Anonymous (Franco/Flemish)

Bergerotte Savoysienne

Here we have an untexted and unattributed version of a chanson also set by Josquin and Compère.  It was published by Ottaviano Petrucci in his third collection of secular songs printed in Venice in 1503.

Chevalier mult estes guaritz

In 1147 King Louis VII of France led the 2nd crusade. Ten years earlier he had married Eleanor of Aqiataine who brought troubadours from Provence to the French Court, specifically Bernart de Ventadorn. They came in handy composing recruiting songs like this one written around 1147. For the record King Louis returned from the crusade in 1149 beaten and humiliated. How could you lose with a rousing song like this.

Text: 

Chevalier, mult estes guariz,

Quant Deg a vus fait sa clamer Des

Turs e des Amoraviz, Ki li unt fait

tels deshenors. Cher a tort unt ses

fieuz saisiz. Bien en devums aveir

dolur, Cher la fud Deu primes servi

E reconvu pur seignuur.

Refrain:  Ki ore irat od Loovis Ja

mar d’enfern avrat pouur, Char

s’alme en iert en pareis Od yes

angles nostre Segnor.

Pris est Rohais, ben le savez Dunt

crestiens sunt esmaiez, Les musters

ars e desertez: Deus n’i est mais

sacrifiez. Chivalers, cher vus purpensez,

Vuski d’armes Estes précisez;A celui

vos cors présentez Ki pur vus fut

en cruiz drecez.

Refrain:  Ki ore irat . . .

Alum conquere Moises, Ki gist

el munt de Sinai; A saragins nel

laisum mais, Ne la verge dunt il

partid  La Roge mer tut ad un fais,

Quant le grant pople le séguit; E

Pharaon revint après: El el li suon

furente perit.

Refrain:  Ki ore irat . . .

Translation: 

1. Knights, your salvation is assured

since God has appealed to you to

take his side against the Turks and

Almoravids,who have done Him

such a great dishonor. They have

seized his fiefs against all right. We

must feel great pain at this for it was

there that  God was first served

and recognized as Lord.

Refrain:  He who goes with

Louis will never have fear

of Hell; His soul will go to

Paradise with our Lord’s angels.

2. Rohais has been taken, as

you know, And Christians are

sorely troubled. Churches have

been burnt and destroyed; God

is no longer sacrificed there.

Knights, renowned in arms,

think of this and offer your bodies

to Him who was crucified for you.

Refrain:: He who goes . . .

3. Let us go and conquer Moses;

Let us not leave him longer in

the hands of  the Saracens,

nor his staff with which he

separated with a single blow,

the waters of the Red Sea when

the great host was with him; and

Pharaoh came in turn as he

pursued them and perished

with all his men.

Refrain:: He who goes . . .

Condicio nature/O nacio nephandi/Mane prima

The 13th Century Motet as found in the Montpellier and Bamberg mss. has typically two polytextual polyphonic voices and an untexted generally pre-exsisting cantus firmus . . . as in the present example. This motet is from the Bamberg Codex, likely originating in Paris around 1290. The “nation of an impious race” is not specified.

Text: 

Altus: O nacio nephandi generis,

cur gracie donis abuteris? Multiplici

reato laberis, dum litteram legis

amplecteris et littere medulam

deseris. Gens perfida, cecata deperis,

si Moysen consideraveris nec faciès

videre poteris, si mistice non intellexeris

in facie cornuta falleris. Considera

misera, quare dempnaberis, quod littéram

properam interpretaveris. Convertere

propere, nam si concerteris, per

graciam veniam culpe mereberis.

Superius: Condicio nature defuit in

filio quem virgo genuit. Contagio sola

nam caruit quam vicio nemo defloruit,

et ideo partu ram doluit. Hec actio parem

non habuit, sed próprio dono premeruit,

ludibrio que non succubuit; hic racio mundi

desipuit, hec questio scrutare renuit. Solucio

filio Dei sic placuit, devocio dubio finem

proposuit. Redempcio saucio plus Ade

profuit commissio quam Eve nocuit.

Translation: 

Altus: Nature’s normal condition was

lacking in the Son whom the Virgin bore.

For she alone lacked physical contact,

whom no one by any sin deflowered,

and who, therefore, suffered no taint

from the birth. This occurrence had no

equal, but by her own special gift she

was worthy, and she fell not to

wantonness. Such logic was foolishness

in the world, and such a question would

not bear examination.This (abnormal)

explanation was pleasing to the Son of

God, and devotion put an end to doubt.

Redemption aided Adam’s wound to a

greater extent than had the first sin harmed Eve.

