Musica Caesarea: Vienna meets Passau

Antonio Caldara was the most important composer at the imperial court during the reign of Charles VI. Benedict Anton Aufschnaiter, whose Dulcis fidium harmonia is one of the most beautiful works of the Baroque period, worked at the Passau court.

Antonio Caldara was probably the most important composer at the imperial court during the reign of Charles VI. Some of his overtures to oratorios were published in string versions as symphonies - expressive, masterful in composition, atmospheric and virtuoso. They were extremely popular in Vienna and were performed long after Caldara's death.

Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter worked at the Passau court of the Steyr-born Prince-Bishop Count Lamberg. His Dulcis fidium harmonia is one of the most astonishing and beautiful works of the Baroque period. The ornate and colorful string sonatas are each dedicated to a saint.