Ernoul le Vielle de Gastinois
Encyclopedia
Ernoul le Vielle (Vieux) de Gastinois was a trouvère
of the late thirteenth century. His name may indicate that he was from the Gâtinais
, but vielle could mean either "the old" or "the vielle
-player".
Two lai
s have been attributed to Ernoul. Both are found only in the Noailles Chansonnier (BnF
fr.12615). The Lai de notre-dame (incipit
: En entente curieuse) is ascribed to him in the manuscript, but the Lai de l'ancien et du nouveau testament (incipit: S'onques hom en lui s'asist) is presented anonymously and was only assigned to Ernoul by Alfred Jeanroy
. David Fallows describes his two lais as "among the most unusual in the entire monophonic
repertory, astonishingly long with complex repetition schemes and elaborate motivic structure."
Five pastourelle
s have also been attributed to Ernoul, and all are preserved only in the Chansonnier du Roi (BnF fr.844). The attribution of only one, En avril, au tens novel, is highly disputed. Though anonymous in the manuscript, modern scholars have disagreed whether it belongs to Ernoul's corpus, with one assigning it instead to Thibaut de Blaison
. It has two lines that are identical to two found in Pensis, chief enclin, which is attributed in the manuscript to Ernoul but is incomplete. Musically it is unusual among Enroul's pieces for its less restricted style. Pensis, chief enclin later formed the basis of a motet
with Flos filius eius. The only other pastourelle ascribed to Ernoul in the manuscript, Por conforter mon corage, was also used in a later motet, and its melody was used in another with Crescens incredulitas. Two further pastourelles, both incomplete and anonymous, have been assigned to Ernoul because they appear beside his other works and are similar in language and musical style: Quant voi le tans avrilier and Tres pensant d'une amourete. The language of all these is francien, the dialect of the Île-de-France
, with a trace of the Picard dialect
.
Trouvère
Trouvère , sometimes spelled trouveur , is the Northern French form of the word trobador . It refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadours but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France...
of the late thirteenth century. His name may indicate that he was from the Gâtinais
Gâtinais
Gâtinais was a province of France, containing the area around the valley of the Loing, corresponding roughly to the northeastern part of the départment of Loiret, and the south of the present departments Seine-et-Marne. Under the Bourbons, the Gâtinais had already been divided between the...
, but vielle could mean either "the old" or "the vielle
Vielle
The vielle is a European bowed stringed instrument used in the Medieval period, similar to a modern violin but with a somewhat longer and deeper body, five gut strings, and a leaf-shaped pegbox with frontal tuning pegs. The instrument was also known as a fidel or a viuola, although the French...
-player".
Two lai
Lai
A lai is a lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.Lais were mainly composed in France and Germany, during the 13th and 14th centuries. A Provençal term for a similar kind of poem is descort.The English term lay is a...
s have been attributed to Ernoul. Both are found only in the Noailles Chansonnier (BnF
BNF
BNF may stand for:In science:*Biological nitrogen fixation, a process that converts nitrogen in the atmosphere to ammonia*British National Formulary, the standard drug reference manual**British National Formulary for Children...
fr.12615). The Lai de notre-dame (incipit
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
: En entente curieuse) is ascribed to him in the manuscript, but the Lai de l'ancien et du nouveau testament (incipit: S'onques hom en lui s'asist) is presented anonymously and was only assigned to Ernoul by Alfred Jeanroy
Alfred Jeanroy
Alfred Jeanroy was a French linguist.Jeanroy was born at Mangiennes, Meuse, Lorraine. He was a leading scholar studying troubadour poetry, publishing over 600 works. He established an influential view of the second generation of troubadours divided into two camps: “idealists” and “realists”...
. David Fallows describes his two lais as "among the most unusual in the entire monophonic
Monophony
In music, monophony is the simplest of textures, consisting of melody without accompanying harmony. This may be realized as just one note at a time, or with the same note duplicated at the octave . If the entire melody is sung by two voices or a choir with an interval between the notes or in...
repertory, astonishingly long with complex repetition schemes and elaborate motivic structure."
Five pastourelle
Pastourelle
The pastourelle is a typically Old French lyric form concerning the romance of a shepherdess. In most of the early pastourelles, the poet knight meets a shepherdess who bests him in a wit battle and who displays general coyness. The narrator usually has sexual relations, either consensual or...
s have also been attributed to Ernoul, and all are preserved only in the Chansonnier du Roi (BnF fr.844). The attribution of only one, En avril, au tens novel, is highly disputed. Though anonymous in the manuscript, modern scholars have disagreed whether it belongs to Ernoul's corpus, with one assigning it instead to Thibaut de Blaison
Thibaut de Blaison
Thibaut de Blaison, Blason, or Blazon was a Poitevin nobleman, Crusader, and trouvère from a noble family with lands in Blason and Mirabel. Eleven poems—one contested and one definitely spurious—have been ascribed to Thibaut in the chansonniers. Three further anonymous songs have also...
. It has two lines that are identical to two found in Pensis, chief enclin, which is attributed in the manuscript to Ernoul but is incomplete. Musically it is unusual among Enroul's pieces for its less restricted style. Pensis, chief enclin later formed the basis of a motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
with Flos filius eius. The only other pastourelle ascribed to Ernoul in the manuscript, Por conforter mon corage, was also used in a later motet, and its melody was used in another with Crescens incredulitas. Two further pastourelles, both incomplete and anonymous, have been assigned to Ernoul because they appear beside his other works and are similar in language and musical style: Quant voi le tans avrilier and Tres pensant d'une amourete. The language of all these is francien, the dialect of the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (province)
The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
, with a trace of the Picard dialect
Picard language
Picard is a language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. It is spoken in two regions in the far north of France – Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy – and in parts of the Belgian region of Wallonia, the district of Tournai and a part of...
.