Musical Treasures from middelgerman manuscripts
For a long time, we have had the desire to bring rarely played music manuscripts from our region of Central Germany back to life. Unfortunately, surviving sources are rare: much was lost during the Reformation and in the turmoil of many wars. Perhaps less was written down in the fragmented German Empire than in the great centres of culture such as Florence or Paris, with their patrons of the arts.
Nevertheless some remarkable manuscripts can be found in the libraries, starting with the 13th-century Jenaer Liederhandschrift and ending with Schedel’s 15th-century Liederbuch. The pieces, most of which are in old German language, show a wide range of styles: monophonic Minnesang and Spruchdichtung are represented as well as three-voice compositions of the late Middle Ages – a small but all the more exciting treasure chest for Nimmersêlich!
