The practice of multiple choir music-making reached a climax with Giovanni Gabrieli in the balconies of San Marco in Venice towards the end of the 16th century, and from there gained a wide style-forming influence far beyond the borders of Italy. The octagonal church interior of the Muri Monastery Church with its four balconies was specially designed for multiple choir music-making by the abbots and master builders. The four balconies of the Muri Monastery Church offer ideal conditions for the performance of works for multiple choirs.
Introduced by the rediscovery of the "Mass of Muri", which could be definitively ascribed to Johann Valentin Rathgeber in 2005, audite began a series in 2007 consisting of eight parts so far, completely dedicated to the symbiosis of the outstanding spatial acoustics of the church and the sounds of historical Instruments - including the four balconies of the Muri Monastery Church whenever possible. In addition, this is a sonic documentation of the two historical Bossart organs from the early 17th century. These instruments enjoy great prestige beyond the borders of Switzerland as an important sonic monument visited by specialists and amateurs from all over the world each year.
The production "Christ lag in Todesbanden", in which settings by four baroque composers of this Easter chorale are contrasted, is, at the same time, the first recording of the great organ of the Muri Monastery Church following its comprehensive restoration. "Music for Two Organs" with compositions of the 17th century Habsburg court in Vienna - recorded in the Muri Monastery founded by the predecessors of the Habsburgs - is also primarily dedicated to the sonic interplay between the two Bossart organs.
The recording "Echo & Risposta" turns to the musical practice of the early Baroque period in succession to Giovanni Gabrieli. The choirs entering into dialogue with each other were distributed over four balconies so that the architecture of the church could be best used for the sonic design.
The recording "Polychoral Splendour" with works by Heinrich Schütz and Giovanni Gabrieli is a highlight of this impressive sonic and spatial effect; it received an International Classical Music Award (ICMA) in 2012. In accordance with the historical model, the Cappella Murensis and the Ensemble Les Cornets Noirs make use of the situation of the four music balconies: in the works for two, three and four choirs, voices and instruments blend together with the four continuo organs to form a unique sound. The two historical Bossart organs ("Epistle Organ" and "Gospel Organ") are also used. The use of these two great organs ensures additional dynamic range.
Johannes Strobl - the organist of the Catholic church community of Muri in the canton of Aargau since 2001 and in charge of all recording projects - has proven himself, together with the Cappella Murensis, Les Cornets Noirs and the Ensemble Arcimboldo, an outstanding specialist for the performance practice of Early Music. Together with the ensembles, he regularly cultivates music-making in multiple choirs at considerable distance from each other.