Gottfried Finckelthaus

Abstract

According to a remark made by Constantin Christian Dedekind, Gottfried Finckelthaus was not only a writer, but also a singer of songs. Starting from the less-known early pastorals, the present article tries to define the poet’s position in the civic, academic, and literary networks in Leipzig during the 1630s. Special attention is given to the adaptation of French song and dance melodies by poets in Central Germany, and the metrical innovations resulting from it.