The Middle Ages of German Music

Due to the harsh rule of the church, the instrumental music tradition of the Germanic people has been weakened or interrupted, and vocal music dominates, but Germanic vocal music often has instrumental music. After the 9th century, the Frankish Kingdom in the east was called Germany. At this time, there had been a breakthrough on the basis of Gregorian chant, and new melodic and lyrical forms of Tropp and Sikuns were produced, enriching It demonstrates the expressiveness and musicality of singing, and shows its connection with instrumental music, which is different from the purely vocal nature of Gregorian chant. At the same time, folk artists and wandering musicians still played musical instruments, but they were often banned and persecuted by the church. With the construction of the city, secular songs emerged in the 12th century, and the earliest dramatic music in Germany appeared. Its author was the female composer H. van Bingen (1098~1179). Between the 12th and 13th centuries, lyrical "love poetry" appeared, which was similar to the poetry of the Romance bards and belonged to the knightly literature and art. The most famous composer of love poems is Walter of Vogelweder (about 1170-about 1230). His songs are famous for their beautiful lyrics and music. At that time, love poets often held singing competitions, which shows that the art of singing has been quite developed. According to the 12th- and 13th-century manuscript "Beulen's Song", a poetry collection discovered in a monastery library in southern Bavaria in the 19th century, it can be seen that even in the ascetic era when religious and feudal forces were harshly ruled, folk still existed Secular poetry that loves life and resists religious oppression. With the development of citizen culture, "singing masters" emerged in cities in southern and southwestern Germany in the 14th century. Most of them are craftsmen or ordinary citizens, which is different from the knights who are mostly knights. The singing master system often has the nature of a craft guild. Poetry creation, singing practice and assessment are carried out according to strict regulations. It is divided into five levels: apprentice, apprentice, singer, poet and master. The most famous singing master is H. Sachs (1494~1576), a shoemaker in Nuremberg. His poems are famous for their lyrics rather than their music. The music of love poets and singing masters is mostly single-part solo songs, accompanied by simple instruments. At the same time, there were urban trumpeters in the city who were also organized in guilds, and they played a role in the revitalization of instrumental music. Wind instruments played an important role in the lives of citizens at that time, such as playing brass instruments on towers to tell the time, calling the police, and playing music for festivals and weddings. At this time, organ music also developed, and the famous blind organist C. Baumann (about 1410 ~ 1473) appeared. He was a versatile musician in the early Renaissance.