Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SONG 607
Jungfrau, ilir seid wolgemuth,'! they broke it
up into fragments for imitation. They wore
careful always to choose familiar and favourite
tunes, so that they might stand out and be
easEy recognised amidst the web of other parts
surrounding them. When composing their
own melodies, they always adhered to the
ecclesiastical modes, using the new system only
when they adopted a Volkslied.^ The contrapuntal
treatment had, however, one great
disadvantage— it constantly necessitated the
severance of the melody into fragments, and
thus the clear, concise form of the song, which
the Volkslied had done so much to establish,
was in danger of disappearing. But happily
at this juncture (about 1600) Hans Leo Hassler
came to its rescue. Having studied in Italy,
he breathed into his songs the light, secular
spirit of the Italian Villanella and Fa-la-la,
and gave more prominence to the melody than
to the other voice-parts. His dance-songs also,
with theii- short rhythmical phrases, did much
to restore the concise form. Similar characteristios
are noticeable in Melchior Franck's,
E'egnart's, and other contemporary collections
of songs. ^
In the beginning of the 17th century solo
songs were first heard in Germany. There, as
everywhere else, the introduction of the monodic
system was due to the influence of Italy. The
revolution begun by that country would seem
to have first affected the Church music rather
than the secular music of Germany. Innovations
of Italian origin are plainly discernible in
the sacred works of Praetorius and Heinrich
Schutz ; but neither of these composers improved
the secular monodic song. German
poetry had now fallen to a debased condition.
It produced nothing better than songs of a
vapid and artificial sentiment addressed to a
conventional Phyllis or Amaryllis. And the
language it employed was a nondescript mixture
of French, Latin, and stilted German. Since
Luther's death the simple vernacular had ceased
to be in repute. But on August 24, 1617, a
meeting of German patriots was held, who set
themselves to restore their native tongue to
1 Reissmanii, Geach. d. deutschen Liedes, p. 72.
2 Oeorg Forster'B collectioua contain a large quantity of songs
thus treated. See Fobstbb.
3 See, for example, 'TrlclnlanovallebllclieraiuoroBlsclierGeaiinge
mit schonen poetischen Texten gezieret und etlicher Slassen nach
Italienischer Art mit Fleiss componirt duroh Melchior Fisncken,'
IfUmberg, 1611 ; and Kurzvelllge teutsche Lieder zu drelen
Stimmen nach Art der NeapoUtanen Oder Welachen VlUaneUen
durch Jacobus Reguart in Druck verfertlgt,' Number^. 157a
The so-called OeteUgdtaftttiedffr of the 16th and 17th centuries
belong to this category of song. They arose when song was
cultivated among the burgher and middle classes to a high extent,
and ceased with the efforts of the Silesian poets in 1617. At first
they resembled the Volkslied in form and spirit, but later they
approached more closely to the Kunstlied. Most contemporary
musicians took part in this popular development of music, and
collected and arianged the favourite songs of the time in parta,
either retaining or altering the words. The editors and publishers
encouraged the introduction of Italian melodies with translated or
imitated words. Between 1540 and 1624, the following musicians
(amongst many others) issued collections of such songs : Oeorg
Porater, Orlandus Lassus, Ivo de Vento, Jacob Hegnart, Job.
Eccard, C. Demantius, H. L. Haeler, M. Praetorius, M. Pianck,
E. Widmann. H. Schein, and several Italians, For further information
see Hoffmann von Fallersleben, 2>ie dmuachen Qeaellschaftglieder,
etc., and K, v. Liliencron, neutschea Leben im rolMied, etc.
honour, and with that view to study the introduction
of method and rule into its grammar
and poeti-y. Other patriotic gi'oups were soon
formed with a like purpose, and by the year
1680 these associations numbered 890 members.
Their labours quickly bore good fruit. The
success of a group of Konigsberg poets wsts
specially remarkable, and was doubtless due in
a great measure to the skill with which one of
the best of them—Heinrich Albert—set his own
and his associates' songs to music. His compositions
consequently won great popularity,
and he has been named ' the father of the volksthiimliches
Lied. ' Schein and Hammerschmidt
had preceded Albert in the right path, but
their taste and talent had been frustrated by
the worthlessness of the words they set to music.
The poetry on which Albert worked was not by
any means of a high order, although it had sufficient
merit to demand a certain measure of attention.
And from his uncle, Heinrich Schiitz,
Albert had learnt the new Italian methods of
singing with correct expression and brilliant
execution, introducing vocal embellishments.*
Several of his songs are for one voice with
clavicembalo accompaniment, but their harmony
is poor. The movement begun by Albert was
carried on by J. R. and J. G. Able, and Adam
and Joh. Krieger. Johann's songs are good,
and exhibit a marked improvement in grace and
rhythm. The first bars of his song, Komm',
'
wir woUen wandeln, ' have all the clearness of
the best Volkslieder :
Ex. 8.
f^i^ J ^^J' ^l r'r'n^^
Komm', wir wol len - zie rei
mpg^^ st= ^ :^^
Meanwhile the Kunstlied or polyphonic song
had ceased to advance. Other branches, especially
instrumental and dramatic music, had
absorbed composers, songs began to be called
'odes' and 'arias,' and French and Italian
influence was strongly felt, both in music and
literature. Writing in 1698, Keiser tells us
that cantatas had driven away the old German
songs, and that their place was being taken by
songs consisting of mixed recitatives and arias.*
i In the preface to the fourth part of his Arlen Albert says he
has borrowed some melodies from other composers, Aus Liebe und
'
Wohlgefallen zu denselben Weisen,' He rarely names the composers,
but merely calls the songs Aria gallica,' Aria polonica,'
' '
etc. lie only used one Italian air, which is the more curious, as in
the preface to the sixth part
'
of his Arten he says, Was filr herrliche
und geistreiche Compositionen aus Italien . . . sebe ich
oftmals mit hGchster Verwunderung an.' See L. H. Fischer,
IVemda Metodien in ff, Albert's Arten, TierteljaJlraacTtrift, 1886.
G See the preface to his cantata coUection. See also Lindner,
Geach. d. deutaehen Liedea, p. 5S.