Hans Neusidler
Encyclopedia
Hans Neusidler (c. 1508-09 February 2, 1563), was a German composer and lute
nist of the Renaissance
.
.
Hans's sons, Melchior Neusidler (1531-1590) and Konrad Neusidler (1541-after 1604) were also well-known lutenists and composers.
, was one of the most important early German lutenists. His eight publications feature intabulation
s of German songs, French chanson
s, Italian madrigals
, dance pieces, and preludes of an improvisatory
nature. Most of the works are in three parts, but there are two-part pieces for beginners and a few four-part arrangements in two of his publications. He republished popular works with newer arrangements in his later books. The initial 1536 publication, which was a beginner's collection, opens with a written introduction to lute playing which gives insight into contemporaneous performance practice.
An somewhat infamous piece is Der Juden Tanz, often cited as an example of bitonality "not lacking a touch of satire". It was first transcribed in Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich
and appears in Davison & Apel's Historical Anthology of Music as a melody in a sort of diminished D accompanied by an E/B drone. Apel gives a facsimile of the tablature in The Notation of Polyphonic Music that includes Neusidler's scordatura
instructions, but he interprets "die Obrer quint saitten muß man dem t gleich ziehen" (with the "fifth" string being the chanterelle and "t" the lowest drone) as requiring the tuning Gddad'f'. If instead the outer strings are tuned to the same pitch the piece sounds rather more typical of the rest of Neusidler's work.
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
nist of the Renaissance
Renaissance music
Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance. Defining the beginning of the musical era is difficult, given that its defining characteristics were adopted only gradually; musicologists have placed its beginnings from as early as 1300 to as late as the 1470s.Literally meaning...
.
Life
Neusidler was born in Pressburg and first enters the historical record in 1530, when he settled in Nuremberg. He was issued a residence permit by the city council in February, and married there in September. In April 1531 he became a citizen, and soon after bought a house on the Zotenberg. He taught lute there in the 1530s, publishing eight books of lute music between 1536 and 1549, and also went into business as a lute maker by 1550. He fathered thirteen children with his first wife, which resulted in his having enormous financial troubles; he eventually sold his house to pay his debts. In January 1556 his wife died, and he remarried five months later; his second wife bore him four more children before her death in August 1562. Neusidler died in NurembergNuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
.
Hans's sons, Melchior Neusidler (1531-1590) and Konrad Neusidler (1541-after 1604) were also well-known lutenists and composers.
Works
Neusidler, along with Hans Judenkunig and Hans GerleHans Gerle
Hans Gerle was a German lutenist and arranger of the Renaissance.Little concrete information is available regarding Gerle's life. His father was probably Conrad Gerle , one of the city's better-known lute makers...
, was one of the most important early German lutenists. His eight publications feature intabulation
Intabulation
Intabulation, from the Italian word intavolatura, refers to an arrangement of a vocal or ensemble piece for keyboard, lute, or other plucked string instrument, written in tablature. It was a common practice in 14th-16th century keyboard and lute music...
s of German songs, French chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
s, Italian madrigals
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
, dance pieces, and preludes of an improvisatory
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
nature. Most of the works are in three parts, but there are two-part pieces for beginners and a few four-part arrangements in two of his publications. He republished popular works with newer arrangements in his later books. The initial 1536 publication, which was a beginner's collection, opens with a written introduction to lute playing which gives insight into contemporaneous performance practice.
An somewhat infamous piece is Der Juden Tanz, often cited as an example of bitonality "not lacking a touch of satire". It was first transcribed in Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich
Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich
The Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich is a historical edition of music from Austria covering the Baroque and Classical periods. It was published in installments from 1894 to 1952.# Fux, masses# Muffat, Florillegium Primum...
and appears in Davison & Apel's Historical Anthology of Music as a melody in a sort of diminished D accompanied by an E/B drone. Apel gives a facsimile of the tablature in The Notation of Polyphonic Music that includes Neusidler's scordatura
Scordatura
A scordatura , also called cross-tuning, is an alternative tuning used for the open strings of a string instrument, in which the notes indicated in the score would represent the finger position as if played in regular tuning, while the actual pitch is altered...
instructions, but he interprets "die Obrer quint saitten muß man dem t gleich ziehen" (with the "fifth" string being the chanterelle and "t" the lowest drone) as requiring the tuning Gddad'f'. If instead the outer strings are tuned to the same pitch the piece sounds rather more typical of the rest of Neusidler's work.
Publications
All publications are for lute and were published in Nuremberg.- Ein newgeordent künstlich Lautenbuch in zwen Theyl getheylt: der erst für die anfahenden Schuler (1536)
- Der ander Theil des Lautenbuchs: darin sind begriffen vil ausserlesner kunstreycher Stuck von Fantaseyen, Preambeln, Psalmen, und Muteten … auff die Lauten dargeben (1536)
- Ein newes Lautenbüchlein mit vil schonen Liedern (1540)
- Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein mit vil feiner lieblichen Liedern für die jungen Schuler (1544)
- Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lautten Buch für die anfahenden Schuler (1544)
- Das dritt Buch: ein new kunstlich Lauten Buch darin vil trefflicher … Kunst Stück von Psalmen und Muteten (1544)
- Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein mit vil feiner lieblichen Liedern, für die jungen Schuler (1547)
- Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch erst yetzo von newem gemacht für junge und alte Schüler (1549)
Example
Recording
- 2005 – ObrechtJacob ObrechtJacob Obrecht was a Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He was the most famous composer of masses in Europe in the late 15th century, being eclipsed by only Josquin des Prez after his death.-Life:...
. Chansons, Songs, Motets. Capilla FlamencaCapilla FlamencaCapilla Flamenca is a vocal and instrumental early music consort based in Leuven, Belgium. The group specialises in 14th to 16th Century music from Flanders and takes its name from the choir of the court chapel of Emperor Charles V...
and Piffaro. Eufoda 1361.