Featured Album January 2026: David Bergmüller "Know Thyself"

We start 2026 with something a little different for our latest Featured Album. You may be used to hearing about early music albums on these pages, but here’s some innovative use of the lute, theorbo and baroque guitar to create new music. Enter the ethereal sound world of David Bergmüller, where the Austrian-born lutenist has channelled an extensive Baroque training into a decidedly modern-sounding disc with layered, echoed, electronic sounds creating an entirely new repertoire for his instrument. Released on the German label Neue Meister last year, this music forms the basis of the new album Know Thyself – read on to find out more…

Know Thyself
David Bergmüller

OUR FEATURED ALBUM FOR JANUARY 2026

Click here to order now!

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From the artist's press release:

Known for his "virtuoso lyricism" (Tiroler Tageszeitung) and his "exceptionally subtle and intoxicating play" (Liechtensteiner Volksblatt), David Bergmüller is one of the most exciting and multifaceted lutenists of his generation. His virtuosic performances range from historically informed/inspired performance practice to new compositions for the lute.

On the new album "Know Thyself", the lutenist and composer bridges centuries, merging the ancient resonance of Renaissance, Baroque, and theorbo instruments with modern sound design and production. Recorded at the legendary Funkhaus Berlin studio, the album reimagines the lute for the 21st century — without losing the intimacy and poetry of its golden age. Deeply inspired by the acoustics of remarkable spaces and by his collaborations across genres, Bergmüller follows in the footsteps of historical lute composers who wrote their own music, crafting a personal, contemporary repertoire. "Know Thyself" is an invitation to hear the lute anew — as timeless as it is innovative.

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Why The Early Music Shop loves "Know Thyself":

While the primary focus of The Early Music Shop is the instruments and performance of historical music, we also have a strong interest in the creation of new music for old instruments. Indeed, we have been involved in the commission of new repertoire such as the successful ‘Saltaire Variations’ by Richard Harvey and Bill Connor at last year’s Saltaire Recorder Weekend.

All of this made us interested to hear the new recording by David Bergmüller, entitled Know Thyself, a disc bringing together elements of early and modern music for historical guitars and lutes. Combining layered phrases originating from his impressive collection of instruments, with subtle electronic additions, this Austrian lutenist has created a totally original sound with a distinctive minimalist flavour. Bergmüller cut his teeth playing with celebrated Baroque ensembles including the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Collegium 1704, and the Bach Consort Wien, but his solo credits also span classical crossover and electronic music. This puts him in an ideal position to create new repertoire in this entirely self-composed programme. 

Many of the compositions are pattern-based, with looped phrases and sequences forming the foundations of the structures; album opener Cicadas is a multi-layered production on Renaissance lute, flitting in and out of 7-time while most of the layers focus on one of two voices, a broken chord pattern and a high ostinato. On the opposite end of the scale, Another is a beautifully intimate solo lute composition where Bergmüller’s early music background is perhaps at its most evident. His approach to harmony and phrasing is unquestionably influenced by baroque continuo writing, even in this most different of contexts.

The soft tones of the strings on historical guitars and lutes are perfect for this kind of music, and when combined with the reverbs and delays used in post-production, a deep and rich soundscape is on offer. The beauty of swapping between Renaissance lute, archlute, theorbo and mandolin, is that there is a wide range of pitches available and, when combined with the subtle midi and synth additions, the possibilities are endless. On the lead single Sotteranea, the resonant theorbo bass notes have a powerful, hypnotic effect – this piece would not sound out of place on an epic film score.

While there are a range of textures and sounds explored on this album, the pieces blend together seamlessly and it is sometimes difficult to even notice one track segue into another. At just 35 minutes, the runtime is some way less than most ‘classical’ albums but as a suite of instrumental pieces, the music says everything it needs to say. It is an engrossing and consuming experience demanding its listener’s attention throughout. 

The word ‘unique’ is thrown around a lot when describing music, but it is an entirely fitting word for this album. David Bergmüller has shown deep respect for, and understanding of, his instruments and their music, but has created something completely new. In doing so, he has not only contributed to a centuries-old tradition, but offered access to these beautiful instruments for a new audience and, hopefully, helped to secure its longevity. Fascinating, and brilliant.

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Know Thyself is available from The Early Music Shop online or in-store at our Snape Maltings showroom!

Click here to order now!

Click here to stream the audio of the lead single Sotteranea on YouTube: