Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1986 A Collection of Solo French Chansons From the Early Fifteenth Century for Use in the College Level Voice Studio. Helen Marshall Gibbons Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Gibbons, Helen Marshall, "A Collection of Solo French Chansons From the Early Fifteenth Century for Use in the College Level Voice Studio." (1986). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4298. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/4298 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Other _________________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International A COLLECTION OF SOLO FRENCH CHANSONS FROM THE EARLY FIFTEENTH CENTURY FOR USE IN THE COLLEGE LEVEL VOICE STUDIO A Monograph Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in School of Music by Helen Marshall Gibbons B.A., Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, 1972 M.M., Colorado State University, 1978 December 1986 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank all of the members on my graduate committee for their assistance throughout this project. A special word of appreciation goes to Dr. Jan Herlinger for generously sharing his time and talents in guiding me through the research and writing of this document. Also, to Dr. Sandra Kungle, my major professor, a special thank you for nearly six years of encouragement and support. Finally, I want to thank Dr. Susan F. Spillman of Dillard University, New Orleans, for her translations of the early fifteenth-century poetry. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................... ii ABSTRACT .......................................... v Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 1 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................. 4 III. TECHNICAL TRAINING--VOCAL AND MUSICAL .......... 10 R a n g e .......................................... 10 M e l o d y .......................................... 13 Phrasing . ................................... 15 Rhy th m .......................................... 16 IV. FIFTEENTH-CENTURY DICTION ........................ 20 Consonants...................................... 21 V o w e l s .......................................... 23 N a s a l s .......................................... 24 V. PERFORMANCE PRACTICE ............................... 26 VI. A COLLECTION OF EARLY FIFTEENTH-CENTURY CHANSONS ....................... 36 Gilles Binchois (ca. 1400-1460) 38 Dueil angoisseus, rage demeseure'e . 39 Je loe amours et ma dame mercye .... 42 Adieu, adieu mon joieulx souvenir . 47 Ay, douloureux disant helas ............ 51 De plus en plus se r e n o u v e l l e ......... 55 Vostre tres doulx regart plaisant . 59 Guillaume Dufay (ca. 1398-1474) 63 Resvellies vous et faites chiere lye . 65 Ce jour le doibt, aussi fait la saison . 73 Adieu ces bon vins de L a n n o y s ......... 82 Navre sui d'un dart penetratif......... 87 iii John Dunstable (ca. 1 3 9 0 - 1 4 5 3 ) .............. 91 Puisque m'amour ............................ 92 Anonymous Chansons from the Chansonnier El Escorial ....................... 96 Cuidon que je poille castaingnes .... 97 Se mon cuer a hault entrepris............. 101 Richard Loqueville (d. 1418) 105 Quant compaignons s'en vont juer .... 106 Gilet Velut (fl. 15th c e n t u r y ) ................109 Laissies ester vostres chans de liesse . 110 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................... 115 ABSTRACT The first great flowering of polyphonic song occurred from the middle of the fourteenth century through the fifteenth century. A few of these songs are now occasionally included in public concerts. Because of the increasing interest in performance of early music of all types at colleges, universities, and by professional groups, it is important for students and teachers of singing to be exposed to this body of literature. The study of solo songs offers a convenient beginning. This study presents a small collection of French chansons from the early to the middle fifteenth century, each for solo voice with two accompanying contrapuntal lines. The composers represented are Gilles Binchois (ca. 1400-1460), Guillaume Dufay (ca. 1398- 1474), John Dunstable (ca. 1390-1453), Richard Loqueville (d. 1418), and Gilet Velut (fl. 15th century). Two anonymous chansons from the Chansonnier El Escorial have also been included. Fifteen pieces have been evaluated for their pedagogical potential for today’s students of singing. Particular topics which have been addressed are range, v melodic content and construction, length and shape of phrases, and rhythmic complexities. It has been found that the tessituras tend to emphasize the middle register, and that the phrases often are long with some coloratura, therefore encouraging the development of breath control and flexibility. Also, the melodies tend to move stepwise with few leaps, and the rhythms constantly alternate between groups of two and three beats. The literature, therefore, offers many possibilities for development of the basic musical skills, sightsinging and counting. The study includes a discussion of the differences between modern and fifteenth-century pronun­ ciation of the French, and information regarding fifteenth- century performance practices, including the fitting of texts to music, the adding or deleting of accidentals, and the selecting of instrumental accompaniment. Each of the chansons in the collection is prefaced by a short biographical sketch of the composer, an indication of the form (e.g., rondeau or ballade), a suggestion as to the appropriate voice and instrumental accompaniment, a word-by-word translation presented in the appropriate fixed form (e.g., rondeau or ballade), and an International Phonetic Alphabet transcription of the early fifteenth-century French. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The first great flowering of polyphonic song occurred from the middle of the fourteenth century through the fifteenth century. Large numbers of sacred and secular pieces were written in a treble­ dominated style--that is, a solo voice accompanied by i one or more lines generally presumed to be instrumental. A few of these songs are now occasionally included in public concerts. Because of the increasing interest in performance of early music of all types at colleges, universities, and by professional groups, it is important for students of singing to be exposed to