Trouvère (
MWCDPronunciation respelling is a type of notation system used to convey the pronunciation of words, in a language which doesn't have a phonemic orthography . Respelling systems are meant to be easy for native readers to understand, but do not represent phonetic differences between English accents or...
: /trü'ver, trü'vər/), sometimes spelled
trouveur, is the Northern
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
(langue d'oïl) form of the word
troubadourA troubadour was a composer and performer of Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
(as spelled in the langue d'oc). 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. The word
trouvère comes from the Old French
trovere, from the
ProvençalProvençal may refer to:*Provençal, meaning "of Provence", a region of France*Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the south of France*Provençal, meaning the whole Occitan language...
word
trobaire, meaning 'to find or invent (rhetorically)' .
Trouvère (
MWCDPronunciation respelling is a type of notation system used to convey the pronunciation of words, in a language which doesn't have a phonemic orthography . Respelling systems are meant to be easy for native readers to understand, but do not represent phonetic differences between English accents or...
: /trü'ver, trü'vər/), sometimes spelled
trouveur, is the Northern
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
(langue d'oïl) form of the word
troubadourA troubadour was a composer and performer of Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
(as spelled in the langue d'oc). 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. The word
trouvère comes from the Old French
trovere, from the
ProvençalProvençal may refer to:*Provençal, meaning "of Provence", a region of France*Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the south of France*Provençal, meaning the whole Occitan language...
word
trobaire, meaning 'to find or invent (rhetorically)' . The first known
trouvère was
Chrétien de TroyesChrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Little is known of his life, but he seems to have been from Troyes, or at least intimately connected with it, and between 1160 and 1172 he served at the court of his patroness Marie of France, Countess of...
(
fl. 1160s-80s) (Butterfield, 1997) and the
trouvères continued to flourish until about 1300. Some 2130
trouvère poems have survived; of these, at least two-thirds have melodies.
The popular image of the troubadour or trouvère is that of the itinerant musician wandering from town to town,
luteLute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
on his back. Such people existed, but they were called
jongleursJuggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport . The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props. The most common props are balls or...
and
minstrelA minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories about distant places or about real or imaginary historical events. Though minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
s — poor musicians, male and female, on the fringes of society. The troubadours and trouvères, on the other hand, represent
aristocratThe aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in society, who traditionally have land, money, and power. They are often members of a hereditary nobility that derives its stature from a lineage traceable to the original inhabitants or rulers of a region...
ic music making. They were either poets and composers who were supported by the aristocracy or, just as often, were aristocrats themselves, for whom the creation and performance of music was part of the courtly tradition. Among their number we can count
kingKing may be a title for a head of state.King may also refer to:-Places:* King, Ontario, Canada* King, Indiana, United States* King, North Carolina, United States* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States...
s,
queenA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
s, and
countA count is a nobleman in European countries; his wife is a countess. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The British equivalent is an earl...
esses. The texts of these songs are a natural reflection of the society that created them. They often revolve around idealized treatments of
courtly loveCourtly love was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife....
("fine amors", see
grand chantThe gran chan or, in modern French, chanson courtoise or chanson d'amour, often abbreviated chanson, was a genre of Old French lyric poetry devised by the trouvères. It was adopted from the Occitan canso of the troubadours, but scholars stress that it was a distinct genre...
) and religious devotion, although many can be found that take a more frankly earthy look at love.
The performance of this style of music is a matter of conjecture. Some scholars suggest that it should be performed in a free rhythmic style and with limited use of accompanying instruments (especially those songs with more elevated text). Other scholars, as well as many performers, believe that instrumental accompaniment and a more rhythmic interpretation is equally valid.
Johannes de GrocheioJohannes de Grocheio was a Parisian musical theorist of the early fourteenth century. His French name was Jean de Grouchy, but he is more commonly known by his Latinized name. A Master of Arts, he is the author of the treatise Ars musicae Johannes de Grocheio (Grocheo) (c. 1255 – c....
, a
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian musical theorist of the early fourteenth century, believed that
trouvère songs inspired kings and noblemen to do great things and to be great: "This kind of song is customarily composed by kings and nobles and sung in the presence of kings and princes of the land so that it may move their minds to boldness and fortitude,
magnanimityMagnanimity is the virtue of being great of mind and heart. It encompasses, usually, a refusal to be petty, a willingness to face danger, and actions for noble purposes. Its antithesis is pusillanimity...
and liberality..." (Page, 1997)
List of trouvères
- Adam de Givenchi
Adam de Givenchi was a trouvère, probably from Givenchy and active in and around Arras. His surname is also spelled Givenci, Gevanche, or Gievenci....
