Senfl was probably born in Basle around 1486, and lived in Zürich from 1488 until 1496, when he joined the choir of the Hofkapelle of Emperor Maximilian I in Augsburg. Apart from one brief visit in 1504 he appears never again to have lived in Switzerland.
In 1497 he followed the Hofkapelle to Vienna, and between 1500 and 1504 he probably studied in Vienna for three years, the standard practice for choirboys whose voices had broken, as part of the normal training for the priesthood. During this period he studied with Heinrich Isaac, serving as his copyist by 1509; he is known to have copied much of the older composer's Choralis constantinus, an enormous work which he was later to complete after Isaac's death.
After a trip to Italy sometime between 1508 and 1510, Senfl returned to the Hofkapelle; the Emperor appointed him to fill Isaac's position as court composer when Isaac died in 1517. In 1518 Senfl lost a toe in a hunting accident; evidently the injury disabled him for up to a year. When the Emperor died in 1519, Senfl was out of a job, and his circumstances altered for the worse: Charles V dismissed most of Maximilian's musicians, and even refused to pay Senfl the annual stipend which had been promised to him in the event of the emperor's death.
During the next few years he traveled widely, mainly job-seeking, but he was also active as a composer. He is known to have attended the Diet of Worms in 1521, and, while he never officially became a Protestant, his sympathies evidently were with Luther, and he was later examined by the Inquisition and voluntarily gave up his priesthood. Senfl carried on an extensive correspondence both with Lutheran Duke Albrecht of Prussia and with Martin Luther himself, beginning in 1530.
Eventually Senfl acquired a post in Munich, a place which had high musical standards, a strong need for new music, and which was relatively tolerant of those with Protestant sympathies; he was to remain there for the rest of his life. By 1540 he was ill, judging from his correspondence with Duke Albrecht, and he probably died in early 1543.
Senfl was an eclectic composer, at home both in the worlds of sacred and secular music, and he modeled his style carefully on models provided by the Franco-Flemish composers of the previous generation, especially Josquin Desprez. In particular, he was a gifted melodist, and his lines are warmly lyrical; his music remained popular and influential in Germany through the 17th century.
His sacred music includes masses, motets, vespers settings, and a Magnificat. Technically his music has many archaic features, such as the use of cantus firmus technique, which was more in vogue in the 15th century; he even occasionally employs isorhythm. However he also has a typically Germanic liking for singable melodic passages in parallel imperfect intervals (3rds and 6ths).
Senfl also wrote numerous German lieder, most of them secular (the handful on sacred texts were written for Duke Albrecht of Prussia). They vary widely in character, from extremely simple settings of a cantus firmus to contrapuntal tours-de-force such as elaborate canons and quodlibets.
Im Maien
Ludwig Senfl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hört man die Hahnen krayen,
Freu' Dich Du schöne Bauernmaid,
Wir woll'n den Haber sayen,
Du bist mir lieber denn der Knecht,
Du tust mir meine Alte recht.
Bumm Maidlein, bumm
Wenn ich freundlich zu Dir kumm
Hinter dem Ofen rum und um
Freu Dich Du schöne Bauernmaid
Ich kumm, ich kumm, ich kumm.
Es seyen zwölf Monat
Im ganzen langen Jahre,
Das sagen uns die Weisen
Ja ganz und gar für wahre,
Ein jeder hat sein Eygenart,
Der eyne prasst, der and're spart.
Bumm Maidlein, bumm
Ich freu' mich Dein ganz rum und um
Wenn ich freundlich zu Dir kumm
Hinter dem Ofen rum und um
Freu Dich Du schöne Bauernmaid
Ich kumm, ich kumm, ich kumm.
The lyrics to Ludwig Senfl's song "Im Maien" tell the story of a farmer and a beautiful maidservant working in the fields during the month of May. The sound of roosters crowing fills the air, signaling for them to begin sowing their crop of oats. The farmer expresses his affection for the maidservant, saying that he prefers her company over that of his male farmhand. He sees the maidservant as a valuable member of his team, helping to keep his wife happy and their work successful. The second verse references the passing of time, with each month of the year having its own unique qualities. The verses are tied together by a catchy and cheerful refrain, with the farmer expressing his joy and anticipation of seeing the maidservant again.
Overall, the song has a light and playful tone, with a hint of flirtation between the farmer and the maidservant. It reflects a simpler time in agrarian society, with the cyclical rhythm of farming life providing a backdrop for romantic advances. The song captures a moment in time that was likely familiar to many rural people, while also tapping into universal themes of love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
Im Mayen, im Mayen, Hört man die Hahnen krayen,
In May, in May, one hears the rooster crowing
Freu' Dich Du schöne Bauernmaid, Wir woll'n den Haber sayen,
Rejoice, beautiful peasant girl, we'll plant the oats
Du bist mir lieber denn der Knecht, Du tust mir meine Alte recht.
I prefer you over the servant, you please my wife.
Bumm Maidlein, bumm Ich freu' mich Dein ganz rum und um Wenn ich freundlich zu Dir kumm Hinter dem Ofen rum und um Freu Dich Du schöne Bauernmaid Ich kumm, ich kumm, ich kumm.
Boom, little maiden, I'm delighted with you all around when I kindly come to you behind the stove, I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming.
Es seyen zwölf Monat Im ganzen langen Jahre, Das sagen uns die Weisen Ja ganz und gar für wahre, Ein jeder hat sein Eygenart, Der eyne prasst, der and're spart.
There are twelve months in the long year, as the wise tell us, each has its own nature, one squanders, the other saves.
Writer(s): ludwig senfl
Contributed by Aubrey A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.