Walther von der Vogelweide

Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170-c. 1230), German minnesinger, most famous of these medieval poet-musicians. Born probably in Austria, he was a member of the lower nobility and early became associated with the Viennese court of Leopold V as a minnesinger. Receiving the successive patronage of several lords aligned with varying political factions, he finally settled (1214) in the German court of Frederick II. His extant poems, which represent the culmination of the German medieval lyric, number more than 200 and range from political, didactic, and religious works to love poetry. All his work bears the stamp of a fresh, personal response to his subject. His fiery poems dealing with the political figures with whom he had come into contact risked the displeasure of his patrons, and his love poems often broke with the rigid conventions of the courtly love tradition, exhibiting irony, humour, and naturalness. A few of his melodies are still extant, most notably the “Palästinalied” (Song of Palestine). This song, expressing the feelings of a Crusader, follows the Bar, or AAB, form common to many of the minnesinger songs. Walther is portrayed as one of the rivals in the song contest in the music drama Tannhäuser (1845) by the German composer Richard Wagner.