Music at Rudolf II’s Court in Prague

Musical life in the Czech lands was decisively shaped by the thirty-year presence of musicians employed by the Habsburg Emperor and King of Bohemia, Rudolf II (d. 1612), who established Prague as the imperial capital for the second time in its history. The teaching of imperial instrumentalists influenced performance practice throughout the region. Discerning Bohemian and Moravian music patrons and enthusiasts acquired the polyphony of imperial composers, most of whom were from the Low Countries. Latin sacred texts proved useful for worship, while vernacular partsongs satisfied the desire for fashionable amusement. The interpretation of music and musical practices connected to the Rudolfine court is complicated by its adoption and recontextualization by the linguistically and religiously diverse inhabitants of the Czech crown lands.