Trouvères

Trouvères
Courtly Love Songs from Northern France, c.1175-1300
Sequentia
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (EMI) CDS 7 49387 2 [CDx2]
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (BMG-Europe) RD77155 [CDx2]
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (BMG-America) 77155-2-RC [CDx2]
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi (Sony Music) 88697 56832 2 [CDx2]

Contents:

  1. Conon de Béthune: Tant ai amé c' or me convient haïr (voice, harp, fiddle, symphonia)
  2. Sequentia: Estampie (fiddle)
  3. Anon (chanson de toile): Bele Doette as fenestres se siet (voice, 3 voices)
  4. Anon (motet): S'on me regarde / Prennés i garde / Hé mi enfant (2 voices, fiddle)
  5. Anon (motet): Ad veniam, Perveniam (2 voices, fiddle)
    [clausula] (fiddle, harp)
    Anon (motet): Tant grate chievre, que maugist (voice, fiddle)
    [clausula] (harp, psalterium)
    [clausula] (fiddle, harp)
    [hoquetus] (2 voices, fiddle)
    [clausula] (harp, psalterium)
    Anon (motet): Tamquam suscipit, vellus pluviam (voice, fiddle)
    Anon (motet): Qui voudroit femme esprover / Tanquam agnus ductus / Tanquam suscipit, vellus pluviam (3 voices, fiddle)
  6. Sequentia: Estampie (fiddle, harp, symphonia)
  7. Anon (chanson de toile): Bele Yolanz en ses chambres seoit (4 voices)
  8. Anon (motet): Trois serors sor rive mer (4 voices, fiddle, harp)
    [clausula] (harp, psalterium)
    Anon (motet): Bele Aelis par matin se lava / Haro, haro, je la voi la (2 voices, fiddle)
    [clausula] (fiddle, harp)
    [clausula] (harp, fiddle)
    Anon (motet): Plus bele que flor est / Quant revient et fuelle et flor / L'autrier joer m'en alai (3 voices, fiddle)
  9. Gace Brulé: Li consirrers de mon païs (voice, fiddle)
  10. [instrumental] (fiddle, harp, symphonia)
  11. Blondel de Nesle: Onques maiz nus hom ne chanta (voice, harp)
  12. Anon (motet): Entre Copin et Bourgeois / Je me cuidoie tenir / Bele Ysabelos (3 voices, fiddle)
  13. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Bonne amourete me tient gai (3 voices)
  14. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Dame, or sui traïs (3 voices)
  15. [instrumental] (fiddle)
  16. Adam de la Halle (jeu-parti): Avoir cuidai engané le marchié (2 voices)
  17. [instrumental] (fiddle, symphonia)
  18. Adam de la Halle: Se li maus c'amours envoie (voice, harp)
  19. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Diex, comment porroie (3 voices)
  1. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Tant con je vivrai (3 voices)
  2. [instrumental] (fiddle)
  3. Adam de la Halle (motet): Aucun se sont loé d'amours / A Dieu commant amouretes / Super te (2 voices, fiddle)
  4. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): A Dieu commant amouretes (3 voices)
  5. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Hareu! li maus d'amer m'ochist (3 voices)
  6. [instrumental] (fiddle)
  7. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Dieus soit en cheste maison (3 voices)
  8. Adam de la Halle (motet): De ma dame vient / Dix, comment porroie / Omnes (2 voices, fiddle)
  9. [instrumental] (fiddle)
  10. Adam de la Halle (motet): En mai, quant rosier sont flouri / L'autre jour, par un matin / Hé! resvelle toi Robin (3 voices)
  11. Adam de la Halle: Qui a droit veut amours servier (voice, fiddle, symphonia)
  12. Adam de la Halle (rondeau): Or est Baiars en la pasture (3 voices, fiddle)
  13. Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Abundance de felonnîe (voice, 2 fiddles, harp)
  14. Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Dame, par vo dous regart (2 fiddles, organetto)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Biétris est mes delis (voice, 2 fiddles, organetto)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Gracieusette (voice, symphonia)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Dame, par vo dous regart (voice, fiddle)
    [instrumental] (2 fiddles, symphonia)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Fi, mesdisans esragié (voice, fiddle, symphonia)
  15. Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Amours trop vous doi cherir (fiddle, lute, harp)
  16. Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): De la grant joie d'amours (voice, 2 fiddles)
  17. Petrus de Cruce (motet): Je cuidoie bien metre jus / Se j'ai folement amé / Solem (2 voices, fiddle)
  18. Sequentia: Estampie (2 fiddles, organetto, symphonia)
  19. Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Amour, voulés-vous acorder (voice, fiddle)
  20. Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Belle, com loiaus amans (2 fiddles, harp)
  21. Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): A vous, douce debonnaire (3 voices)
  22. Jehannot de Lescurel (balade): Comment que, pour l'eloignance (voice, organetto)
  23. Petrus de Cruce (motet): Aucun ont trouvé chant par usage / Lonc tans me sui tenu de chanter / Annuntiantes (2 voices, fiddle)
  24. [instrumental] (2 fiddles)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Diex, quant la verrai (voice, fiddle)
    [instrumental] (2 fiddles)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Bonnement m'agrée (voice, 2 fiddles)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Douce dame, je vous pri (voice, 2 fiddles)
    [instrumental] (2 fiddles, harp)
    Jehannot de Lescurel (rondeau): Guilleurs me font mout souvent (4 voices)
    [instrumental] (2 fiddles, harp, symphonia)

