphs, provides examples of Lassus conforming to tradition.  In the fifth paragraph, Lassus “makes use of manuscript” (248).  In paragraph six, Lassus obeys the court chapel traditions.  Paragraph seven concentrates on noting the changes that resulted from Lassus’s presence.  The remaining paragraphs still focus on Lassus, but also give much attention to other musicians and names.  Paragraph eight specifically highlights the “collective skills of ducal musicians in the late 1560s” (249); paragraph nine, the Neapolitan musician Troiano; paragraph ten, the musicians represented in a madrigal collection put together by the ducal musicians; paragraph eleven, the musicians in the collection; paragraph twelve, the “Italian musical dominance in Munich” (251); and paragraph thirteen, the various assistant Kapellmeisters and northern musicians.  These remaining paragraphs brilliantly incorporate the additional information while still maintaining focus on Lassus.

 The third section is much longer and detailed compared to the other sections.  Its focus is totally kept to one topic: “the marriage of Duke Albrecht’s heir Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine” (251).  In the first paragraph, Haar briefly introduces the involvement of Troiano and Lassus.  The second paragraph heavily details the use of “ceremonial brass music” (252) in such events as the arrival of the bride in Munich, “departures, beginnings, and endings of festivities” (253).  The third paragraph reveals much information on the “duke’s tromboni” (253) and their role in the event.  The next several paragraphs address the musicians’ involvement with the event.  While paragraph four concentrates on the direct involvement of string and wind players, five digresses a little into history to support ideas brought up in the previous paragraph about instruments.   Paragraph six reveals briefly the singers’ busy festivity schedules, and seven, their presence “at all banquets” (254).  In paragraph eight, Haar names several pieces performed at the event; and in paragraph nine; he summarizes the activity of the musicians and music events.  The last paragraph transitions into the last section by crediting Lassus in successfully managing this “most celebrated event” (251), and “the daily Tafelmusik” (255), “while never ceasing his work as a composer” (255).

 The last section is, like the first and second, chronologically analytical, but focuses mainly on Lassus, not so much the Munich court.  The first paragraph is the first to actually look at a personal facet of Lassus’s life, specifically his letter writing during Wilhelm V’s rule, which reveal his personality and love for “polyglot expression” (255).  The second paragraph compares the Munich court under Wilhelm V to the court under Albrecht V’s rule, and notes differences in Lassus’s actions between serving the dukes as well as foreign positions that opened up to Lassus during Wilhelm V’s reign.  In the third paragraph, Haar conveys Lassus’s huge influence to the Munich chapel, and “German music establishments”(256), which were affected by his two sons’ “positions at minor German courts” (256).  The fourth paragraph is about Lassus’s developing interest in religion during his later years, and goes into his “motets and Magnificat settings” (257).  The last three paragraphs of this section and article concentrate specifically on the latter years of Lassus’s life.  The fifth paragraph highlights Munich music events during the 1570s; the sixth briefly mentions the famous Gabrielis’ presence in Munich; and the concluding paragraph describes events surrounding Lassus’s death, before, during and after.    .

In paragraph three of the second section of the article, Haar engages the readers in an extremely detailed and vivid overview of the involvement of the “duke’s tromboni” (253) for the marriage between Wilhelm V and Renata of Lorraine.  This portion of the article is the longest and most thorough of all the other paragraphs.  Examining the paragraph sheds light on Haar’s wise methods in communicating massive amounts of information in an exciting way.  He is clear about stating facts and adds many interesting pieces of trivia.

The beginning sentence of the paragraph defines tromboni as “probably players of slide trumpets and perhaps of cornets and other wind instruments” (253).  He also adds in the introductory sentence that the tromboni were “heard often” (253) throughout the wedding events.  Having defined the tromboni and identified their active roles, Haar plunges directly into supporting his points.  Their involvement in the events consists of playing “at the beginning of every banquet, saluting the arrival of the first course” (253), playing Lassus’s music during meals, playing in the “commonly used dance ensemble” (253) or “the balli that ended nearly every day’s activity”, playing “in a mock giostro alla tedesca”.  These events are interspersed throughout the paragraph, and Haar pays specific attention to two of the events.

