Career
German lutenist and composer. Waissel was from 1573 headmaster of a school at Schippenbeil near Königsberg. He published in that year a volume of lute arrangements of vocal pieces, and in 1592 he issued a collection of German dances for lute, which signaled the decline of German lute tablature as it yielded prominence to the so-called French system.
Waissel"s output comprises three books of solo lute music in all, and one collection of duets.
Waissel"s chief importance arguably lies in his expansion of the passamezzo/saltarello pairing into full suites that in form, if not title, comprise some of the earliest true dance suites.