Performers: Barbara Thornton (voice, symphonia), Benjamin Bagby (voice, harp, organetto), Margriet Tindemans (fiddle, psalterium), Jill Feldman (voice), Guillemette Laurens (voice), Candace Smith (voice), Josep Benet (voice), Wendy Gillespie (fiddle, lute)

Playing time: 134'

Recording date: July 1982;
Released as CD: 1987 (EMI), 1991 (BMG), 2009 (Sony)

Unabridged version:
Deutsche Harmonia mundi (EMI) 1 C 157-169501-3 [LPx3]
It contains 8 more tracks.

Reviewed in:
Fanfare (Vol./#-p.): 12/2- (Nov./Dec. 1988)

This set continues to be one of the most impressive introductions to the trouvère repertory, including polyphonic works which grew out of the monophonic repertory. Untitled tracks are instrumental improvisations based upon the previous or following song.

Some related programs:

La Chambre des Dames
Chansons et polyphonies de trouvères (XIIe & XIIIe siècles)
Diabolus in Musica - Antoine Guerber
Studio SM 2604
Les Motés d'Arras / Songs of Arras
New Orleans Musica da Camera - Milton Scheuermann & Thaïs St. Julien
Centaur 2583
Machaut et l'art des Trouvères
Vièles et voix du Moyen Age
Emmanuel Bonnardot et al.
Calliope 9308
On the Banks of the Seine
Music of the Trouvères
The Dufay Collective
Chandos 9544

The two trouvères best-represented on this set are Adam de la Halle (d.c.1288) & Jehan de Lescurel (d.1304). Recordings devoted to those two major figures of the late trouvère repertory:

Adam de la Halle: Le jeu de Robin et Marion
Micrologus
Zig-Zag Territoires 040602
Fontaine de grace
Jehan de Lescurel: Ballades, virelais et rondeaux
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Virgin Veritas 45066

Other composers featured in the present recording are: Conon de Béthune (d.c. 1220), Gace Brulé (c.1159-c.1212), Blondel de Nesle (d.c.1241), and Petrus de Cruce (fl.c. 1290).

Finally, a classic introduction to this repertory in the style which the present ensemble inherited:

Troubadours - Trouvères - Minstrels
Studio der Frühen Musik - Thomas Binkley
Teldec (Das Alte Werk) 97938

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To FAQ references to this recording.

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Todd M. McComb