About us

1641: Archetypes

Capelle 1641 is an Early Music ensemble specializing in the musical repertoire of the seventeenth century. Founded in May 2021 and based in the city of São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Catarina, Brazil, it arose from the aim of developing an uncommon practice of musical research in dialogue with research centers in Brazil and abroad. Drawing on different strands of research in Musicology, Organology and Creative Processes, we seek to bring audiences a musical experience that is alive and, at the same time, true to the poetics, sonorities and artistic perspectives that marked the emergence of modernity.

The project focuses on the seventeenth-century Roman-Germanic repertoire (that is, music developed in the Italian and German territories during the seventeenth century), making it the principal subject of our research, analysis and practice. It takes the birth of Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and the death of Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) as symbolic markers: reference points that allow us to trace the artistic arc from the emergence of musical drama to the stylistic boundaries of seventeenth-century music.

There is also a more particular story in our journey: our identification with the figure and work of Johann Vierdanck (1605–1646). A Saxon singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer, he was one of Schütz’s brilliant pupils. His Capricci, Canzoni und Sonaten, published in 1641, were the first pieces we played together, and since then we have chosen them as emblems of this initiative. Thus, Vierdanck represents us as pupils before the master's enduring teachings. This choice, together with the Brazilian premiere of his work, previously unperformed in the country, forms the foundation of our project and the reason for our name.

Capelle: Praxis

“Capelle”, in turn, is a term of Latin origin, Germanized in seventeenth-century German, that designated a group of musicians attached to an institution. It is in this spirit that Capelle 1641, through the academic work of its members at teaching and research centers devoted to Musicology and Historical Performance Practice, has been opening new paths for this field in Brazil. Along the way, the project has gained partners at the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), the University of São Paulo (USP), the São Paulo State School of Music (EMESP), the São Paulo Municipal School of Music (EMM), the Brasília School of Music (EMB), the Dr. Carlos de Campos Dramatic and Musical Conservatory of Tatuí (CDMCC), and Bach Society Brasil in Porto Alegre (SBB). Brought together around this proposal, this broad team works continually to uncover historical perspectives that can contribute to the artistic realization of our repertoire. With characteristic care, our work draws on a wide range of documentary sources, from musical writing and iconography to surviving instruments.

Our instruments, therefore, also emerge from this interplay as the practical outcome of a comprehensive view of seventeenth-century art. This extensive collection of instruments grows out of organological investigations conducted for each performance project. In this sense, the instrument becomes both an artistic vehicle and a driving force for research: it can pose questions as well as suggest answers. The collection expands with each new conception and remains available to the members. This access creates an educational link between performance and training, offering practical conditions for developing the interpretive techniques required by our music, as well as opportunities for training and personal growth as an extension of their academic work.

Indeed, this perspective also extends to the scholarly publications and Early Music training activities undertaken by members of the project. Explore our Research.