Escholiers de Paris (13th c.)

Les Escholiers de Paris
Motets, Chansons et Estampies du XIIIe siècle
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Harmonic 9245
Cantus 9616

Contents:

  1. Motet: Cele m'a tolu la vie / Lonc tens a que ne vi m'amie / Et sperabit (2 voices, vielle)
    Motet: Ave deitatis templum mirabile / Cele m'a tolu la vie / Lonc tens a que ne vi m'amie / Et sperabit (3 voices, vielle)
  2. Thibaut de Champagne (Chanson): De ma dame souvenir fait amors lie mon coraige (voice, vielle)
  3. Motet: Cil qui aime et n'est a soi / Quant chantent oisiaus tant seri / Portare (3 voices)
  4. Motet: Puisque bele dame m'eime / Flos filius eius (voice, vielle)
    Motet: Par un matinet l'autrier / He, sire! qui vos vantez / He, bergier! si grant envie / Eius (3 voices, vielle)
  5. Estampie (bagpipes, shawm, rebec, percussion)
  6. Chanson: Dou tres douz non a la virge Marie (voice)
  7. Motet: Mater Dei plena gratia / Mater virgo pia / Eius (3 voices)
  8. Rondeau: N'en puis ma grant joie celer (3 voices, vielle, cittern, percussion)
  9. Motet: Ave virgo regia / Ave gloriosa / Domino (3 voices)
  10. Motet: Viderunt / Viderunt omnes (4 voices)
    Motet: Trois serors sor rive mer (4 voices)
  11. Motet: In seculum viellatoris (2 vielles, cittern)
    Motet: J'ai les maus d'amours / Que ferai biau sire diex / In seculum (2 voices, vielle)
    Motet: In seculum, d'Amiens (3 recorders)
  12. Gillebert de Berneville (Chanson): Haute chose a en amour (2 voices)
  13. Motet: Que ferai biaus sire deus / Ne puet faillir a honour / Descendentibus (2 voices, vielle)
  14. Chanson: Joliz cuers et sovenance (bagpipes, shawm, percussion)
  15. Gace Brulé (Chanson): Douce dame, grez et graces vos rent (3 voices)
  16. La Tierche Estampie Royale (bagpipes, shawm, percussion)
  17. Motet: Li savours de mon desir / Li grant desirs / Non veul mari (recorder, 2 vielles, harp, cittern)
    Motet: Endurez, endurez les dous maus d'amer / Alleluia (4 voices)
  18. Gace Brulé (Chanson): Biaus m'este quant retentit la bruille (voice, transverse flute, vielle)
  19. Motet: Onques n'amai tant com je fui amee / Sancte germane (voice, vielle)
  20. Rondeau: Helas! tant vi de male eure (3 voices)

Performers: Anne-Marie Lablaude (voice, percussion), Susanne Norin (voice), Emmanuel Bonnardot (voice, rebec, vielle), Pierre Hamon (recorders, flute, bagpipes, percussion), Brigitte Lesne (voice, harp, percussion), Dominique Vellard (voice, cittern), Willem de Waal (voice, recorder), Randall Cook (vielle, shawm, recorder)

Playing time: 62'

Recording date: October 1992 (Côte d'Or, France); released 1992 (Harmonic), 2002 (Cantus)

Excerpts:
[4], [5] [11a,c] Cantus C 9705/6 Dictionary of Medieval & Renaissance Instruments

This recording presents a nice selection of most of the genres current in France during the height of the 13th century, especially the developing motet. This was quite a dynamic time in the history of music, with the flourishing of the monophonic secular repertory as well as the development of both Latin & French motets (generically compositions with multiple texts) which were to become so influential in their later forms. Instrumental dances are also first preserved from this period. The liner notes of the present release are especially informative in this regard.

Major recordings which explore different facets of these developments, especially motets:

Motetus
Music at the Time of Notre-Dame in Paris
Visse / Mentzel / Brownless / Mason / Clemencic Consort - René Clemencic
Stradivarius Dulcimer 33398
Trouvères
Courtly Love Songs from Northern France, c.1175-1300
Sequentia
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77155 (2 CDs)
Musica Cathedralis
Chartres, XIIIe siècle
La Maurache / Ensemble Fulbert / La Maîtrise du Conservatoire de Chartres
Arion 268428 (2 CDs)
Nox-Lux
France & Angleterre, 1200-1300
La Reverdie
Arcana 307
Miroir d'Éternité
Motets et conduits du XIVe siècle
Ensemble Venance Fortunat - Anne-Marie Deschamps
Cyprès 3609
Three Sisters on the Seashore
Songs from the thirteenth century
Sinfonye - Stevie Wishart
Glossa 920704
Codex Bamberg
Camerata Nova / Ensemble Chominciamento di Gioia - Luigi Taglioni
Stradivarius 33476

A recording by the present ensemble which illustrates more of the monophonic songs which form an equal part of the repertory of this era:

Fontaine de grace
Jehan de Lescurel: Ballades, virelais et rondeaux
Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard
Virgin Veritas 45066

Finally, a popularly-oriented recording devoted entirely to the instrumental dance music of this era:

Dance in the Garden of Mirth
Dufay Collective
Chandos 9320

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Todd M. McComb