Projects
The Kohaut Project
Embarking on a New Exploration of Sound
The Kohaut Project is the first step in a comprehensive artistic and scholarly engagement with a hitherto largely unexplored repertoire: chamber music with obbligato lute.
The project begins with an in-depth exploration of the trios by Karl Kohaut (1726–1784) – one of the last great Viennese lutenists and a pivotal figure in the transition from the Baroque to the Viennese Classical period.
Kohaut’s works are exemplary of a fascinating genre that long remained in the shadow of the classical chamber music tradition: the combination of lute, violin (or viola) and violoncello. In the 18th century, this ensemble was part of a Viennese musical tradition that moved between courtly display, the galant style, and the emerging bourgeois concert culture.
The Historical Context
Since the early 18th century, the lute in Vienna was valued not only as a solo instrument but also as an equal partner in chamber music. In the so-called ‘Lauthenconcerten’, the obbligato lute part merged with violin and bass into a lively tapestry of sound, combining contrapuntal finesse with a spirit of sonic experimentation.
These works represent an important yet previously overlooked part of European music history, while also shedding new light on the evolution of the chamber music ideal in Vienna.
Starting with Kohaut
Within the framework of The Kohaut Project, Karl Kohaut serves as the point of departure. His trios combine the stylistic variety of the galant era with the lute’s assured presence as a chamber music partner. They reveal a mature chamber music style that begins to cross the boundary between court music and the emerging bourgeois concert culture.
In his dual role as court official and composer, Kohaut embodies the image of the music-making ‘dilettante’ in the very best sense – a musician who set standards for lute playing in his time while remaining firmly rooted in Vienna’s musical life.
The Concept
The Kohaut Project is conceived as a research and performance initiative that
systematically examines the musical sources,
explores their stylistic and historical contexts,
investigates their realisation in contemporary performance practice.
At its core lies the close interconnection between scholarly research and practical interpretation.
A Beginning with Vision
The Kohaut Project is intended as the starting point for a more in-depth exploration of chamber music for obbligato lute — a genre that served as a bridge between courtly representation and bourgeois musical culture.
This initial phase – the engagement with Kohaut’s works – is also intended to lay the foundation for further projects focusing on other composers, sources and contexts within this distinctive musical world.
The project invites musicians, scholars and audiences alike to venture into new territory — in search of a sound tradition long forgotten and now being rediscovered.
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