Tag Archives: madrigals

Guillaume Du Fay’s L’Homme armé

02 Friday Apr 2021

Posted by in Music, polyphony, The Church

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L’homme armé in the Mellon Chansonnier, c. 1470

In the 15th century, musical compositions, both liturgical and secular, often blended several independent voices. Such compositions are labelled polyphonic. Polyphony is a musical texture blending independent voices as do Barbershop quartets.

Secular madrigals, songs in the mother (madre, Spanish) tongue, had been monophonic (one voice), but they were a form used in the development of polyphonic music. So was the Motet, liturgical music. Polyphony could at times blend more than the soprano, alto, tenor and bass (SATB), the four voices we are most familiar with. But more importantly, a Mass by Guillaume Du Fay combined the sacred and the secular. The Ordinary of the Mass was set to L’Homme armé (the armed man) a secular theme. A Mass’ permanent components constitute the Ordinary of the Mass.

Guillaume Du Fay (5 August 1397 – 27 November 1474), the most prominent composer of the 15th century, was associated with the Burgundian School. The Burgundian School was a close predecessor to the Franco-Flemish School. In the 15th century and during most of the 16th century, the Netherlands were the cultural hub of Europe. For instance, Adrian Williaert (c. 1490 – 7 December 1562), of the Franco-Flemish school, would be a teacher in Venice. He founded the Venetian School.

L’Homme armé (Wikipedia) was a very popular tune. “Over 40 settings of the Ordinary of the Mass using the tune L’Homme armé survive from the period between 1450 and the end of the 17th century.” (See L’Homme armé, Wikipedia.)

Du Fay set the Missa L’Homme armé to a cantus firmus “a pre-existing melody forming the basis of a polyphonic composition” (Wikipedia). However, the pre-existing melody was L’Homme armé, the armed man.

Composers still write sacred music. Examples are Benjamin Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976) and John Rutter (b. 1945). Earlier, Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) wrote his Grande Messe des morts or Requiem.

In fact, L’Homme armé is still used. Pieces on L’Homme armé are listed in its Wikipedia entry. British composer Peter Maxwell Davies composed “a parody mass Missa super L’Homme armé (1968, revised 1971).” Canadian pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin (b. 1961) wrote Toccata on “L’Homme Armé” “on commission by the Van Cliburn Foundation for the Fifteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Every competitor was required to perform it in the preliminary stage of the competition.” (See L’Homme armé, Wikipedia.)

I should also mention rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, with music by Andrew Lloyd-Webber (b. 1948) and lyrics by Tim Rice (b. 1944). The rock opera does not use L’Homme armé, but it is a theater musical based on a Christian theme.

One never forgets L’Homme armé.

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—ooo—

Love to everyone 💕

L’Homme armé de Guillaume Du Fay
Marc-André Hamelin performs his Toccata on “L’Homme armé”
Du Fay (left), with Gilles Binchois in a c. 1440 Illuminated manuscript copy of Martin le Franc’s Le champion des dames[n 1] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

© Micheline Walker
1st April 2021
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The Marian Antiphonies

05 Sunday Apr 2015

Posted by in Feasts, Marian Hymnology, Music

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Mater Dolorosa by Carlo Dolci (25 May 1616 – 17 January 1686) (Photo credit: Wikipedia) 

The Marian Antiphons

The Marian year has its seasons and each season has its antiphon. There are four antiphons, one for each Marian season. Antiphons, sometimes called antiphonies, are a call and response hymn. (See Posts on Marian Hymnology.)

Marian antiphonies are:

Last week, on Good Friday, the seasonal Marian antiphon became the Regina Cæli. It had been the Ave Regina Cælorum, which ends on Good Friday. Good Friday, or ‘holy’ Friday, is the day that commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus of Nazareth, also known as Christ, in whose name Christianity was founded.

As you may know, the growth of polyphony, music combining several voices, is linked to Sacred Music mainly. During the Middle Ages, the Church was the main patron of composers. Most composers therefore became Kappelmeisters. It was their profession.

However, composers such as Italian Luca Marenzio (18 October 1553 or 1554 – 22, August 1599) wrote madrigals, secular music. Marenzio worked for Italian aristocratic families: the Gonzaga, the Este, and the Medici. Madrigals became the leading genre during the Renaissance and could be called the secular birthplace of polyphony. The largely courtly madrigal was rooted in the medieval song or chanson. Trouvères (northern France), troubadours[1] (southern France), and Minnesingers (German-speaking lands) wrote and sang chansons.

Piazza San Marco (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Piazza San Marco, Venice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Renaissance

The Renaissance began with the collapse of the Byzantine Empire (Greek), or Eastern Roman Empire. Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks on 29 May 1453 and its Greek scholars fled to Italy. The Ottoman Empire’s Sultanate collapsed on 1 November 1922 and its Caliphate was abolished on 3 March 1924. (See The Last Crusades: the Ottoman Empire.) Constantinople became Istanbul in 1929 and is the largest city in Turkey. The arrival in Italy of Greek scholars escaping the Ottoman Turks would change western Europe profoundly. It ushered in a renaissance (rebirth).