- Adenet Le Roi (c.1240–c.1300)
- Aubertin d'Airaines
- Aubin de Sézanne
- Baudouin des Auteus
Baudouin des Auteus was a Picard trouvère of the early thirteenth century, probably from Autheux near Doullens. Unfortunately, "the two works attributed to him are both of disputed authorship."...
- Benoît de Sainte-Maure
Benoît de Sainte-Maure was a 12th century French poet, from either Sainte-Maure near Poitiers, or Sainte-More near Tours, France. His 40,000 line poem Le Roman de Troie , written between 1155 and 1160, was a medieval retelling on the epic theme of the Trojan War which inspired a body of literature...
- Blondel de Nesle (fl
Floruit is a verb meaning 'flourished', which denotes the period of time during which a person, school, movement or even species was active or flourishing...
c.1175–1210)
- Carasaus
Carasaus was a Belgian trouvère, five of whose works survive. His career can be dated because he dedicates two grand chants to Jehan de Dampierre and another to Henry III of Brabant...
- Chastelain de Couci (fl c.1170–1203; †1203)
- Chardon de Croisilles
Chardon de Croisilles or de Reims was an Old French trouvère and possibly an Occitan troubadour. He was probably from Croisilles, but perhaps Reims. He is associated with the school of trouvères in and around Arras...
- Chrétien de Troyes
Chrétien de Troyes was a French poet and trouvère who flourished in the late 12th century. Little is known of his life, but he seems to have been from Troyes, or at least intimately connected with it, and between 1160 and 1172 he served at the court of his patroness Marie of France, Countess of...
(fl. 1160s–80s)
- Colars li Boutellier
- Colart le Changeur
- Colin Muset
Colin Muset was an Old French trouvère and a native of Lorraine. He made his living in the Champagne by travelling from castle to castle singing songs of his own composition and playing the vielle. These are not confined to the praise of courtly love that formed the usual topic of the trouvères,...
(fl c.1200–50)
- Conon de Béthune
Conon de Béthune was a crusader and "trouvère" poet.-Life:...
(fl c.1180–c.1220; †1220)
- Coupart
- Margot
- Maroie
- Ernoul Caupain
Ernoul Caupain was a trouvère, probably active in the mid-thirteenth century. Two pastourelles, a chanson courtoise, and a religious poem have survived of his work...
- Ernoul le Vieux
- Étienne de Meaux
- Eustache le Peintre de Reims
Eustache le Peintre de Reims or Eustache de Rains was a trouvère from Reims, possibly a painter , but that may just be a family name. Seven poems of his are preserved in surviving chansonniers....
- Gace Brulé
Gace Brulé , French trouvère, was a native of Champagne.His name is simply a description of his Blazonry. He owned land in Groslière and had dealings with the Knights Templar, and received a gift from the future Louis VIII. These facts are known from documents from the time...
(c.1159-after 1212)
- Gautier de Coincy
Gautier de Coincy , French abbot, poet and musical arranger - chiefly known for his devotion to the Virgin Mary....
(1177/8–1236)
- Gautier de Dargies
Gautier de Dargies was a trouvère from Dargies. He was one of the most prolific of early trouvères; possibly twenty-five of his lyrics survive, twenty-two with accompanying melodies, in sixteen separate chansonniers. He was a major influence on contemporary and later trouvères, and one of the most...
(c.1170–after 1236)
- Gautier d'Espinal († before July 1272)
- Gautier de Soignies
- Gertrude, Duchess of Lorraine (1205-1225)
- Gillebert de Berneville (fl c.1255)
- Gilles le Vinier
- Gobin de Reims
Gobin de Reims was a thirteenth-century trouvère, probably from Reims. He wrote two satires against women: On soloit ça en arrier and Pour le tens qui verdoie, both attributed to him in the Chansonnier de l'Arsenal and related manuscripts. Elsewhere, however, Jehan d'Auxerre claims authorship of...
- Gontier de Soignies (fl c.1180–1220)
- Guibert Kaukesel
Maistre Guibert Kaukesel or Hubert Chaucesel was a trouvère from Arras, where he is named as a canon in a document of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame in 1250. His title indicates he was probably a master of arts...
- Guillaume d'Amiens
- Guillaume le Vinier
- Guillaume Veau
- Guiot de Dijon
Guiot de Dijon was a Burgundian trouvère. The seventeen chansons ascribed to him are found in two chansonniers: the Chansonnier du Roi and the less reliable Berne Chansonnier...
(fl c.1200–30)
- Guiot de Provins
Guiot de Provins was a French poet and trouvère from the town of Provins in the Champagne area. A declining number of scholars identify him with Kyot the Provençal, the alleged writer of the source material used by Wolfram von Eschenbach for his romance Parzival, but most others consider such a...
