The historical musical culture of the predominantly Catholic southern German region (apart from the major centres) has long taken a back seat to that of the Protestant north, both in research and in concert practice. As a result, Upper Swabia's rich contribution to the development of music history has been largely overlooked. Despite a number of individual studies on the music of the monasteries, Upper Swabian musical life has hardly been included in overviews or genre-historical studies.
Berthold Büchele has worked tirelessly for decades to collect the available secondary literature and systematise the information contained therein, but has also broken new ground with his own archival studies, particularly in the case of the music of the castles and villages. The present book is the sum of these endeavours. It is the first time that the numerous musical genres, forms, compositions, institutions and composers in the Upper Swabia region (understood as a historically and geographically developed cultural landscape) from the Middle Ages to the present day have been compiled so comprehensively in a single, self-contained publication.
Musicologists will find numerous starting points for further research here. The book is also a gift for those who are interested in the great and diverse musical heritage of Upper Swabia and are committed to ensuring that it is once again recognised, performed and heard.
Prof Dr Stefan Johannes Morent, scientific editor
