Day 5

Hans Neusidler's story begins in Pressburg (modern-day Bratislava, Slovakia). He first appears in historical records when he moved to Nuremberg, Germany in 1530, receiving residency in February and marrying that September. After becoming a citizen in April 1531, he purchased a home on the Zotenberg, where he established himself as a lute teacher and later a lute maker.

His personal life was marked by two marriages and many children - thirteen with his first wife and four with his second. The financial strain of his large family eventually forced him to sell his house to cover his debts. After his first wife's death in January 1556, he remarried within five months. His second wife passed away in August 1562, and Neusidler later died in Nuremberg. Two of his sons, Melchior (1531-1590) and Konrad (1541-after 1604), followed in their father's footsteps as renowned lutenists and composers.

Neusidler stands alongside Hans Judenkunig and Hans Gerle as one of early Germany's most significant lutenists. Between 1536 and 1549, he published eight collections of lute music, encompassing arrangements of German songs, French chansons, Italian madrigals, dance pieces, and improvisatory preludes. His compositions were primarily written in three parts, though he also created simpler two-part pieces for beginners and occasional four-part arrangements. His later publications often featured new arrangements of previously published popular works. His first publication in 1536, designed for beginners, included a valuable written introduction to lute playing that provides insights into performance practices of the time.

One notable piece in his repertoire is "Der Juden Tanz," which has attracted attention for its supposed bitonal qualities. While some interpretations, such as those in "Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich" and Davison & Apel's "Historical Anthology of Music," present it as a diminished D♯ melody over an E/B drone, alternative readings of Neusidler's tuning instructions suggest a more conventional sound. The debate centers on his instruction "die Obrer quint saitten muß man dem t gleich ziehen," where Apel suggests a G-d-d-a-d-'f'♯ tuning. However, if the outer strings are tuned to match, the piece aligns more closely with Neusidler's typical compositional style.

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