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THE MIDDLE AGES: 400–1400

LISTENING GUIDE

Kyrie (plainchant) Men’s choir Duration: 2:06 Student CD I, 24 Complete CD I, 24 This is a from a medieval Roman Catholic Mass. It is one of many settings of this text. Although most of the Mass was in Latin, the words to the Kyrie are in Greek. The text consists of three phrases: “Kyrie eleison—Christe eleison—Kyrie eleison” (“Lord, have mercy—Christ, have mercy—Lord, have mercy”). Each of these three statements is sung three times. There is great symbolism in this repetition scheme: in medieval Christianity, the number three represented the Trinity, and three times three was considered absolute perfection. Corresponding to the three statements of the text, there are three phrases of music. The whole piece begins and ends on G, so it is in the G mode (usually called Mixolydian). As in painting, how- ever, a composition may have a mixture of colors, and there are hints of the Phrygian mode in the first phrase, which ends on E. The shape of the melody is very carefully designed. The first phrase is the shortest and moves in waves. The second phrase starts high, and the motion is mostly descending. The last phrase is in the form of an arch and starts and ends on the same note (G). At the top of the arch, the music reaches the highest note in the whole piece. The last time the third statement of the text is sung, the music changes slightly, with the addition of three notes to the beginning of the phrase.

I

II

III

Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy.

Christe eleison. Christ have mercy. Christe eleison. Christ have mercy. Christe eleison. Christ have mercy.

Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy. Kyrie eleison. Lord have mercy.

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CHAPTER 4

LISTENING GUIDE

Student CD Beatriz de Dia (late twelfth century) Date of composition: c. 1175 I, 25 Song, “A chantar” Duration: 5:21 Complete CD I, 25

Most of the of the Middle Ages were men, but a few were women. Con- trary to popular belief, women in the early Middle Ages enjoyed considerable freedom and political equality. Women of all social classes were involved in music, either as patrons, composers, or per- formers. The powerful and charismatic Eleanor of Aquitaine was a great patron of the arts. Beatriz de Dia, also known as the Comtessa de Dia (Countess of Dia), lived in the late twelfth century. Her medieval biographer wrote that she was the wife of the Count of Poitiers and the lover of a well-known nobleman, who was himself a , and that she was the composer of “many good songs.” Only a small number of her poems survive, and only this one has survived with music. Like almost all the secular songs of the Middle Ages, this song is strophic: the same music is repeated for all the stanzas of the poem. The language is that of the south of France; it is known as Occitan, some- times called Provençal. The poem has five stanzas and a brief two-line ending known as a tornada. In this song, Beatriz de Dia addresses her lover, who has scorned her, and expresses her pain at his treating her so badly. It is difficult to gauge the depth of true feeling, because the topic of unre- quited love was a highly conventional one in troubadour poetry. Yet beneath the convention, the blending of words and music produces a song of great beauty. Each line of poetry has its own musical phrase. The first phrase ends with an ornamented half cadence (a cadence that leaves more to be said) on E; the second with a full cadence on D. These two musical phrases are repeated for the third and fourth lines of the poetry. The next two lines are joined and are set higher in the range; they end with the E cadence. The last line, on the other hand, uses the whole musical phrase of lines 2 and 4 with its D ending. The pattern is: Line 1 Phrase A Line 2 Phrase B Line 3 Phrase A Line 4 Phrase B Lines 5 and 6 New higher phrase, with A ending Line 7 Phrase B Each stanza uses the same arrangement. This pattern gives a rounded feeling to the melody as a whole and a sense of increased intensity before the close. We will listen to only two stanzas. In this performance, the singer is accompanied by a (a bowed instrument—you can see one in the medallion at the top of this listening guide) and a low wooden flute, which provide an introduction and a close to the song as well as some interludes between stanzas. They are joined by and drum for the tornada.

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THE MIDDLE AGES: 400–1400

CD TIME LISTEN FOR

25 (25) 0:00 Vielle prelude: The vielle establishes the musical mode and character of the song.

Stanza 1 [vielle accompaniment]

0:25 The voice establishes a lovely melodic contour, with ornamental flourishes at the end of each line. A chantar m’er de so q’ieu no voldria, I must sing, whether I want to or not. Tant me rancur de lui cui sui amia, I feel so much pain from him whose friend I am, [Repetition of melody.] Car eu l’am mais que nuilla ren que sia; For I love him more than anything. Vas lui nom val merces ni cortesia, But neither grace nor courtesy has any effect on him, [Voice goes higher.] Ni ma beltatz, ni mos pretz, ni mos sens. Nor my beauty, my decency, or my intelligence. C’atressim sui enganad’e trahia I am despised and betrayed, Cum degr’esser, s’ieu fos desavinens. As though I were worthless.

1:50 Wooden flute plays interlude based on melody.

