Gassenhauer (street song)
Popular, widely known song; originally sung in the street.
What it means
A Gassenhauer is a popular, widely known, and easily catchy song. The name originally means a song sung in the street or, literally, “hit” along the lanes, that is, carried through the streets with a strong presence. Later the word was also used for hits and earworms, often with a disparaging undertone.
Musical use
Already in the 16th century “Gassenhawer” are attested as popular songs and dance tunes. Later composers took up such melodies in their works or varied them. A well-known example is Ludwig van Beethoven's clarinet trio op. 11, which bears the nickname “Gassenhauer Trio” because its finale contains variations on an opera melody then very popular.
The Gassenhauer should be distinguished from the folk song, which is often anonymous and traditional, whereas the Gassenhauer describes especially a fashion of the street, and from the pop hit as a term of modern entertainment music. It is also unrelated to the art song, since the Gassenhauer makes no artistic claim.
Performance practice
Sing or play a Gassenhauer simply and with verve, without ornamenting it or over-interpreting it. If you build such a melody into a larger work, set it off in sound as a quotation so that listeners recognise it.