To the medievalist, Tannhäuser is the author of ironical and highly original lyrical verse; to the folklorist, the subject of one of Germany’s oldest ballads; to the musicologist, the composer of the only extant music for a
Tanzleich
and the hero of several operas.
J. W. Thomas examines the content and style of Tannhäuser’s verse, discusses his sources and his influence on other medieval poets, and gives a history of the ballad material in which he appears. Also included is a diplomatic edition of Tannhäuser’s poems, both verse translations of the poems and a version of the ballad, and an extensive bibliography.