- Henry Amion
- Henry le Débonnaire
Henry III of Brabant was Duke of Brabant between 1248 and his death. He was the son of Henry II of Brabant and Marie of Hohenstaufen....
- Henri de Lacy
Henry de Lacy was a confidant of Edward I of England. In 1278 he became Earl of Lincoln.He was son of Edmund de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln. He was educated at court and became Chief Councillor to Edward I...
(1249–1311)
- Hue de la Ferté
Hue de la Ferté was a French trouvère who wrote three serventois attacking the regency of Blanche of Castile during the minority of Louis IX. He maligns Blanche's partiality to foreigners and singles out Theobald I of Navarre, another trouvère, as unworthy of her support...
- Hugues de Berzé (fl c.1150–1220)
- Jacques Bretel
- Jacques de Cambrai
- Jacques de Cysoing
Jacques de Cysoing was a late thirteenth-century Franco-Flemish trouvère. He wrote nine songs that survive, all of them with their melodies.Probably born into a noble Flemish family in Cysoing, "messire" Jacques probably flourished during the reign of Guy of Dampierre as Count of Flanders , for he...
- Jaque de Dampierre
Jaque de Dampierre, sometimes Jacques, was a thirteenth-century trouvère, possibly from Dampierre-en-Yvelines. He was of the later generation of troubadours. His two works, Cors de si gentil faiture and D'amours naist fruis vertueus, are found in a single manuscript. The both use bar form and the...
- Jean Bodel
Jean Bodel, who lived in the late twelfth century, was an Old French poet who wrote a number of chansons de geste as well as many fabliaux. He lived in Arras....
- Jean Renaut
- Jean le Roux
John I the Red , known as John the Red due to the colour of his beard, was Duke of Brittany, from 1237 to his death...
- Jehan de Braine
Jehan de Braine was, jure uxoris, the Count of Mâcon and Vienne from 1224 until his death. He was a younger son of Robert II of Dreux and his second wife, Yolanta de Couci. His wife was Alix, granddaughter of William V of Mâcon. Jehan was also a trouvère and a Crusader. He followed Theobald I of...
- Jehan Fremaux
- Jehan de Grieviler
Jehan de Grieviler was an Artesian cleric and trouvère.Jehan was probably born at Grévillers near Arras. A certain "Grieviler" is mentioned in the necrology of the Confrérie des jongleurs et des bourgeois d'Arras under 1254–5, but since Jehan was a known member of the Puy d'Arras, he cannot...
- Jehan de Nuevile
- Jehan de Trie
- Jocelin de Dijon
Jocelin de Dijon was an Old French trouvère, presumably from Dijon, with two surviving songs to his name and two more credited to an otherwise unidentifiable "Jocelin" in the Berne Chansonnier but which may be the work of Jocelin de Dijon.Of the two pieces attributed to him, only A l'entree del...
- Lambert Ferri
Lambert Ferri was a trouvère and cleric at the Benedictine monastery at Saint-Léonard, Pas-de-Calais. By 1268 he was a canon and a deacon of the monastery; he is last associated with the monastery in 1282....
- Lorris Acot
- Mahieu le Juif
Mahieu le Juif was an Old French trouvère. His name means "Matthew the Jew" and, if his own songs are to be believed, he was a convert from Judaism to Christianity. Only two of his songs survive, one with a melody...
- Maroie de Dregnau de Lille
Maroie de Dregnau de Lille was a trouvère, a woman composer and poet. A single strophe of a single chanson that she wrote is extant, Mout m'abelist quant je voi revenir, along with its music. These are in manuscript F-Pn f.f. 844, f.181. This is in a typical trouvère form,...
- Moniot de Paris
Moniot de Paris was a trouvère and probably the same person as the Monniot who wrote the Dit de fortune in 1278. He was once thought to have flourished around 1200, but his dates have been pushed back....
(fl c.1250–1278)
- Oede de la Couroierie
Oede de la Couroierie , also known as Eude de Carigas and Odo de Corigiaria, was a trouvère of Artois. He is documented beginning in 1270 as a clerk in the house of Count Robert II, who often sent him on diplomatic missions. He served Robert until his death. His will, made in June 1294, providing...
- Perrin d'Angicourt (fl c.1245–50)
- Perrot de Neele
Perrot de Neele was an Artesian trouvère and littérateur. He composed four jeux partis in collaboration with Jehan Bretel : "Amis Peron de Neele"; "Jehan Bretel, respondés"; "Pierrot de Neele, amis"; and "Pierrot, li ques vaut pis a fin amant"...
