Sonate e-moll - Herzog Ulrich, der Verbannte

This is the story of Duke Ulrich, the exile.

Who is this about?
Ulrich von Württemberg (* 8 February 1487 in Reichenweier (Riquewihr), Alsace; † 6 November 1550 in Tübingen) was the third reigning Duke of Württemberg from 1498-1519 and 1534-1550. He was the first Protestant prince in his territory. Johann Pedius Tethinger sang about him in Latin.

The sheet music for this song was once again taken from the Lahrer Kommersbuch. An incredibly strong, medieval-sounding melody, composed by Emilie Zumsteeg.
I sat on this composition for 2 weeks and sang my larynx sore on this melody! For the song movement and the trio, the task was to find a beautiful accompaniment and the right harmonies, which I think I did quite well!
Finally, the fugue, as always very broadly conceived and for four voices, gave me the opportunity to explore the beautiful melody intensively.
The end result is a self-contained work, in a counterpoint designed in the manner of J.S. Bach, but which has always preserved the medieval character of the sound. And so the choice for the sample set fell on the beautiful Eisenbarth organ in Friesach, which is powerful enough to make quite an impression in the final part of the fugue and the repeated, now hymn-like song movement.

Here are the first 2 verses to this song, written by the romantic fairytale poet Wilhelm Hauff:

Vom Turme, wo ich oft gesehen hernieder auf mein schönes Land,
vom Turme fremde Fahnen wehen, wo mein Ahnen Banner stand.
Der Väter Hallen sind gebrochen, gefallen ist des Enkels Los,
der birgt, besiegt und ungerochen, sich in der Erde tiefstem Schoß.

Und wo einst in des Glückes Tagen mein Jagdhorn tönte durchs Gefild,
da meine Feinde gräßlich jagen, sie hetzen gar ein edles Wild.
Ich bin das Wild, auf das sie pürschen, die Bluthund' wetzen schon den Zahn,
sie dürsten nach dem Schweiß des Hirschen, und sein Geweih stünd ihnen an.