Matthäus Waissel (c. 1540–1602) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lu ...
nist, editor of music, and writer. Waissel was from 1573 headmaster of a school at
Schippenbeil near
Königsberg
Königsberg (; ; ; ; ; ; , ) is the historic Germany, German and Prussian name of the city now called Kaliningrad, Russia. The city was founded in 1255 on the site of the small Old Prussians, Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teuton ...
; he published in that year a volume of lute arrangements of vocal pieces, and in 1592 he issued a collection of German dances for lute, which signaled the decline of German lute tablature as it yielded prominence to the so-called French system. Waissel's output comprises three books of solo lute music in all, and one collection of duets. It is unlikely though that any of the pieces in these collections are his own compositions. Waissel's chief importance arguably lies in his expansion of the passamezzo/saltarello pairing into full suites that in form, if not title, comprise some of the earliest true dance suites.
Besides his publications of lute tabulatures, he also published a collection of biblical tales in 1596, and a chronicle of East Prussia in 1599.
His son, also named Matthäus, became a musician, too. In 1598 he was instrumentalist at Riga, and from 1616 to 1619 he was a member of the Königsberg court chapel.
Works
*1573, , Frankfurt an der Oder ()
*1591, , Frankfurt an der Oder
*1592, , Frankfurt an der Oder
*1592, , Frankfurt an der Oder (Andreas Eichorn)
*1596,
*1599, Durch Matthaeum Waisselium ()
Recordings
* Jacob Heringman - ''Black Cow. Lute music by Valentin Bakfark and Matthäus Waissel'' 1999, Magnatune
* Konrad Ragossnig - ''European Lute Music from England, Italy, Spain, Germany'' etc. 2000, Deutsche Grammophon
References
* .
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waissel, Matthaus
16th-century births
1602 deaths
Sheet music publishers (people)
German lutenists
German classical musicians
16th-century musicians from the Holy Roman Empire