San Marco, or St. Mark’s Basilica, reflects the influence of the Byzantine Empire, the empire that preceded the Ottoman Empire. (See Constantine the Great, Wikipedia.)[2] However, the Venetian School of music was founded by Adrian Willaert of the Franco-Flemish school. (See Venetian polychoral style, Wikipedia)

In 1527, Netherlandish composer Adrian Willaert (c. 1490 – 7 December 1562)travelled to Venice, where he had been appointed maestro di cappella at San Marco and taught music. At St. Mark’s Basilica, he had the best of facilities and remained its maestro di cappella until his death in 1552.

Music for Easter

Two years ago, I posted an article entitled Music for Easter (31 March 2013). That post featured the Regina Cæli, the Easter season’s antiphon. If you wish to listen to Michel Richard de Lalande‘s Regina Cæli, please click on Music for Easter. Music for Easter is a short post also featuring, as does this post, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi‘s (4 January 1710 – 16 March 1736) “Quando corpus morietur.” Pergolesi died at the age of 26, but had already composed several mature works. I love Pergolesi. His “Quando corpus morietur” is inspired music.

Giovanni Legrenzi

Giovanni Legrenzi[3] (baptized 12 August 1626 – 27 May 1690) was a 17th-century Italian composer. By the 17th century, western Europe had entered its Baroque period (1600 – 1750) and composers had started to write operas. However, Legrenzi was first employed as organist at Santa Maria Maggiore, in Bergamo, Italy. In the mid 1650’s, he was maestro di cappella at the Academy of the Holy Spirit in Ferrara. Later, he settled in Venice where he lived comfortably and was named maestro di cappella at San Marco, Venice’s splendid Basilica. In other words, the Church had remained an important employer of musicians.

Both Giovanni Legrenzi and Michel Richard de Lalande were active at the height of the Ottoman Empire, the period when turquerie was fashionable, but it should be noted that polyphonic music is entirely a product of the Graeco-Roman civilization.

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Sources and Resources

Ave, Regína cælórum
Ave, Dómina Angelórum,
Sálve rádix, sálve, pórta,
Ex qua múndo lux est órta.
Gáude, Vírgo gloriósa,
Super ómnes speciósa ;
Vále, o valde decóra
Et pro nóbis Christum exóra.

Hail, Queen of the Heavens!
Hail, ruler of the angels!
Hail, root of Jesse! Hail, portal from whom light has shone to the world!
Hail, Virgin most glorious,
Beautiful above all!
Farewell, O most comely,
And pray to Christ for us.
(Courtesy of Notre-Dame de Paris)

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Madonna by Raphael (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This post was published mistakenly a few minutes after I started writing it. The “publish” button is next to the “save draft” button. This morning, I realized that my image of San Marco was missing. I decided to insert it, but pressed on the “draft”  button instead of the “pending review” button. The post is now dated 5 April 2015.

Wishing all to you a Happy Easter.♥

____________________
[1] Troubadours sang in langue d’oc and trouvères in langue d’oïl.

[2] Constantine I was the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity. He founded the Christian Church, as an institution, at the First Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and the Council of Nicaea and Constantinople, in 381 CE. The Nicene Creed dates back to these two councils.

[3] “Giovanni Legrenzi”. Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 04 avr.. 2015
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/335137/Giovanni-Legrenzi>.

Ave Regina Cælorum
Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) and Marie-Nicole Lemieux (contralto)

Pergolesi’s Quando corpus morietur 

tumblr_mgsy17srBd1qipl8zo1_500© Micheline Walker
4 April 2015
(revised on 5 April 2015)
WordPress

Mater Dolorosa (detail, ca. 1485) attributed to Simon Marmion (Photo credit: rebloggy.com)

Salamone Rossi: a Composer of Madrigals

03 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in Music

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Salamone Rossi was a Jewish composer of madrigals and other secular music, but, in 1622-1623, he also published a collection of Jewish liturgical music entitled, השירים אשר לשלמה (Ha-shirim asher li-Shlomo, The Songs of Solomon.  The Songs of Solomon contain thirty-three settings of polyphonic Hebrew psalms, hymns and synagoge songs by Salamon, Schlomo; de’ Rossi (c. 1570 – 1630) or Salamone Rossi.

The Songs of Solomon mixes elements of northern Italian music with elements of Italian Jewish chant.  Rossi was never offered a permanent court position, but he is one of the rare composers who wrote Jewish liturgical compositions bearing similarities with the music of his time.

Secular works

Rossi was also the composer of 150 secular works.  In fact, he was the first composer to publish continuo madrigals.  In this respect, he was influenced by Monteverdi and other composers of northern Italy who wrote polyphonic music.

Rossi set to music texts by Guarini, Marino, Rinaldi, and Celiano, as had been Cardinal Pietro Bembo’s wish.  Rossi also published:

  • a book of 19 canzonette;
  • 5 books of madrigals;
  • books of canzonette; as well as
  • instrumental music.

Monody

Rossi was the first to compose instrumental music where one melody dominates over other melodies, a form called monody.

