Andreas Schlegel - presentation of his collection of historical plucked instruments

Andreas Schlegel studied historical plucked instruments at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Eugen Dombois and Hopkinson Smith and at the Karlsruhe University of Music with Jürgen Hübscher. Due to his great interest in the connection between research and practice, he studied musicology with Prof. Wulf Arlt at the University of Basel. From 1987 until the beginning of July 2025, he worked as a guitar teacher and music school director at various music schools in the cantons of Solothurn and Aargau. He continues to perform as a lutenist and continuo player with the Bachcollegium Zürich, among others. He lives in Menziken. 

He sees himself as a researcher-musician, which is reflected on his website https://accordsnouveaux.ch/de/. At the end of 2006, he published the book "Die Laute in Europa. History and stories to enjoy" was published at the end of 2006. The greatly expanded second version "Die Laute in Europa 2. Lauten, Gitarren, Mandolinen und Cistern" from 2011 is considered a reference work. Numerous lectures, often combined with lute playing, including at the Deutsche Lautengesellschaft, the Lute Society, the Early Music Festival Utrecht and the Musikinstrumentenmuseum Berlin.

He is beginning his "retirement" with the exhibition at the ligita 2025, where he will showcase the entire history of the development of the guitar with over 30 historical guitars and lutes from his collection and will also allow participants to play the instruments under his supervision.

Why?

"Based on the comparison with some modern replicas of historical plucked instruments - mainly lutes and guitars - I can say that good originals have qualities in their response and ability to shape the sound that have led me to a different subtlety and playing technique than modern "copies" would have done. Experiencing these specific qualities of old instruments seems to me to be a prerequisite for a deeper understanding of the tonal possibilities of historical plucked instruments. That's why I have my instruments played and experienced under my supervision - because without the opportunity to experience the difference between modern instruments, modern copies and originals, the plucked string players' ideal of sound will move further and further away from the originals that can be played today.

There is a huge difference between the external appearance and the "inner values" of instruments. This must be experienced." 

His collection and specialist library are open to interested parties. See:

https://accordsnouveaux.ch/images/Downloads/PDF-15-Schlegel/Aufenthalt_im_Zupfer-Paradies.pdf