Guillaume de Machaut and Secular French Song Objectives

9/27/2012
Guillaume de Machaut
and Secular French Song
Objectives
• rise of the composer (Machaut)
• formes fixes (fixed forms)—learn them!
• aab
Guillaume de Machaut (1300‐1377)
• preserved own works
• courted lovers: W/T 20
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9/27/2012
A letter from Guillaume de Machaut
W/T 20
more from W/T 20
“Dame, mon couer” from Remède de Fortune (ca. 1342-49)
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9/27/2012
career path for composers
• educated in the Church
• college education
• get a good day job
– i.e., find a patron
formes fixes I
• virelai
–Abba Abba Abba
–text: courtly love and nature
Ex. Machaut, Foy porter, NAWM 26
formes fixes II
• ballade
–aabC aabC aabC
–text: serious topics, philosophical, moral, serious love
Ex. Machaut, Donnez, signeurs
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9/27/2012
Ballade: Donnez signeur (verse 1)
a Give my lords, give generously,
keep nothing back but your honor.
a If you have more honor than wealth
both great and small will be on your side;
b each will say “there goes a worthy lord.”
C [refrain] Furthermore, a spent estate is
is far better than a lost one.
formes fixes III
• rondeau
– ABaAabAB
–texts: love
–learn by vices!!!
Ex. Machaut, Rose, liz, printemps, verdure, NAWM 27
–harmonic contrasts, melismas, cadences
Drinking rondeau, from J. Yudkin, Music in Medieval Europe, p. 497.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
A Je
B Bois
a Se
A Je
a Ne
b Vois
A Je
B Bois I
Drink.
If
I
Don’t
See (her)
I
Drink
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9/27/2012
Solage, “The Smoking Rondeau”
A Smoky fumes through smoke,
B smoky speculation.
a When another smokes his thoughts,
A smoky fumes through smoke.
a For smoking certainly agrees with him
b as long as he gets what he wants.
A Smoky fumes through smoke
B smoky speculation.
aab in all forms!
• rondeau: ABaAabAB
– take away the refrain = aab
• ballade: aabC
• virelei: Abba
– take away the refrain: bba = aab
Ars subtilior
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9/27/2012
Objectives
• [quiz on formes fixes on Wednesday]
– ‐instructions are on web page
• Ars subtilior
– who appreciated it and why
• Reinforce the formes fixes
Ars subtilior = “subtle arts”
• Avignon
• notation
• B. Cordie, Belle, bonne, sage
Phillipus de Caserta, En rimirant vo
douce pourtraiture, NAWM 28
• Avignon
• ballade – (aabC)
• treble‐dominated
• 1st/2nd ending
• double leading tone cadence
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9/27/2012
Caserta quoting Machaut
Machaut, ballade: Plourez dames, ploures voster
servant (verse 1)
Plourez, dames, plourez vostre servant,
Qui ay toudis ay mis mon cuer et m'entente,
Corps et desirs et penser en servant
L'onneur de vous que Diex gart et augmente.
Vestez vous de noir pour my,
Car j'ay cuer teint et viaire pali,
Et si me voy de mort en aventure,
[refrain] Se Dieus et vous ne me prenez en cure.
Caserta quoting Machaut
Machaut, ballade: De triste cuer, verse 1
De triste cuer faire joyeusement,
Il m'est avis que c'est chose contraire;
Mais cils qui fait de joieus sentement,
Je di qu'il doit plus joieusement faire.
Et pour ce sont mi chant de rude affaire,
Qu'il sont tuit fait d'un cuer plus noir que meure,
Triste, dolent, qui larmes de sanc pleure.
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9/27/2012
Johannes Ciconia (1370‐1412)
• Oltremontani
• O felix templum jubila
role of the composer
• write for specific occasions
• keep patrons happy
– public relations
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