The "villanella" was originally a plain, three-part strophic song in the manner of folkloristic tunes of Italy's rural population, intentionally simple in setting and usually with coarse texts. By the time Johann Hermann Schein had published his 50 villanellas of the "Musica boscareccia" in the 1620s, the genre had long become an art form. Schein’s texts are full of strongly expressive imagery, charm and wit. An entire host of forest spirits, mythological figures and gods whirl and tumble here. Schein's successful fusing of conservative and novel styles ensured his work great success.
