Lady Constance Fairfax's

Commonplace Book

 

Survey of Secular Song

or

Six Hundred Years in Sixty Minutes

 

I was astounded to discover that NPR has recently run a spot with the same title as the secondary title above.  I thought of it first. J  As this is a class handout, you'll have to find the music yourself or attend this class. Sorry!

A Chanter – Le Comtessa De Dia (Late 12th Century) Troubaritz - France

The countess of Dia was the wife of William of Poitiers.  She fell in love with Raimbaut d'Aurenga and wrote this song about him.  Trobairitz poetry represents the largest contribution to medieval poetry by women.  (music in packet)

Of things I'd rather keep in silence I must sing:
so bitter do I feel toward him
whom I love more than anything.
With him my mercy and fine manners are in vain,
my beauty, virtue, and intelligence.
For I've been tricked and cheated
as if I were completely loathsome

 
Worldes Bliss ne last (13th Century English)

This song is written in plainsong notation similar to that of the preceding example.  Similar to the Trouvere and Troubador/-ritz movement was the minstrel movement in England.  The next two pieces are examples of what they sang.  There are around thirty English songs extant before 1450. (music in packet)

Worldes blis ne last no throwe,                       The world’s bliss lasts no time

Hit wit and wend awey anon.                          It went and waned away at once.

The lengur that hich hit i knowe,                    The longer that I know it

The lasse hic finde pris theron.                                    The less I find price thereon.

Foral hit is imeynd wyd kare,                          For all it is mingled with care,

Mid sorewe ant wid uvel fare,                         With sorrow and with bad fare,

Ant at the laste pouere ant bare                      And at the last poor and bare.

Hit let mon wen hit ginnet agon.                     When it begins to go.

Al the blisse, this here ant there                      All the bliss, this here and there
Blouketh at hende wop ant mon.                    Enveloped now by weeping and moaning.

 

Man mai longe – 13th century English

Poignant advice which has not lost one mite of its truth in eight hundred years(music in packet)

Man mai longe lives weene                              Man may think he will live long

Ac him lighet of the wrench                            Often a trick waits for him

Vair weder oft went into reene                                    Fair weather oft goes into rain

Veerlich maket hit his blench             

Thervore, man, thu thee bithench                   Therefore, man, you think about yourself

Al ssel valewi thi greene                                  All your green shall fade

Weilawei!  nis king ne queene                         Wellaway!  There is no king nor queen

Thet ne ssel drink of deathes drench.              That shall not drink of death’s drench

Man, er thu vall of thi bench,                          Man, e’re you fall off thy bench

Thi seen aquench.                                           Thy sin quench

 

Der May - N. v. Reuenthal (d. 1240) – Minnesinger (German)

The Troubadors in France influenced the inception of the Minnesingers in Germany around 1150.  Minnesinger lied are heavier and less elegant than the Troubador chansons.  (music in packet)

Der may hat menig hercze hoch erstaigett                     “May has lifted many hearts”

Sprach ein maid, er hatt es wohl erczaiget.      Said a maid, “He has shown

Was sein sussser wunne thut,                          well what his sweet joy does,

Wann er klaidet swarczen dorn in weisse plüt.            When he clothes the thorn in white blossoms

Alles das der wintter het beczungen                All that the winter has overcome

Das wil der may nu jungen.                             May now is about to make young again.”

 

Un cavalo non comeu – Joan Garcia de Guilhade (13th Century) – Cantiga – Spain

With the influence of the Troubadors and pilgrims to St. James’ cathedral at Compostella, singers on the Iberian Peninsula began their own movement.  Very representative of the movement are the Cantigas de Santa Maria and documents which contain secular satirical songs such as Un cavalo non comeau.

Non quer’eu donzela fea Que ant’a mia porta pea.

Non quer’eu donzela fea e negra come carvone,

Que ant’a mia porta pea Nen faça come sissone.

 

Byrd one brere (early 14c) English

A beautiful love song transcribed onto the back of a papal bull.  (music in packet)

            Brid one breere, briht brid one trewe

            Kynd is com(e), of Love love to crave

            Blithful bird, on me, one me thu rewe

            Or greith, leef, greith thu me, thu me my grave

 

            Ich am so blithe so briht one breere

            Whan I see that hende, hendest in halle

            He is whit of lim, of lim and leere

            He is fayr, and flur, and flur of alle

 

            Mihte ich hire, hir at wille have

            Stedefast of love, loveli, trewe

            Of mi sorw he may, he may me save

            Joy and bliss wer er, wer er me newe

 

Scaramella va alla galla  - Josquin Desprez, approx 1500

This frottola is one of Desprez’s earlier works.  It’s a “cover” or “remix”.  He has taken a popular song and set it to parts. 

Scaramella va alla guerra         Scaramella goes to the war
colla lancia et la rotella.           With his lance and buckler
la combero lor barombetta

Scaramella fa la gala                Scaramella is on a spree
colla scharpa et stivali.                        With the boot and the shoe
la combero lor barombetta

Tant Que Vivray – Claudin de Sermisy – 1530

This beautiful song was set contemporarily as a lute ayr, a partsong, and for recorders. If you are familiar with modern French, listen carefully to hear the different pronunciations used in Sixteenth Century French.  (music in packet)

Tant que vivrai en age fleurissant,                   As long as I live in my prime, 

Je servirai amour le dieu piussant,                   I will serve the mighty king of love,

En faits, en dits, en chansons et accords.        In words, in deeds, in songs and tunes.

