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TROUBADOURS AND MINNE-SINGERS. 349
the music of the song now known as, " "We won't go Home till morning," or " For he's a jolly good fellow;" and known in France as u Malbrook s'en va-t-en Guerre." This was a favorite air at the time of the crusades, and the crusaders often made it resound before Jerusalem.
The Arabs first knew the melody and have retained it to this day. The Arab fellahs will listen apathetically to the whole repertoire of a European orchestra; but the moment that the above tune is played, the whole aspect changes, and instead of a lifeless audience, the performers have the most enthusiastic of listeners.* In the course of descent from the Crusaders and ancient musicians, the tune has become a little quicker but is not changed in any material respect.
Some time after the decline of Minne-singing, an attempt was made to revive its glories, by musical competitions, somewhat similar in style; but the essence of the real " Minne " was gone; it was no longer the knight singing to his love, or telling in unaffected verse, the beauties of Nature. Instead of this, there was a competition of burgers and tradespeople, affecting a passion foreign to their nature, and caring far more for a stilted style of verse, than for the subject of it. Such were the Meister-singers;f Nuremburg was their chief seat, and like all the tradesmen of that age, they made their Guild a very close one. No one could be admitted as a Master, unless he
•Kambogson, Harmonies du Son, p. 46. Angliee—Master-gingers. |
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