  • Il primo libro delle sinfonie e gagliarde a 3-5 voci (1607)
  • Il secondo libro delle sinfonie e gagliarde a 3-5 voci (1608)
  • Il terzo libro de varie sonate, sinfonie. (1613)
  • Il quarto libro de varie sonate, sinfonie. (1622)

—ooo—

Salamone Rossi worked as a violinist at the Mantuan court and probably died when Austrian troops defeated the Gonzagas and also destroyed the Jewish Ghetto in Mantua.  If not, he died during the plague that ensued.  It seems that his sister, Madame Europa, a professional singer, died in similar circumstances.  Both disappeared. 

Salomone Rossi (1570 -1630)
Sinfonia a 3

Madrigaletti by Salamone Rossi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

© Micheline Walker
3 December 2011
revised 10 December 2011
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Carlo Gesualdo: the tormented self

25 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in Music

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Gesualdo di Venosa or Gesualdo da Venosa (March 8, 1566 – September 8, 1613) was a fine musician: a virtuoso lutenist and a composer.  However, he is an example of what I would call the tormented self.

The Murders

On October 16, 1590, Carlo murdered or had servants murder his wife, Donna Maria d’Avalos, the daughter of the Marquis of Pescara, and her lover, Fabrizio Carafa, the Duke of Andria.  He also murdered or had servants murder his second son because he suspected the little boy was the son of the Duke of Andria.  Moreover, to avoid revenge, he murdered or had servants murder his father-in-law, the Marquis of Pescara.

Gesualdo had married Donna Maria d’Avalos in 1586 and, although others knew about the affair, he did not.  When he was apprised of the relationship, he made believe he was going on a hunting trip, had keys made, and caught his unfaithful wife and her lover in the act.  The murders took place at the Palazzo San Severo in Naples.

As an aristocrat, Gesualdo was immune from prosecution, but, for his own protection, he nevertheless settled in Ferrara for a few years to escape vengeful relatives.  Moreover, in 1594, Carlo married Leonora d’Este, the niece of Duke Alfonso II.

The Human Condition

We have discussed “l’humaine condition,” or the duality of human beings.  Remember that Pascal thought humans were both grands and misérables.  We are mortals, which belittles us, but we know that we are mortals, which gives us nobility.  Each one of us is a “roseau pensant” (a thinking reed).  Michel de Montaigne (February 28, 1533 – September 13, 1592) described humanity in similar fashion.  So did Descartes (31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650).

However, although these writers spoke of humankind’s duality, that duality was not the juxtaposition in one individual of a good human being and a bad, or beastly, human being.

The Werewolf: lycanthropy

No, the concept of duality does not point to the kind of division that is the fate of fictional werewolves or the loup garou, humans by day, wolves by night.  However, Robert Louis Stevenson‘s (13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, first published in 1886, is a mostly human (as opposed to Beast Literature’s lycanthropy) version of a loup garou story.  Moreover, there is a mental disorder called clinical lycanthropy and all of us have heard of split personalities.

But what of Gesualdo…

As for Carlo Gesualdo, I do not see in him a split personality but I do see insane jealousy and uncontrolled anger: rage.  In other words, we may be looking at a non-fictional “tragic flaw” that has fascinated generations.  It does not seem possible that Gesualdo, an artist, would kill or order servants to kill on his behalf.

  • First, Gesualdo was Principe da Venosa, a prince, as well as a count, the Count of Conza.  Unspeakable crimes have been committed by aristocrats, but we tend to believe that, as aristocrats, these persons are or should be morally equal to their rank.  There was, however, a Marquis de Sade (2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814).  He was an aristocrat, but he was not immune to prosecution.
  • Second, the Principe de Venosa and count of Conza was a musician.  He was a virtuoso lutenist and an excellent composer.  It is difficult to reconcile musicianship and cruelty.

In fact, Gesualdo’s second marriage was not a happy marriage.  It appears he was an abusive husband, but despite her family’s entreaties, Eleanore would not divorce of husband.  She tried to help him, but some believe that she ended up murdering the murderer.  It all seems a mystery.

But the deeper mystery lies in Gesualdo’s ability to continue playing and composing music after the murders.  How could he write and play music after committing horrible crimes?  Music requires sensitivity, not to mention serenity.  So we will never know what happened to Gesualdo.  Again, it all seems a mystery.

Could it be, for instance, that his music reflects a tormented and guilt-ridden soul?  We will listen to some of his compositions.  His music is very ornamented and chromatic (he used semitones, the smallest space or interval between two notes).  As well, he composed complicated polyphonic works, using up to seven voices.

Gesualdo wrote six books of madrigals, some of which were settings of the poetry of Torquato Tasso (11 March 1544 – 25 April 1595), another tormented self.  He also wrote galliards (the gagliarda), a court dance, and sacred music:

  • Sacrarum cantionum liber primus (5 voix). Naples 1603;
  • Sacrarum cantionum liber primus (6, 7 voix). Naples 1603);
  • Responsoria et alia ad Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae spectantia (6 voix). Gesualdo 1611.

The Coat of Arms of Venosa

Coat of Arms of Venosa

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November 25, 2011