Haussmann, Valentin (EN)

Haussmann, Hausmann, Husmann, Valentin, *ca. 1560 Gerbstedt near Eisleben (Saxony), †ca. 1611–13, German composer, poet, music publisher. Until 1589, he studied at the Gymnasium Poeticum in Regensburg, where he was taught music by cantor A. Raselius. Around 1592 and 1594 he stayed in Nuremberg, in 1597 in Hanover and Wolfenbüttel, and in 1598 in Halberstadt. In 1598–99, he travelled around East Prussia and, during the same period or slightly later, around Poland. In 1598, he also taught composition in Gerbstedt and returned to this town many times. Before 1602, he stayed in Magdeburg several times and visited Hamburg. Information about these travels comes largely from his prefaces in printed works. He dedicated his publications to the citizens of Elbląg (1588 and 1598), Ulm (1592), Nuremberg (1594, 1606 and 1607), Magdeburg (1597, 1602 and 1603), Halberstadt (1598), Königsberg (1599), Malbork (1599) and Halle (1603).

According to unclear and uncertain information provided by J. Mattheson, Haussmann was related to musicians named Hausmann: Valentin the Elder (a contemporary of Luther, organist in Lobejün near Magdeburg, in Halle and Eisleben), who may have been his father, and Valentin the Younger (†ca. 1647 in Lobejün, musician in Stuttgart).

Social songs and dances occupy a central place in Haussmann’s oeuvre, both in terms of quantity and popularity, with the two genres overlapping. The external distinguishing feature is the presence or absence of text, though Haussmann both modelled many of his songs on dance forms and, conversely, arranged dance melodies he had heard into polyphonic pieces to which he added his own words. The songbooks published in 1592, 1594, 1596, and 1597 (both) as well as Fragmenta constitute a unified publishing cycle due to their similar content. These are strophic works, and the music of each stanza is usually divided into two small parts, each of which is marked with repetition signs (with the exception of 3- or 1-part stanzas). This structure is also characteristic of songs in other Haussmann collections. The texture in this publishing cycle is predominantly polyphonic. Haussmann typically opens with imitation involving either all voices or only selected ones, and at times two different phrases are imitated simultaneously. The entries of successive voices sometimes occur very closely, even at the distance of a minim, demonstrating the composer’s skill in counterpoint; on the other hand, longer passages of parallel thirds and sixths are also frequent. There are also chordal passages, but works composed entirely in this texture are rare exceptions in the five song books; they are more frequently found in Fragmenta. Quite characteristic, however, are short dialogues between groups of voices (3+3 or even 2+2) in both 5- and 4-part songs. Duple metre predominates, but many songs include passages in triple metre, most often chordal in texture and suggestive of an indeterminate dance character. Triple metre occurs relatively frequently in the 1594 collection, which also contains an entire work in this metre, in a polyphonic texture with imitation and dialogue between groups of voices. Fasciculus (a collection of wedding songs) presents more varied contents: alongside short bipartite compositions, it includes more extended works, some of which are through-composed. In several works, the line of the lowest voice is shaped almost exclusively by leaps of octaves, fifths, and fourths; longer passages in which this voice rests are also characteristic. All five books, as well as the collections Fragmenta and Fasciculus, are characterised by scoring for high voices. The 4-part works are usually notated in the following clef combinations: two soprano clefs with alto and tenor, or even two treble clefs with mezzo-soprano and alto; notation in the bass clef is extremely rare. In 5-voice songs, the lowest part is notated almost as frequently in the baritone clef as in the bass clef. The late collection Musicalische (…) Gesänge already differs from the earlier ones by its title, in which Haussmann replaced the terms canzonetta and Lieder with Gesang. All the works are through-composed, and repetitions of individual sections occur in a non-schematic manner; this is visually emphasized by the full notation of all repeats. The double-chorus technique is clearly present even in the 4- to 6-voice pieces, while in the 7- and 8-voice works the division into two choruses is indicated solely by the voice designations. Whereas Fragmenta already contained occasional madrigalisms, such as the highlighting of the words “reich” or “musica” through rich melismas; these occur more frequently here, though they remain limited to the simplest figures. Simple devices of musical rhetoric, including exclamatio and interrogatio, also appear. Among the 6-part pieces, the arrangement of the Italian original entitled Parodia super Affrettiamo is noteworthy. It is a rare example of parody in secular music, especially since its structure is very simple, its texture entirely chordal, and its melody recitative-like. The sole 7-voice work is a love dialogue, in which the refrain is sung jointly by both choirs. The notation of all the songs is in itself very simple; however, to indicate triple metre (often marked only by the numeral 3) Haussmann also employs, in combination with proportio sesquialtera, the sign of tempus perfectum (groups of three minims) or tempus perfectum diminutum (groups of three semibreves). Triple metre is likewise notated by means of colouration (prolationis or minimarum); in addition, in the 1594 collection he uses minor color and ligaturae cum opposita proprietate. All these notational devices required performers to possess a certain familiarity with the principles of mensural notation, and the works were therefore not intended for the broadest circles.

