Minnesang
High-medieval German love poetry set to song.
What it means
Minnesang designates the sung love poetry of the German-speaking High Middle Ages. The songs were performed by their poets themselves, monophonically and mostly strophically; text and melody belonged together. What survives is above all the texts, while melodies are preserved only in small numbers and often in a notation that fixes no unambiguous rhythms. Much of the sounding form therefore remains a matter of interpretation.
Musical use
The widespread stanza form is the canzone stanza with two identically built Stollen and a differing Abgesang; musically this means that the first melodic part is repeated before a new one follows. This principle shapes the European song form for centuries beyond. In content, Minnesang circles around an artfully formed conception of love and service that is less personal expression than a social role-play. Related traditions are the song of the trouvères and troubadours in the French-speaking world; exchange and influence are recognizable, but the paths in detail are not always demonstrable.
Performance practice
Start from the text: the metre and stress of the Middle High German verse prescribe the musical organization, and the rhythm can best be gained from it. Sing monophonically and plainly, with calm voice production and without heavy vibrato. Whether and how it was accompanied is not transmitted and must remain recognizable as a decision; a sparing accompaniment with a drone sound is common but not documented. Choose a comfortable register and shape the stanzas differently, because long sequences otherwise become monotonous.
Bear in mind that the transmission is patchy: for most texts, melodies are missing, and where they survive, the notation leaves the rhythm open. Every sounding realization therefore contains decisions that should be made recognizable. Start from the Middle High German text, because metre and stress give the musical organization. Inform yourself about the transmission, for many melodies survive only in later manuscripts such as the Jena Song Manuscript. Note that the rhythmicizing of the melodies is disputed in scholarship...
Check whether your edition offers a transcription with an added rhythm, and make the decision recognizable in the programme.