The court career of musician Czuryło

• Authors: Marek Ferenc
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Musicians active at the small court of Prince Sigismund Jagiellon lacked famous artists. None had gained renown and popularity. One of them was a musician named Czuryło, to whom I would like to devote more attention. Particular source references do not offer an opportunity to discover Czuryło’s name, since it was never recorded. Thus, even now we cannot with all certainty define the musical profession represented by him. Czuryło was a lutenist or a bandura player. He was described as a Ruthenian and hence the assumption that he originated from the Ruthenian lands of the Polish Crown or the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Czuryło performed music within the range of German “Tafelmusik”, i.e. during feasts and banquets or eventually in chambers. Unfortunately, nothing can be said about his repertoire. Some historians, by linking the lute or the bandura with songs, saw in him a singer, presumably a Ruthenian. The first record in the court accounts of the Jagiellon Prince pertaining to Czuryło appeared in Buda on 24 February 1500, and the last on 30 July 1505 in the same locality. Czuryło did not achieve a spectacular music and public career. He shared the fate of the majority of run-of-the-mill courtiers who did not attain honours and failed to become distinct.

Keywords

EN

court; career; musician; Czuryło; “Tafelmusik”

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of History, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Mediaevalia Historica Bohemica
• Year: 2024
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 35-46
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Marek Ferenc

• Historický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i., Prosecká 809/76, 190 00 Praha 9, Czech Republic