Musical techniques in the compositions of Der wilde Alexander and Rumelant von Sachsen in the Jenaer Liederhandschrift.

The Jenaer Liederhandschrift is a large fourteenth-century manuscript that serves as the primary source for melodies of German medieval vernacular song. Although scholarship focusing on the poetic texts has enjoyed activity in recent decades, far less attention has been directed to the music, which is as integral as the text in these genres, more specifically known as Minnesang and Sangspruchdichtung. This thesis investigates the musical materials and compositional styles of Rumelant von Sachsen and Der wilde Alexander, two of the thirteenth-century composers represented in this and related manuscripts. Transcriptions into modern musical notation of the entire musical corpus of these individuals, along with translations of selected Middle High German texts into English, enable analyses of the compositional and structural techniques employed. The results show the vibrancy, originality, and breadth of knowledge of these poet-composers, enabling them to synthesize both liturgical and secular musical influences