Schein, Scheidt & Schmelzer: Collections from 17th-century Germany

The Fooles is an ensemble dedicated to uncovering and embracing underutilized performance practices from the 17th century. They embrace and experiment with textually based historical practice in their programming. Formed in 2022, they have been featured at the EMA Emerging Artists Summit and BEMF’s Emerging Artist Showcase, and as individuals, are committed artist-scholars with performing careers throughout the United States and Europe.

In this program, the group will explore the instrumental works of three of Germany’s greatest composers from the 17th century: Schein, Scheidt, and Schmelzer. These pieces come from important publications and collections of instrumental music, including the Kromeriz archive in the Czech Republic, which serves as one of the greatest sources of instrumental and vocal music from Germany in the 17th century.