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9781409421191

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'Richly illustrated with visual images and musical examples, this broad-based, fascinating and thoroughly researched study examines the ways in which the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand III (r. 1637-1657) employed sacred music and other arts to project an image of himself as a champion of Catholic piety, a warrior for the Empire, and eventually as a peacemaker during the last stage of the Thirty Years' War.' Jeffrey Kurtzman, Washington University in St. Louis, USA 'Sacred Music as Public Image for Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III is a unique exploration of the nexus between art and politics. Combining the tools of social and political history, virtuosic archival work, and deft musical analysis, Andrew Weaver shows how Ferdinand III used sacred music to propagate, and later, to revise a triumphant, martial public persona during the Thirty Years' War. His insightful work illuminates early modern sacred music, Catholic devotional practices, the history of printing, and - most significantly - the ways in which a world leader sought to shape his own public image.' Steven E. Saunders, Colby College, USA 'Andrew H. Weaver's lucid, jargon-free and admirably interdisciplinary study places the much-maligned younger Ferdinand in a new light... a book that will quickly establish itself as essential reading for anyone concerned with 17th -century Austria... Altogether a delight, this book should appeal not only to specialists but to everyone with an interest in Catholic Church music of the period.' Early Music Review '... Weaver's inspired scholarship stands as a valuable and exemplary model for further inquiry into the role of monarchical representation in sacred music of the seventeenth century.' Renaissance Quarterly 'Through the [...] merging of meaningful and period-appropriate approaches and analytical criteria, Andrew H. Weaver has created a work that through its brilliance, rigour, and persuasiveness can claim to be a model for further, thematically similar studies.' (translated from the German) Francia-Recensio 'Weaver has provided a sensitive and textured account of how music and sound constructed an imperial image to be consumed at home and abroad, one that shifted dramatically in response to unexpected political winds. As such, it will encourage musicologists and historians alike to revisit the cultural products of absolutist courts and to attune their eyes and ears to the subtle links between art and representation.' Catholic Historical Review '... will certainly stand as the definitive study of this pivotal emperor and the music he supported. Indeed, it also belongs on the reference shelf of anyone concerned with prior and later centuries of music and the Habsburgs'. American Organist Magazine '... a well-structured and beautifully written account of how sacred music, along with other art forms, was utilized in order to construct and revise the image of Ferdinand III in turbulent times. As such, the book also draws much-needed attention to a frequently overlooked emperor who belonged neither to the great winners nor the spectacular losers of history ... the book is an original and significant work which handles a dauntingly wide range of disciplines with great ease and confidence, and which will hopefully serve others as a model for future research'. Early Music

"'Richly illustrated with visual images and musical examples, this broad-based, fascinating and thoroughly researched study examines the ways in which the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand III (r. 1637-1657) employed sacred music and other arts to project an image of himself as a champion of Catholic piety, a warrior for the Empire, and eventually as a peacemaker during the last stage of the Thirty Years' War.' Jeffrey Kurtzman, Washington University in St. Louis, USA 'Sacred Music as Public Image for Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III is a unique exploration of the nexus between art and politics. Combining the tools of social and political history, virtuosic archival work, and deft musical analysis, Andrew Weaver shows how Ferdinand III used sacred music to propagate, and later, to revise a triumphant, martial public persona during the Thirty Years' War. His insightful work illuminates early modern sacred music, Catholic devotional practices, the history of printing, and - most significantly - the ways in which a world leader sought to shape his own public image.' Steven E. Saunders, Colby College, USA 'Andrew H. Weaver’s lucid, jargon-free and admirably interdisciplinary study places the much-maligned younger Ferdinand in a new light... a book that will quickly establish itself as essential reading for anyone concerned with 17th -century Austria... Altogether a delight, this book should appeal not only to specialists but to everyone with an interest in Catholic Church music of the period.' Early Music Review '... Weaver’s inspired scholarship stands as a valuable and exemplary model for further inquiry into the role of monarchical representation in sacred music of the seventeenth century.' Renaissance Quarterly 'In drawing on recent research by scholars of early modern history, Weaver brings to musicology a number of valuable concepts, such as monarchical representation (itself the subject of a far-reaching dialogue) as a negotiation between ruler and subjects, and the ""top-down"" approach. Weaver’ s exploration of the paratext, and his use of such material, provides a useful model for further research. His engagement with a range of different media, with circumstances of representation, and with a creative variety of written sources, positions the music in its cultural context, making this an important study for understanding how it was used and perceived.' Seventeenth-Century Music"

Author Information

Andrew H. Weaver is Associate Professor and Chair of Musicology at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, the Catholic University of America, USA. He has also published editions of musical works by Ferdinand III, Giovanni Felice Sances, and other musicians from the Habsburg court.

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