Martina Rosenberger
Encyclopedia
Martina Rosenberger is a researcher living near Munich
, Germany
. She is a specialist in the waldzither
, a German form of the cittern
, and has been instrumental in the recent revival of this instrument. She has published on the instrument and organizes regular conferences which attract specialists from all over Europe
.
In 2002 she began looking for contemporaries of her father (who began learning the waldzither in the 1930s), conducting interviews about playing techniques and history. She published her first book, Das Waldzither Puzzle Teil I: Die dreissiger Jahre im Ruhrgebiet und Westfalen, in 2003. This book documents the origins and historical circumstances of the German Waldzither in the 1930s in Middle-West-Germany. She interviewed her father's contemporaries about their personal relationship to the waldzither, which was the musical basis for an entire generation. That year she also began to plan and to organize the first German Waldzither Conference, in cooperation with the Arms Museum in Suhl
, Thuringia
, Germany. She eventually organized three such conferences, attracting cittern specialists and amateurs from all over Europe.
She made her debut as a songwriter in 2004, the year in which she also began doing research into the C. H. Böhm company of Hamburg. She accepted a personal invitation from Portuguese guitar virtuoso Pedro Caldeira Cabral to attend a cittern meeting in Dresden in 2005, when she also began the planning and organization for the 2nd German Waldzither conference. She published her second book, on the Waldzither in Hamburg. The conclusion reveals a new connection between Portuguese instruments, founded with the special historical background of the city of Hamburg by the clever merchant and luthier C. H. Böhm. She presented further information on this connection at the Encontros Internationais de Guitarra Portuguesa, the International Cittern Conference, at the University of Coimbra, in 2007. The 3rd German Waldzither conference was held the same year, including lessons by the cittern specialist Gregory Doc Rossi
.
In 2009 the tradition of the conferences in Suhl was continued by Kerstin Mucha, a teacher from the local music school, who meanwhile specializes in teaching the Waldzither. Rosenberger was invited as a special guest, honoured for her commitment to the instrument's revival .
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. She is a specialist in the waldzither
Waldzither
The Waldzither is a stringed instrument from Germany, a type of cittern.It has 9 strings in 5 courses and is tuned C, G G, C C, E E, G G. The strings are made of Steel.-References:* * * *...
, a German form of the cittern
Cittern
The cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...
, and has been instrumental in the recent revival of this instrument. She has published on the instrument and organizes regular conferences which attract specialists from all over Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Biography
She began learning the basics of the waldzither from her father in 1983 who, after he died the following year, left her his waldzither. In 2000 she embarked on a long-running research project on the waldzither, including information about music, teaching materials, teachers, and makers. In 2001 she was invited to the international cittern conference held in Michaelstein.In 2002 she began looking for contemporaries of her father (who began learning the waldzither in the 1930s), conducting interviews about playing techniques and history. She published her first book, Das Waldzither Puzzle Teil I: Die dreissiger Jahre im Ruhrgebiet und Westfalen, in 2003. This book documents the origins and historical circumstances of the German Waldzither in the 1930s in Middle-West-Germany. She interviewed her father's contemporaries about their personal relationship to the waldzither, which was the musical basis for an entire generation. That year she also began to plan and to organize the first German Waldzither Conference, in cooperation with the Arms Museum in Suhl
Suhl
- Geography :Suhl sits on the south edge of the Suhler Scholle, an upthrust granite complex that is streaked by numerous dikes. This is part of the Ruhla-Schleusingen Horst that defines the southwest side of the Thuringian Forest...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany. She eventually organized three such conferences, attracting cittern specialists and amateurs from all over Europe.
She made her debut as a songwriter in 2004, the year in which she also began doing research into the C. H. Böhm company of Hamburg. She accepted a personal invitation from Portuguese guitar virtuoso Pedro Caldeira Cabral to attend a cittern meeting in Dresden in 2005, when she also began the planning and organization for the 2nd German Waldzither conference. She published her second book, on the Waldzither in Hamburg. The conclusion reveals a new connection between Portuguese instruments, founded with the special historical background of the city of Hamburg by the clever merchant and luthier C. H. Böhm. She presented further information on this connection at the Encontros Internationais de Guitarra Portuguesa, the International Cittern Conference, at the University of Coimbra, in 2007. The 3rd German Waldzither conference was held the same year, including lessons by the cittern specialist Gregory Doc Rossi
Gregory Doc Rossi
Doc Rossi is a citternist, composer and scholar born in Dayton, Ohio in 1955, emigrating to Europe in 1984. Today, He Lives In Corsica. He studied music from an early age and began performing at 14. He has B.A.s in Music and English Literature, and was awarded the Ph.D...
.
In 2009 the tradition of the conferences in Suhl was continued by Kerstin Mucha, a teacher from the local music school, who meanwhile specializes in teaching the Waldzither. Rosenberger was invited as a special guest, honoured for her commitment to the instrument's revival .
Publications
- Das Waldzither Puzzle Teil I: Die dreissiger Jahre im Ruhrgebiet und Westfalen. Self-published, 2003.
- Das Waldzither Puzzle Teil II: Die Waldzither in Hamburg. Self-published, 2005.
External links
- Interview (Freies Wort)
- Altes Instrument hat wieder eine Zukunft (Freies Wort)
- http://www.waldzither.de
- http://www.etcetra.eu/
See also
- CitternCitternThe cittern or cither is a stringed instrument dating from the Renaissance. Modern scholars debate its exact history, but it is generally accepted that it is descended from the Medieval Citole, or Cytole. It looks much like the modern-day flat-back mandolin and the modern Irish bouzouki and cittern...