Description
Discover the fascinating world of the minstrel Von Obernburg with “Ich will wol von wibes gvete”. This work presents seven medieval songs, artfully set to new music by Frank S. Wunderlich, and gives you access to an era in which poetry and music merged in a unique way. Enjoy the deep emotionality and artful structure of these historical compositions, which take you straight to the heart of medieval minnesong.
“Ich will wol von wibes gvete”: Introduction to the Minnesang
Minnesang is an integral part of the common image of the Middle Ages. The monophonic song art of minnesong occupies a prominent position in the music of the time and has largely survived only as read lyrics.
The fascination of historical music
Minnesang has largely only survived in the form of readable poetry, especially in the large collective manuscripts, such as the Great Heidelberg Song Manuscript, the Codex Manesse, compiled in Zurich in the first half of the 14th century.
Mysticism and anonymity of the Von Obernburg
Little is known about the biographical data of most of the minstrels. Von Obernbvrg shares this fate with many of his fellow poets. His slim work, which comprises a total of 20 stanzas spread over seven songs, has survived only in the Große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift, the Codex Manesse.
The origins of an unknown minstrel
It is uncertain where the minstrel came from. There are several assumptions about its origin. The town of Obernburg on the Bavarian Lower Main, south of Aschaffenburg, would be conceivable, as would Obernburg in Gudensberg in northern Hesse. Another possibility is to place him among the Swiss minnesingers and link him to the village of Oberburg in the canton of Bern.
The musical realization of the Minnelieder
The melodies (wise) in “Ich will wol von wibes gvete” are all written in the so-called church modes common in the Middle Ages. For appropriate instrumental accompaniment, the settings are included with harmony markings to aid in careful harmonization.
Authentic text reproduction and musical notation
The texts (wort) are taken from: Die große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift in getreuen Textabdruck, ed. by Friedrich Pfaff, 2nd ed. and erg. ed. ed. by Hellmut Salowsky, Heidelberg 1995. With regard to some corrections to the text, I follow the text edition published by Carl von Kraus: Deutsche Liederdichter des 13. Jahrhunderts.
Immerse yourself in the world of historical music
With “Ich will wol von wibes gvete” you not only acquire a piece of music history, but also a well-founded work that impresses with its meticulous research and detailed reproduction. This product invites you to explore and experience the deep cultural roots and artistic diversity of Minnesang.
Foreword
Minnesang is an integral part of the common image of the Middle Ages. The monophonic song art of the Middle Ages occupies a very prominent position in the music of the time. Unfortunately, only a few melodies have been preserved for the surviving song texts. Overall, the number of manuscripts containing melodies is remarkably small.
Minnesang has largely only survived in the form of readable poetry, especially in the large collective manuscripts, such as the Great Heidelberg Song Manuscript, the Codex Manesse, compiled in Zurich in the first half of the 14th century. Hardly anything is known about the biographical details of most of the minstrels. Numerous authors cannot be classified either documentarily or regionally and the manuscripts offer no additional information on the respective persons.
Von Obernbvrg shares this fate with many of his fellow poets. His small work, which comprises seven songs with a total of 20 verses, has only survived in the above-mentioned magnificent manuscript. As with many other authors, the scribe of the manuscript refrains from mentioning a first name and the courtesy attribute “her”. A possible coat of arms is also missing from the miniature drawing.
It is uncertain where the minstrel came from. There are several assumptions about its origin.
Some researchers (including Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen) believe that he belongs to the circle of Styrian minstrels in the southern Sanntal Alps after the village of Ober(n)burg, today’s Gornji Grad in Slovenia.
Another theory would have it based in Obernberg am Inn (Upper Austria) between Salzburg and Passau.
The town of Obernburg on the Bavarian Lower Main, south of Aschaffenburg, would also be conceivable. However, our minstrel is not named “Oboronburc” or later “Obrinburg”, the names commonly used in the Middle Ages.
The Obernburg castle in Gudensberg near Kassel in North Hesse, seat of the Counts of North Hesse until 1277, could also have been the singer’s home.