Dit le Bourginyon

In 1942 Helen Hewitt brought out her edition of Ottaviano Petrucci’s ‘Odhecaton'(1501), the first major printed collection of polyphonic music. It contains 96 pieces–a great source for musicians working with music around 1500. Most of the works are by Franco-Flemish composers. That a Venetian printer should choose this repertoire for his momentous first publication is a testament to the dominance of Franco-Flemish music in Europe. “Dit le Bourginyon” is printed without text or attribution.

D’ou vient cela

Pierre Attaignant’s first publication in 1529 consisted of pieces for lute and lute songs without attribution.  Perhaps he deemed it unnecessary to name the composer because the songs were so well-known.  “D’ou vient cela” included as a lute song here and in a later Attaignant publication as a version for four voices by Claudin de Sermisy leaves one in doubt as to whether Sermisy arranged the anonymous lute song for 4 voices or vice-versa.  The tune was indeed popular and appeared in several guises, best known today is a basse danse by Tilman Susato.

Text:

D’ou vient cela, belle je vous supply

Que plus a moy ne vous recommandes?

Toujours seray de tristesse remply

Jusques a ce qu’au vray le me mandes.

Je croy que plus d’amy ne demandes

Ou maulvais bruyit de moy on vous revelle

Ou vostre cueur a faict amour novelle,

Ou vostre cueur a faict amour novelle.

Translation:

I ask you, my lady, why is it

You no longer send me messages?

I shall always be full of sadness

Until you tell me the truth about this.

I think you no longer want a lover

Or someone has spoken ill of me,

Or your heart has found a new love,

Or your heart has found a new love.

D’ung aultre amer

This is one of the 18 instrumental variants of Ockeghem’s rondeau that Richard Taruskin edited in his ‘Ogne Sorte Editions’ RS6, wherein he notes that it is one of five versions copied into Manuscript Q17 in the Bologna Musical Bibliographic Library.  The Ms was compiled c. 1480.  This variant is contiguous in the ms. with two others by Philippe Basiron, and so may also be by him since the same remarkable canonic feature is displayed in counterpoint to Ockeghem’s melody.

Gloria/Clemens Deus artifex

This motet is contained in a ms. at Ivrea, Italy, which is one of the two main mss. that preserve music performed at the Papal Court when it was in residence at Avignon for most of the 14th century..  “Clemens” probably refers to Clement VI who was Pope 1342-1352.  The tenor sings the words of the “Gloria” from the Mass.  The “playful?” rhythmic/contrapuntal 14th century device known as hocket is heard at the beginning of most sections.

Text:

Clemens deus artifex tota clementia

actuque specie mirabilis essentia carnes

carie spurcitia dux venie patriarcharum

missus pro iustitia pastor ecclesie

conservator fidei sanctie triumphator

pro victoria extirpandi hostis tormenta

varia crucem mysterii previa. O que s

piritus incendia! O redmptor, o rex pie,

splendor eterne glorie fac fidelium

virtuel resistere contra vita ut mederi

nullus valeat iam infectum fecais sanie

et dimittat ius profanum venenosum et i

nsanum errorem ad fidelia perennis

dona gratie constanter indefectivia Amen

Translation:

The merciful creator God, all clemency,

in deed and in appearance, marvelous

in essence, lacking decay and filth,

commander of mercy sent for the justice

of the patriarchs, shepherd of the church,

preserver of the holy faith, triumpher for

the victory of wiping out the various devices

of the enemy of the cross of mystery going

before. O what fires of the spirit! O redeemer,

O merciful king, splendor of eternal glory,

cause the virtue of the faithful to hold out

against vices so that none may heal one

already infected by the filth of dregs, and let

him discard profane law, a poisonous and

insane error, for the faithful gifts of eternal

grace, constantly never failing. Amen

J’ay pris amours

This Burgundian rondeau was, according to Richard Taruskin, “one of the four all-time hits of the 15th century”.  This fact is manifest in his ‘Ogne Sorte Editions RS 5’, which contains 28 different settings of the chanson.  This particular setting is close to, if not actually, the original form.  Despite its popularity none of the many sources has given us a hint of who the composer is; only that it was written at the Burgundian Court around 1470.  The complex rondeau quatrain form is followed by use of solo and ensemble alternation.

Text:

J’ay pris amours å ma devise

Pour conquerir joieuseté

Eurereux seray en cest esté

Se puis venir a mon emprise.

S’il est aucun qui m’en desprise

Il me doit estre pardonné

J’ay pris amours . . .

Il me semble que c’est la guise

Qui n’a rien, il est debouté.

Et n’est de personne honouré

N’est ce point droit que je y vise?

J’ay pris amours . . .

Translation:

I have chosen love willingly

To win joy.

I shall be happy this Summer

If I achieve my goal.

Jennette, Marion se vont

A “dirty” chanson  a3 published in Venice by Amtoine Gardane in 1541.

Text: 

Jennette, Marion se vont jouer aux champs. 

Elle ont plumé leur con poil a poil, en chantant.