Stanza 5 [vielle accompaniment]

3:01 Return of music from first stanza with more elaborate accompaniment and flourishes. Valer mi deu mos pretz e mos paratges My decency and my ancestry have their value, E ma beutatz e plus mos fis coratges, As do my beauty and the depth of my heart. Per q’ieu vos mand lai on es vostr’estatges So I send to your noble home Esta chansson que me sia messatges: This song: let it be my messenger! E voill saber, lo mieus bels amics gens, And I want to know, my fair friend, Per que vos m’etz tant fers ni tant salvatges, Why you are so savage and cruel to me. Non sai si s’es orguoills o mals talens. I don’t know: is it pride or ill will?

Tornada [Flute and drum join in softly]

4:18 Mas aitan plus vuoill li digas, messatges, But I want even more for you to tell him, messenger, Q’en trop d’orguoill ant gran dan maintas That pride has been the downfall of many gens. people!

5:01 Florid ending with voice and instruments

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CHAPTER 4

LISTENING GUIDE

Student CD Perotinus (c. 1170–c. 1236) Date of composition: 1199 I, 26 Viderunt Omnes (four-voice polyphony for the Solo singers and choir Complete CD Cathedral of Notre Dame) Duration: 4:42 I, 26

In this Listening Guide, the text is given with indications specifying whether it is sung in chant or in polyphony. In the polyphonic section, the contrast between sustained-tone and rhythmic accompaniment is marked. Note also the intricate intertwining of the three upper voices over the two different styles of the lower voice. The rich harmonies, the unrelenting rhythmic drive, and the sheer scope of the piece show how magnificent and awe-inspiring a piece of music from 800 years ago can be. (Here only a portion of the overall work is given; the entire piece lasts for nearly 12 minutes.)

CD TIME LISTEN FOR Polyphony

26 (26) 0:00 (soloists) Vi- [rhythmic upper voices throughout] (sustained-tone)

0:57 (soloists) de- (sustained-tone)

1:25 (soloists) -runt [dissonant opening; brief cadence for (sustained-tone) end of word]

2:29 (soloists) om- (rhythmic/sustained-tone)

3:40 (soloists) -nes [strong dissonance just before cadence] (sustained-tone) [cadence]

Monophony

27 (27) 3:46 (choir) fines terrae salutare Dei nostri. [smooth plainchant] Jubilate Deo omnis terra. [cadence] Viderunt omnes fines terrae All the ends of the earth have seen the salutare Dei nostri. salvation of our God. Praise God all Jubilate Deo omnis terra. the earth.

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CHAPTER 4

LISTENING GUIDE

Student CD (c. 1300–1377) Date of composition: Mid-fourteenth century I, 28 Secular song (rondeau) Voice, lute, and recorder Complete CD Doulz Viaire Gracieus Duration: 2:00 I, 28

This short piece is a good example of Machaut’s style. It is a setting of a poem that has a two-line refrain (printed in italics). The refrain comes at the beginning and the end, and its first line comes in the middle of the poem, too. This kind of poem is known as a rondeau. The music sounds very simple but is actually quite complex. There are only two sections of music, which alternate in setting each line of the poetry. The first section is five measures long, the second section seven. This contrasts with later music, where the number of measures in each phrase or section tends to be much more regular. A short descending passage on the lute joins the sections together. There are other aspects of this music that seem unusual to a listener of today. Although the pre- vailing meter of the piece is triple, there are several places where the music moves in duple meter. Bar lines were not used in (although we print them today for the sake of clarity), so the meter could be much more flexible. Also, many of the notes are chromatic: even the opening chord contains two sharps. And although the first section ends on G, which leads you to expect that the whole piece will end on G, the final cadence is on Bb. The voice is accompanied by two instruments: a recorder below the voice and a lute above. (A lute is a plucked instrument similar to a guitar.) Although the accompanying parts are quite inde- pendent, all three lines together create interesting harmonies, and there is a brief echo among them at the beginning of the B section. This kind of carefully constructed polyphony, as well as the overall gentle beauty of the piece, are typical of Machaut’s music and of fourteenth-century French music in general.

CD TIME LISTEN FOR

28 (28) 0:00 [Voice is accompanied by delicate lute and soft recorder] Doulz viaire gracieus, Sweet, gracious countenance,

0:12 [Voice goes higher, echoed by recorder.] De fin cuer vous ay servy. I have served you with a faithful heart.

0:30 Weillies moy estre piteus, Take pity on me,

0:42 Doulz viaire gracieus; Sweet, gracious countenance;

0:55 Se je sui un po honteus, If I am a little shy,

1:07 Ne me mettes en oubli. Do not forget me.

1:25 Doulz viaire gracieus, Sweet, gracious countenance,

1:38 De fin cuer vous ay servy. I have served you with a faithful heart.

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