Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Music #303 - Guillaume de Machaut

Guillaume de Machaut 

(c. 1300 – 1377)

A French poet and composer, he wrote the Notre-Dame Mass, the earliest known complete setting of the Ordinary of the Mass attributable to a single composer.


la Messe de Nostre DameNotre-Dame Mass
It consists of 5 movements: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei, followed by the dismissal Ite, missa est
Machaut was the first to write music in 4 parts/voices.

... to listen ... 

... to sing along - starting with part/video 1 of 4


His list of compositions represents both sacred and secular vocal music of the French new style (ars nova).  Many of his secular songs dealt with courtly love.

Circa 1363, he wrote a collection of music, letters, and poetry in his autobiographical book, Le voir dit.

He was one of the first to set the typical secular poetic forms of his days: ballade, rondeau, and virelai.
                     
(ballade B19)  Amours me fait désirer / Love makes me desire


(rondeau R18)  Puis qu'en oubi / Then in oblivion


(virelai)
(V21)  Je vivroie liement / I should lead a happy life
with French subtitles plus English translation in the footnote

(virelai)
 (V4)  Douce dame jolie / Sweet lovely lady
Did you enjoy the Tudors TV series?

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