The leading named figure of early 15th-century German song, Oswald von Wolkenstein, is absent from this anthology, which focuses instead on the large body of anonymous material contained in several sources compiled mid-way through the century (most notably the so-called Lochamer, Glogauer and Schedel songbooks). These four singer- performers vary their effects, the forces are used in an enterprising manner and include a number of slighter, polyphonic instrumental pieces by way of contrast (with whimsical names such as ‘the peacock’s tail’ or ‘the rat’s tail’, they are among the most enjoyable selections here, despite their brevity).
Their manner of vocal delivery is flexible, and in some cases flirts nicely with what one would nowadays call Sprechgesang (as in Lustlich hat god ghetzyret). To my mind, however, that very flexibility of delivery somehow underlines the need for the visual component that is inevitably missing. That is the obvious limitation of the sound-recording medium, but here it somehow detracted from my enjoyment of what are mostly well-imagined performances. Others may query certain choices of instrumental accompaniment, particularly the ‘harmonising’ of melodies in a way that seems overly limiting (as in the above-mentioned Lustlich hat god, or in the opening Mein mut ist mir wetrubet); elsewhere, improvised interludes may have a very folksy colouring (in Wach auf mein hort the effect strongly recalls Irish folk-music). Of course there is nothing inherently wrong about this, given the state of knowledge of performance practice. Whether it will be to everyone’s taste is another matter altogether; having said which, there are sufficiently differently varied approaches here to please most listeners at least some of the time.
If that sounds like faint praise, I may as well confess to having listened many times, but always with the feeling that the whole is somehow less than the sum of the parts. But this is little-recorded repertory after all, and the curious ought to ignore my reservations and judge for themselves.'