- Philippe de Remy
Philippe de Rémi was an Old French poet and trouvère from Picardy, and the bailli of the Gâtinais from 1237 to at least 1249. He was also the father of Philippe de Beaumanoir, the famous jurist, by his wife Marie.-Biography:By 1255 Philippe was a knight and the sire of Beaumanoir...
(c.1205–c.1265)
- Pierre de Corbie
- Pierre de Molins
- Pierrekin de la Coupele
Pierrekin de la Coupele was a north French trouvère, from the Pas-de-Calais, probably the areas nowadays called Coupelle-Vieille and Coupelle-Neuve. He is regarded as a poor poet...
- Raoul de Beauvais
Raoul de Beauvais was a trouvère from northeast of Paris. His period of activity is estimated based on his works being clumped with those of other mid-13th-century trouvères in the chansonniers. Six songs are attributed to him, with three also being attributed to Jehan Erart...
- Raoul de Ferier
- Raoul de Soissons
Raoul de Soissons was a French nobleman, Crusader, and trouvère. He was the second son of Raoul le Bon, Count of Soissons, and became the Sire de Coeuvres in 1232. Raoul participated in three Crusades....
(c.1215–1272)
- Richard de Fournival
Richard de Fournival or Richart de Fornival was a medieval philosopher and trouvère perhaps best known for the Bestiaire d'amour .-Life:...
(1201–c.1260)
- Richart de Semilli
- Robert de Blois
Robert de Blois was an Old French poet and trouvère, the author of narrative, lyric, didactic, and religious works...
- Robert de Reims
- Simon d'Authie
- Sauvage d'Arraz
- Thibaut de Blazon
- Thibaut le Chansonnier
Theobald I , called the Troubadour, the Chansonnier, and the Posthumous, was Count of Champagne from birth and King of Navarre from 1234...
(1201–53)
- Thierri de Soissons
- Thomas de Herier
- Vidame de Chartres
Guillaume de Ferrières was a French nobleman, probably the same person as the trouvère known only as the Vidame de Chartres...
- Vielart de Corbie
Vielart, Vielars, Wilars or Wilart de Corbie was one of the earliest trouvères from northern France. In one instance a chansonnier names him Willame and some scholars have followed this, concluding that "Vielart" and its variations form a sobriquet meaning "violist" or perhaps "old man" Vielart,...
- Walter of Bibbesworth
Trouvères from Arras
- Adam de la Halle
Adam de la Halle, also known as Adam le Bossu was a French-born trouvère, poet and musician, whose literary and musical works include chansons and jeux-partis in the style of the trouveres, polyphonic rondel and motets in the style of early liturgical polyphony, and a musical play, "The Play of...
(c.1240–88)
- Andrieu Contredit d'Arras
Andrieu Contredit d'Arras was a trouvère from Arras and active in the Puy d'Arras. "Contredit" is probably a nickname. He wrote mostly grand chants, but also a pastourelle, a lai, and a jeu-parti with Guillaume li Vinier....
(† c.1248)
- Audefroi le Bastart (fl c1200–1230)
- Gaidifer d'Avion
Gaidifer d'Avion was an Artesian trouvère from Avion. He entered the Church and was associated with the poets of the so-called "School of Arras".Gaidifer was well-connected to contemporary poets...
- Guillaume le Vinier (fl c1220–45; †1245)
- Jacques le Vinier
- Jehan Bretel
Jehan Bretel was a trouvère. Of his known oeuvre of probably 97 songs, 96 have survived. Judging by his contacts with other trouvères he was famous and popular...
(c1200–1272)
- Jehan le Cuvelier d'Arras (fl c1240–70)
- Jehan Erart
Jehan Erart or Erars was a trouvère from Arras, particularly noted for his favouring the pastourelle genre. He has left behind eleven pastourelles, ten grand chants, and one serventois....
(† c1259)
- Mahieu de Gant
Mahieu de Gant was a Flemish trouvère from Ghent associated with the so-called "school of Arras". He has been conflated with Mahieu le Juif, but the same manuscript that contains both their works clearly distinguishes them...
- Moniot d'Arras
Moniot d'Arras was a French composer and poet of the trouvère tradition. He was a monk of the abbey of Arras in northern France; the area was at the time a center of trouvère activity, and his contemporaries included Adam de la Halle and Colin Muset...
(fl c1250–75)
- Robert de Castel
Robert de Castel was a trouvère active in and around Arras in the late thirteenth century. He is mentioned in the Congés of Baude Fastoul, written in 1272, which place him Arras at that date...
- Robert de la Piere
Robert de la Piere was a trouvère of the so-called "school" of Arras. In his time Robert's bourgeois family was prominent in Arras, though the earliest known member is only recorded in 1212. Robert served as a magistrate in 1255, as attested by one surviving document in the municipal archives...
External links
Bibliography