This year’s Pärnu Hanseatic Days will bring the spirit of the Middle Ages to Eliisabet Church! And rightfully so – the golden age of the Hanseatic League largely coincided with the heyday of the organ. The wealthier the Hanseatic city, the grander the organ that was commissioned for its church. Eliisabet Church’s new organ was also built in connection with the 2010 International Hanseatic Days held in Pärnu.
The organ’s splendor will be showcased through festive preludes, majestic chorale partitas, and bold battle pieces by H. Scheidemann, D. Buxtehude, and J.K. Kerll, performed by Ines Maidre. These will alternate with pieces from the repertoire of knights and wandering musicians, performed by the ensemble LUDUS PERNAVIA. The program includes melodies by the Minnesinger Neidhart von Reuental and King Henry VIII, interspersed with 16th-century dance music from the collections of Thielman Susato and Michael Praetorius.
The ensemble LUDUS PERNAVIA is made up of musicians connected to Pärnu, brought together by their passion and enthusiasm for the Hanseatic era and early music.
The ensemble performs in the following lineup:
- Aita Kaaver, soprano, and young singers from Pärnu Art School
- Leena Laas, violin
- Ingmar Simson-Valtin, violin
- Andrus Haugas, percussion
- Ines Maidre, organ