Haar discusses “a banquet on 22 February” (253).  He precedes his discussion by stating that the tromboni “apparently had a large repertory, playing canzoni francesi, motets and madrigals; and they seem to have had a variety of sizes and types of instruments” (253).   He strives to share as much as he can, and is so open about doing so that he even bluntly makes a point about his lack of information regarding the musicians present for this affair: “(just how many in all we do not know)” (253).  He continues supplying supporting evidence for the tromboni’s large repertory, directly listing works the tromboni had played that evening: “Battaglia a 8 of Annibale Padovano on trombones and curved cornets; then a seven-voice motet by Lassus, with five curved cornets and two trombones; next (these pieces accompanied various courses of the meal, so may not have been played in immediate succession) came a madrigal by Alessandro Striggio for six bass trombones, one of which played an octave lower than was normal” (253); followed by the announcement of the arrival of the next course by “five trombones and a cornett in some twelve-voice works by Annibale Padovano and others, before the meal was over” (253).  Haar, amidst the wealth of names of works, is still able to describe the nature of the pieces while maintaining his clarity.  The additional information regarding these works enhances the readers’ understanding of the tromboni’s parts in the music.

The second event on which Haar elaborates is the “mock giostro alla tedesca held after dinner on 2 March” (253).  Haar lists this event last of all in the paragraph’s compilation of activities and refers to it as if he could not wait to share about it with readers: “Finally, the trumpeters provided some of the fun” (253).  He approaches the event enthusiastically, as one “which provoked ‘grandissima risa’” (253).  Haar does not describe the event himself but relies on another resource, of which he directly cites six lines.  This source captures the nature of the tromboni’s duty: to play their trumpets when expressing the silliness of the style in which the horse warriors competed.  The source uses two examples of when and how the trumpets played.  The first tells of the trumpets’ humorous dissonant sound effects when the warriors fell awkwardly off their horses; and the second, of their “clumsy rendition of La bella franceschina” (254) when two horsemen “rode about with head down and legs in the air” (254).

Haar’s article is very well organized.  Every paragraph follows the same pattern, beginning with a sentence depicting the theme for the rest of the paragraph, followed by supporting details for the theme.  The paragraphs, with the exception of those in the second section, which average eight sentences; are generally concise, averaging five sentences.  The structure of his sentences carries a wealth of information.

Haar begins each sentence by addressing the topic on a general level and then zeroing in on certain points, much like a biologist views the entire specimen before pin pointing an area on which to focus with a microscope.  Consequentially, the sentences are usually replete with many ideas, yet in an ordered way in which one idea follows another logically.  The sentences are generally lengthy because of the many ideas he tries to incorporate.  Each idea, however, is clearly and concisely expressed objectively.  Haar includes about three to as many as twelve ideas per sentence. He effectively organizes them by use of semicolons, commas, and parentheses.

His transitions are also very organized.  Both his paragraphs and sentences flow smoothly into the next paragraphs and sentences, respectively.  Haar organizes the article into four distinct sections discussed above, and these sections are organized into paragraphs.  Paragraphs and sentences logically proceed to the next and tend to start with such words as ‘first’, ‘in all’, and ‘in addition’.  Most paragraphs begin with a specific event, using dates and names, for example, “When Lassus entered the Bavarian chapel” (249), “In 1555 Albrecht” (249), or “The arrival of Ludwig Senfl in Munich” (248).

Although Haar sticks generally to facts, he still adds his and others’ opinions about certain issues discussed in the article.  Haar places a huge emphasis on dates, statistics, names of people and musical works, foreign terms and definitions, and numbers.  Every paragraph contains at least one of the above.  Furthermore, by adding interesting pieces of information from other authors, sources, and footnotes, Haar not only stimulates the reader, but also gives him or her a clearer picture of the actual circumstances during the time period.  In the introductory paragraph, for example, he shares Montaigne’s impression of Munich: “he said first, en bon francais” (243).

The reader is further enlightened by Haar’s outspoken, knowledgeable, informative and clear tone.  Haar adds variety to the sentence structure by asking questions to the reader and then answering those questions with reliable sources other than himself.  His eagerness to incorporate different points of views shows his open-mindedness.  The article is interspersed with footnotes and several excerpts, some up to six lines long, from more than sixty dependable sources.
Haar’s effective portrayal of Munich during Orlande de Lassus’s time is attributed to his ingenious organization, transparent writing style, logical flow of ideas, openly incorporation of others’ opinions in the article, detailed and informative approach to the issues, and positive attitude towards the subject.  His ability to include so much information without becoming the least bit tedious or disorganized is impressive.

Bibliography
Haar, James.  “Munich at the Time of Orlande de Lassus.”  In The Renaissance: From the 1470s to the End of the 16th Century.  Edited by Iain Fenlon, 243-251.  Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1989.