Another possibility is to place him among the Swiss minnesingers and link him to the village of Oberburg in the canton of Bern. Walter Leuenberger, a local historian of this region, assumes that the minstrel Von Obernburg was a Kiburg ministerial (e.g. Johann von Obernburg, called Weinmann, around 1240).
The absence of the coat of arms and the humble kneeling posture in the miniature, facing a noble lady, indicate that the minstrel does not belong to the knightly class, but was evidently a ministerialis, an administrative official and would have belonged to the lower nobility.
All attempts to categorize him regionally on the basis of linguistic, i.e. dialectal characteristics, are not valid, because his language is pure, without dialectal or regional language traces. Nor do his texts contain any references to places or people or allusions to historical events that would make it possible to place them in time. Only formal indications suggest that his songs were not composed before the middle of the 13th century.
However, his songs are of high quality and testify to his great skill:
“The use of the refrain, the joy of wordplay and above all the mastery of artful rhyming techniques show Obernburg to be a gifted formal artist.”
(Renate Hausner)
The melodies (wise) are all written in the so-called church modes common in the Middle Ages: Dorian, Hypodorian, Hypophrygian, Hypolydian, Hypomixolydian etc. For an appropriate accompaniment, for example on the harp, these settings are accompanied by chord figures as an aid to careful harmonization due to the unfamiliar keys for some instrumentalists. The letter symbols are based on the tonal major-minor system in use today.
The texts (wort) are taken from: Die große Heidelberger Liederhandschrift in getreuen Textabdruck, ed. by Friedrich Pfaff, 2nd ed. and erg. ed. ed. by Hellmut Salowsky, Heidelberg 1995.
With regard to some corrections to the text, I follow the text edition edited by Carl von Kraus: Deutsche Liederdichter des 13. Jahrhunderts. Vol. I: Text, Vol. II, commentary, edited by Hugo Kuhn, 2nd ed., revised by Gisela Kornrumpf, Tübingen 1978.
Only a few clear errors and distortions are conjugated in the print. Additions are indicated by round brackets. If a final e comes before a final vowel, it usually loses its syllable value, i.e. it is elided. Syllables may be omitted in shortened lines of text; these are indicated by a + in front of the line of text.
Frank S. Wunderlich
Author:in
Frank S. Wunderlich
Frank S. Wunderlich is a fascinating personality who has immersed himself deeply in the world of medieval music. Born in Giessen/Upper Hesse in 1960, he began his musical journey as a boy soprano with the “Pueri Cantores St. Bonifatius” in Giessen. This experience laid the foundation for his later love of medieval music.
Frank spent a year in a Cistercian monastery, where the daily care of the time-honored Cistercian choir awakened his passion for medieval music. After graduating from high school, he studied philosophy, musicology and theology in Frankfurt am Main and Würzburg. He successfully completed his studies in Catholic theology in 1986.
Frank has lived on the Lower Main since 1988, first in Großheubach and now in Lützelbach. His love of medieval music remained unbroken and he deepened his knowledge in special courses. Frank is not only a lover of medieval music, but also an active part of this scene.
He co-founded the group “Vogelfrey und unvuortzaget” in 1995 and played in smaller groups such as “Bluomenrot” and “Vrouwenheide” from 2001 onwards. He also published various song cycles by minstrels, including that of the 13th century minstrel Von Obernburg.
Frank’s discography is impressive and reflects his dedication to medieval music. He has taken part in numerous recordings and was named Minstrel of the Year in 2005. His musical journey took him to various locations, including Spangenberg Castle, Falkenstein Castle in the Harz Mountains and Trifels Castle in the Palatinate, where he celebrated the beauty of medieval music.
However, his deep connection to medieval music goes far beyond his career. Frank is the deanery representative for liturgy and church music and leads a choral choir. Medieval music is not only a professional aspect, but also a personal balance to his other tasks.
Frank S. Wunderlich finds an inner power in medieval music that is inherent in the old melodies. His passionate dedication and deep respect for this musical tradition make him an important figure in the world of medieval music.