Par plusieurs jours m'a tenu languissant,         That king made me languish a while.

mais apres deuil m'a fait rejouissant,               But now I am made to rejoice

Car j'ai l'amour de la belle au gent corps.        Now I have the love of a sweetbodied beauty.

Son aliance, C'est ma fiance;               In her friendship is my trust

Son coeur est mien, Le mien est sien.  Her heart is mine, and mine is hers

Fi de tristesse! vive liesse,                   Away with sadness and long live gladness.

Puisqu'en amours j'ai tant de bien!      Since love has so many good things…

 
Has tu point vu - Adrian Le Roy – 1573

            Has tu point veu ce grand vilain                                       Did you see that scoundrel

            Qui se cache au grenier au foin,                      Hiding in the loft, in the hay,

            Pour feire place aux autres.                             To let the others in?

               Un coucu meine l’autre.                                  One cuckold leads in the others,

               Et tousjours sont en peine,                              And always they’re in a mess,

               Un coucu l’autre meine.                                  One cuckold leads in the others,

 

O lustie May - Wode MS - 2H 16c

(music in packet)

 

Une nimphe jolie - Jehan Planson 1587

Une nimphe jolie                           A pretty nymph

Dormoit en en verd pré,                                                                                                          Was sleeping on a green meadow

De mainte herbe fleurie                                                                                                           Richly adorned

Richement diapré.                                                                                                                               With many flowers.

Le doux sommeil de cette creature                                                     Her sweet sleep

Surpassoit la nature                                                                                                                             Vanquished even nature

De beauté á mon gré.                                                                                                                          In beauty, I thought.

 
Go Crystal Tears - Dowland

This is one of Dowland’s most beautiful songs.  Listen to the word-painting.  (music in packet)

 

My love hath vow'd - Campion

 

Were I a King - John Mundy – 1594

 

All at once well met –Weelkes

 

O Mistress Mine

 

I loathe that I did love

 

Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone - John Farmer - 1600ish

Listen to the word-painting.  (music in packet)        

Further Reading:

I have included books relevant to all three of my classes on this list for several reasons.  Items in bold are books I own.  If you are interested in reading one of the books and can’t find it, please let me know.

 

Atlas, Alan.  1998:  Anthology of Renaissance Music.  New York:  Norton.  This is a great anthology of renaissance music and is not terribly expensive.

Ault, Norman.  1949:  Elizabethan Lyrics:  From the Original Texts.  New York:  Capricorn Books.  This book is a great, inexpensive resource if you are interested in looking at what texts are available for you to set or to compare to your writings.  Ault also released a book of secular lyrics which may have been “inappropriate” to the audience he intended for the book (high school and college literature/poetry students).

Bogin, Meg.  1980.  The Women Troubadours.  New York:  Norton.  This is a neat book but it does have an “agenda”

Boyd, Morrison Comegys.  1962:  Elizabethan Music and Musical Criticism.  Philadelphia:  University of Pennsylvania Press.  This book is rather difficult to read but the information within is essential to understanding ‘why’ Elizabethan music is Elizabethan music.

Brown, Howard Mayer.  1976:  Embellishing Sixteenth-Century Music.  London:  Oxford Press.  The examples in this book are a really wonderful way to a) spice up 16th century music. B) create new music with 16th century motifs.

Fenlon, Iain.  1989:  The Renaissance:  From the 1470s to the End of the 16th Century.  Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey:  Prentice Hall.  This book is a good survey of Renaissance music and is quite readable.

Grout, Donald.  1960(and six more versions). A History of Western Music.  New York:  Norton.  My mother used this book, I use this book, my daughter will use this book.  The definitive history of Western Music.  Well written, annotated, and easy to use.

Hoppin, Richard, 1978:  Medieval Music. New York:  Norton  This is the companion text to the anthology.  While there is much useful information in the book it tends to be a bit dry.

Hoppin, Richard.  1978:  Anthology of Medieval Music.  New York:  Norton. This is a wonderful anthology of early music which (after about 1200) spends a significant amount of time on secular music.

Kite-Powell, Jeffery T.  1989:  A Practical Guide to Historical Performance:  The Renaissance.  New York:  Early Music America.  This was the trial run for the 1994 publication and is typewritten and comb-bound. 

Kite-Powell, Jeffery T.  1994:  A Performer’s Guide to Renaissance Music.  New York:  Schirmer Books.  This book contains several new essays, including several new ones on vocal techniques.

McGee, Timothy J.  1985:  Medieval and Renaissance Music:  A Performer’s Guide.  Hants, England:  Scolar Press.  This book is full of wonderful information such as a timeline which details what instruments were used when and how often they were used.

McGee, Timothy J.  1996:  Singing Early Music:  The Pronunciation of European Languages in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance.  Bloomington, Indiana:  Indiana University Press.  This book is by far the best resource I have seen for the early singer.  A CD is available with readings of all the early music texts given in IPA in the book.

Palisca, Claude.  1980(and two more versions).  Norton Anthology of Western Music : Ancient to Baroque, Volume 1.  New York:  Norton.  While this anthology is heavy on sacred music, if you are seriously interested in Medieval and Renaissance music it is worth considering.