Neidhart von Reuental (c. 1190 - c. 1237) was one of the most famous German minnesingers (troubadours), and the one who left the largest number of melodies behind. This one is his best-known one, a lively dance tune originally with Middle High German words, although I'm playing it as an instrumental. The title translates as "Maytime banishes sorrow". Source: http://www.kstez.de/Maienzeit_bannet_Leid.pdf Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin Vintage Viaten tenor guitar Martin
Great powerful playing, Martin. That give us hope for the next year. (Btw., I guess Neidhart died 1237 )
Thanks, Frithjof! You're right, it was a typo in Neidhart's death year -- now corrected and link to Wikipedia entry added. Martin
Incredible, that this music is so old. I alwys thought, that notation came with the Renaissance era. Sounds very impressive, fine playing.
Thanks, Christian. Music notation as we would recognise it today dates from the renaissance, but it evolved from medieval predecessors, the earliest of which are from about the 11th century. They're largely concerned with pitch, so rhythm and pulse can be a bit ambiguous. I'm not sure precisely how much of this transcription can be legitimately traced to a Neidhart manuscript and what is later interpretation, but the basic tune at least sounds more or less the same in all the various recorded versions online, although tempo and accompaniment style vary a lot. Martin
I absolutely love this! I learn tunes so slowly that my to-do list is already painfully long, but this needs to be added. Thanks for pointing us to the download. I'll post a version here in about 3 years or so!
Really nice Martin, I love this tune too! -it has that feeling of something that has been known for many years by many people.
Thanks, Dennis and Simon. Yes, it's a fun tune. Check out Youtube for other recorded settings, which tend to vary quite a lot in style. For mine, I've used an accompaniment on the root and fifth only (no third), for more mock-medieval harmonies. Martin
It didn't take me quite as long as I'd feared!
That's a wonderful recording, Dennis! When you started with solo mandolin I was expecting a simple run through the tune so it came as a surprise to get all these other medieval instruments coming in. Psaltery, recorder, rauschpfeife (or shawm?) and OM, I believe. And then of course the singing: we don't get enough vocals here in the SAW group! Well done! Martin
You gave your recording a nice medieval feeling, Dennis. With these vocals you are our SAW bard now.