Three collections of dances by Haussmann are of particular importance to the history of Polish music. The Neue artige und liebliche Täntze collection contains “dances in the German and Polish style”. Venusgarten contains 100 dances, according to the title, “mostly Polish”, but in the introduction, the author writes that he “planted this garden with a hundred Polish dances, which (with the exception of a small number of his own) he collected in Prussia and Poland, where he enjoyed listening to them being performed on string instruments”. Finally, the collection from 1603 contains “the remaining Polish and other dances”. Haussmann also notes the existence of a clear distinction between composing a triple-metre dance segment according to the Polish custom and in the usual German manner, though he neither describes nor exemplifies this difference. Haussmann published selections from Neue artige (…) Täntze (29 works) and Venusgarten (69 works) as Ausszug…. In this publication, he designates the dances from the first collection as German, and those from the second as Polish, even though among the latter are works in Venusgarten that bear his own initials. All in all, it is impossible to conclude precisely from Haussmann’s printed works which dances he considered to be Polish, but Z. Stęszewska found concordances to some of these melodies among Polish dances preserved in various other sources (especially in M. Waisselius’s lute tablatures). The dances in Venusgarten are arranged for five voices, but according to the preface, the fifth voice can be omitted. The dances are also included in the collection Neue liebliche Melodien. Haussmann published an expanded edition of this collection, adding five pieces from Venusgarten and 15 new pieces, under the title Melodien unter Weltliche Texte…, adding – as in Venusgarten – a fifth voice ad placitum. The texture of German and Polish dances in Haussmann’s works is exclusively chordal, which foregrounds the rhythmic element, while the lowest voice features numerous leaps characteristic of homophonic bass lines. In the pieces with lyrics, the melody is purely syllabic, while in Neue liebliche Melodien its recitative shaping, with frequent repetitions of sounds, stands out. In the instrumental works, the melody of various voices, especially the cantus and tenor, is ornamental in nature. The dances are almost always in duple metre; only in 21 pieces from Neue artige (…) Tänze does the nachtanz appear, where in the pieces with lyrics, each verse covers the entire structure (duple and triple metres), which provides important information on the execution of this form. In the remaining German and Polish dances, the composer suggests improvising the nachtanz. Only in Neue liebliche Melodien do several dances appear in independent triple metre and in the galliard rhythm. The Neue Intrade collection contains 13 songs of the “teutsche lieder” type, 31 instrumental intradas, passamezzo moderno in 11 variations, as well as 12 pavanes and 4 galliards by English composers. Haussmann envisages performing these pieces, as well as the dances from Neue (…) Paduane, on violas; occasionally, the highest voice is marked as violino, which is considered the earliest mention of this instrument in German music prints. The name cornetto also appears here. 

