Publication details
Vulgus Bohemorum Musicae adictissimum. Music in the Recatholisation Strategies of the Czech Jesuits in the 17th Century.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2008 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Aurora Musas nutrit. Die Jesuiten und die Kultur Mitteleuropas im 16.-18. Jahrhundert |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Art, architecture, cultural heritage |
| Keywords | Jesuits; music culture of early modern times; recatholisation |
| Description | The support of sacred song in the vernacular belonged to the Jesuit re-catholisation strategies in Czech lands, even though it partly contradicted Trent. Jesuits emphasised the traditional devotion of Czechs to sacred singing. Thus, they could portray Czechs as simply victims of imported heresy as the "sectarians" had poisoned popular songs. Thus the new hymnals of 17 th century represented an "antidote"; they were used as tools for the "right conversion" of the Czech nation "back" to its catholic roots. Especially the Jesuits Bohuslav Balbín, Jan Tanner and Matěj Václav Šteyer underlined this Czech affiliation to music, generating and confirming the topos of the Czechs as "lovers of music". Although their work is already well known and especially the preface for the second edition of Kancionál český by Šteyer is often cited, it is hoped, that the examples discussed in this paper could clarify some questions of this "jesuit" strategy and perhaps pursue new avenues of research, concerning mainly interregional paralells. |