Elle alloyent cerchant Entre deux gabions,

Pour y metre ung merchant qui feust

bon compagnon, Et bon belaribon, bon, bon.

Translation:

Keyboard hymn I

Keyboard hymn II

Two anonymous pieces for keyboard printed by Pierre Attaignant at his shop in “la rue de la Harpe, Paris, in 1532.  Shows off the dulcet tones of William Pole’s Flentrop regal.

La quinte estampie real

The  Manuscrit du Roi is found in the Bibliothèque National, Paris.  It dates from the late 13th century and contains a number of different dances from the period that have received numerous and varied interpretations from today’s ensembles . . . here’s yet another.

Mijn Morken gaf mij

Petrucci published his second collection of Franco-Flemish chansons, Canti. B, in Venice in 1502.  “Mijn Morken” is one of the few songs in Flemish to be found unattributed in the publication.

Text:

Mijn morken gaf mij een jonck wijff,

Die niet verschoenten mochte zijn.

Zij sanck zo wel naer mijn motijff,

Adieu naturlic leven mijn.

T’Andernaken op den Rijn

In mijnen zyn hdic vercooren.

Het soude een meisken gaen om wijn.

Haer lief had zij verloren.

Mon pere m’a mariée

Text:

Translation:

Orsus vous dormez trop

Text:

Orsus, vous dormes trop, Madame Joliete,

Il est jour, levés sus, Ecoutez l’alouete:

Que dit Dieu, que dit Dieu, que te dit Dieu . . .

Il est jour, il est jour, jour est, si est . . .

Dame sur toutes en biauté souveraine,

Par vous, jolis et gay, Ou gentil mois de May,

Suy et seray. Et vuel mectre paine.

Or tost nacquaires, cornemuses sonez:

Lire, lire, lire, liliron lire,

Tytinton, Tytinton, Tytinton,

Compagnon, or dansons, or lalons liament.

Tytinton, Tytinton, Tytinton,

Chest pour vous Dame,

a qui Dieu croisse honour.

Si vous suplie, amours, jouer venés,

Lire, lire, lire, liliron lire,

Tytinton, Tytinton, Tytinton,

Or sonon et baton et ternon gaiement.

Tytinton, Tytinton, Tytinton,

Chest pour vous Dame,

a qui Dieu croisse honour.

Car je vif en expoir, D’avolir, Joliete,

Per fair chianter merle mauvis

Avec la cardonete: chireley, chireley,

faint chiant, fay chil chiant, fay chil chiant,

Robin dort, Robin dort, endormi est.

Consors, dansans seuremont; quoquin a su,

or su de Paris, cadulet dulcet.

De vous, que j’am sur creature en fait,

Chest virelay, dame, le recevés,

Car en cuer vray, vous serviray

D’amour certayne.

Refrain: Orsus vous dormes . . .

Translation:

Pavan

Galliard

Qui contra fortune

Rompeltier

Also from the “Odhecaton’

Il est de bonne heure né

Howard Brown in his ‘Theatrical Chansons’, printed by Harvard University Press, juxtaposes two different versions of this late 15th century chanson . . . seems like an invitation to combine the two in a little complementary ABA suite. The ‘A’ version is found anonymous in ms. Dijon 517, the ‘B’ version is attributed to Johannes Japart in Petrucci’s third secular publication ‘Canti C’. Japart’s arrangement has the soprano and tenor sing in canon part way into his version, then for good measure he throws in snippets of the “L’homme armé” theme in the bass part along the way.

Text:

A. Il est de bonne heure né,

Qui tient sa dame en pré,

Sur l’herbe jolie,

Ma très doulce amie

Dieu vous doint bon jour

Quavez en pensée

Dictes qu’avez vous,

Par moi foys mon bel amy

Le conseil en est tous pris

Je ne vous aime mie,

Il est de bonne heure né

Qui tient sa dame en ung pré,

Sur l’herbe jolie.

B. Il est de bonne heure né,

Qui tient sa dame en pré,

Sur l’herbe jolie,

Ma très doulce amie,

Je vous aime tant

Je vous ay servy

Bien et loiamment.

Vous dictes vray mon amy

Vous en serez plus joly

Et moy plus jolie.

A. Il est de bonne . . .

Quant ce vint a l’eure

Que a cheval fut monte

Son ait en son poinct,

Son espee au coste,

En soupirant lui a dy

Revenaz mon bel amy

Je seray vostre amye.

Il est de bonne  . . .

Translation:

He’s a lucky fellow,

Who takes his lady in the fields

On the nice grass.

My very sweet lady

God give you good day.

What are you thinking?

Tell me what is it with you?

By my faith my handsome friend

I have made up my mind,

I don’t love you at all.

He’s a lucky fellow,

Who takes his lady in the fields

On the nice grass.

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