In some collections of songs and dances, Haussmann included pieces of a decidedly different character. In Neue Teutsche (…) Lieder from 1597 there is a 6-part symbolum with a Latin text, based on an ostinato phrase in which one of the tenors repeats in German “Everything according to God’s will”. The Fragmenta collection imitative, essentially monothematic Fantasia for four instruments, while the Neue (…) Paduane features two Fugues (one also monothematic), also intended for four instruments.

Haussmann was a prolific poet. He published over 500 poems in collections. He wrote songs for some of them, set others to collected dance melodies and – often providing translations or adaptations of the original texts – published works by Italian composers and Morley. These poems are quite highly regarded. Their content usually consists of love declarations, which often take on a personal character, for example by being addressed to specific recipients. In each book, female names are woven into the poems as acrostics, and in Neue liebliche Melodien and Melodien unter Weltliche Texte all the texts are built on this principle. The group of poems about lovers parting before a journey also has a personal, lyrical quality, reflecting the composer’s itinerant way of life.

Haussmann’s editorial activity manifested itself (apart from his work on arranging dance melodies) in the publication of 3-voice works by T. Morley with his own German texts (originally set to Italian poetry), as well as in two books of 3-voice canzonettas and three books of 4-voice canzonettas by Italian composers. Among these appear well-known names such as O. Vecchi, L. Marenzio, and G. Gastoldi, as well as lesser-known figures such as G. G. Lupi, L’Affettuoso, and L’Invaghito; the latter two are academic pseudonyms of M. Tantucci and T. Pecci, who jointly published two books of canzonettas in Venice between 1599 and 1604. Haussmann’s sacred works are of considerably lesser importance. Imitation plays a major role in the works from Manipulus: it serves as the basis for quasi-imitative structures or is combined – especially in 6-voice motets – with polychoral technique and chordal progressions. In some works, the bass line stands out through an accumulation of leaps (for example, three leaps spanning an interval of an eleventh), while in others all voices are rich in recitative-like phrases featuring numerous repeated notes. Five motets are in two sections; in others, an ABB form can be observed, indicating the influence of secular music. In such cases, Haussmann employs voice exchange. In the works from Manipulus, instrumental accompaniment to the vocal parts is provided. As a rule, the music relies on the repetition or mere dialoguing of chordal structures, and imitation appears only in certain passages of the Mass. In the Mass (two 4-voice choirs) and in Domine non est exaltatum (two 5-voice choirs), Haussmann does not differentiate the registers of the ensembles; by contrast, in the three-choir Iubilate Deo he employs a chorus superior (four voices), medius (five voices), and inferior (five voices).

Literature: J. Mattheson Grundlage einer Ehrenpforte, Hamburg 1740, new edition M. Schneider, Berlin 1910, reprint 1969; A. Göhler Verzeichnis der in den Frankfurter und Leipziger Messkatalogen der Jahre 1564 bis 1759 angezeigten Musikalien, Lipsk 1902, 2nd edition Hilversum 1965; T. Norlind Zur Geschichte der polnischen Tänze, “Sammelbände der Internationalen Musikgesellschaft” No. 12, 1910/11; R. Velten Das ältere deutsche Gesellschaftslied unter dem Einfluss der italienischen Musik, Heidelberg 1914; A. Simon Polnische Elemente in der deutschen Musik bis zur Zeit der Wiener Klassiker, Zurich 1916; J. Müller-Blattau Geschichte der Musik in Ost- und Westpreussen von der Ordenzeit bis zur Gegenwart, Königsberg 1931; H. Rauschning Geschichte der Musik und Musikpflege in Danzig, Gdańsk 1931; T. Werner Ein Brief Valentin Haussmanns, “Zeitschrift für Musikwissenschaft” No. 15, 1932/33; W. Dürr Die italienische Canzonette und das deutsche Lied im Ausgang des 16. Jahrhunderts, in: Studi in onore di Lorenzo Bianchi, Bologna 1960; C. Morricone, A. Salottolo Valentin Haussmann transcrittore e le canzonette italiane in Germania, “Rivista Italiana di Musicologia” No. 5, 1970; Z. Stęszewska Polonica z okresu od XVI do początku XVIII wieku w zbiorach muzycznych północnych ziem Polski, in: VI Ogólnopolska Konferencja Muzykologiczna Gdańsk 1972, Gdańsk 1973; A. Scharnagl Ms. A.R.189 der Proske-Bibliothek Regensburg. Ein Beitrag zur Biographie von Valentin Hausmann, “Musik in Bayern” No. 10, 1975; Z. Stęszewska Polonika w źródłach muzycznych pochodzenia niemieckiego i w twórczości kompozytorów niemieckich od XVI do początku XVIII w., “Muzyka” No. 22, 1977; R.B. Lynn Eine deutsche Orgeltabulatur des 17. Jahrhunderts im Besitz der University of Michigan, “Die Musikforschung” No. 34, 1981; S. Dumont Valentin Haussmann’s Canzonettas. The Italian Connection, “Music and Letters” No. 63, 1982; K.P. Koch Valentin Haussmann. Biographisches zu einem Komponisten an der Wende vom 16. zum 17. Jahrhundert, “Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg: Gesellschafts- und sprachwissenschaftliche Reihe” No. 32, 1983; K.P. Koch Valentin Haussmann, II. Werkanalytisches zur Instrumentalmusik eines Komponisten an der Wende vom 17. Jahrhundert, “Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg: Gesellschafts- und sprachwissenschaftliche Reihe” No. 33, 1984; K.P. Koch Valentin Haussmann, III. Werkanalytisches zur Vokal- und Vokal-Instrumental-Musik eines Komponisten an der Wende vom 16. zum 17. Jahrhundert, “Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg: Gesellschafts- und sprachwissenschaftliche Reihe” No. 33, 1984; W. Braun Englische Consort-Musik und norddeutsche Instrumentalmusik, in: Deutsch-englische Musikbeziehungen, ed. W. Konold, Munich 1985; K.P. Koch Valentin Haussmann. Musiksoziologisches zu einem Komponisten an der Wende vom 16. und 17. Jahrhundert, in: Colloquium musicale. Studien zur Musikgeschichte und Musikästhetik, ed. B. Baselt, Halle 1986; K.P. Koch Valentin Haussmann – Leben und Verzeichnis der Werke, “Beiträge zur Musikwissenschaft” No. 29, 1987; M. Ruhnke Zum Wort-Ton-Verhältnis in den mehrstrophigen Villanellen von Luca Marenzio und ihren Umtextierungen durch Valentin Haussmann, in: Liedstudien. Wolfgang Osthoff zum 60. Geburtstag, ed. M. Just and R. Wiesend, Tutzing 1989; K.P. Koch Matthäus Waissel, Valentin Haussmann und Georg Neumark. Drei Beispiele für den Umgang mit polnischer Musik um 1600, “Jahrbuch für deutsche und osteuropäische Volkskunde” No. 37, 1994; R.B. Lynn Valentin Haussmann. A Thematic-Documentary Catalogue of His Work, Stuyvesant 1997; K.P. Koch Valentin Haussmann und Georg Neumark. Zwischen Sammeln und Bearbeiten polnischer Musik aus Nordpolen und Ostpreussen während der ersten Hälfte des 17. Jahrhunderts, in: Beiträge zur Musikgeschichte Ostmittel-, Ost- und Südosteuropas, ed. H. Unverricht, Sinzig 1999; S. Lewis-Hammond Valentin Haussmann as Poet, Composer, and Translator. ›Teutsche Lieder‹ (1592 –1597), in: ‘Teutsche Liedlein’ des 16. Jahrhunderts, ed. A. Aurnhammer and S. Rode-Breymann, Wiesbaden 2018; W. Ruf Komponist aus der Provinz – Valentin Haussmann, in: Barockmusik als europäischer Brückenschlag. Festschrift für Klaus-Peter Koch, ed. C. Behn, Beeskow 2019.