Chapter 9 - 2

02 Music History

Troubadours and Trouveres

Musical historians are hard-pressed to find sources of music outside of the church prior to the Renaissance. There are sparse records of folk songs, but liturgical chants are by far the most common songs from this period.

The troubadours and trouveres of the 12th and 13th centuries, however, provide a valuable glimpse into the history of music outside of the confines of the church.

While records of them are by no means extensive, they are nonetheless considerable and worthwhile.

Troubadours and trouveres were similar kinds of musicians that inhabited different areas and spoke in different languages. Their positions were not exclusive to class in either case.

Although most of them were from the nobility, anyone who was lyrically talented and appreciated the concept of love could adopt their craft. Troubadours resided primarily in southern France and northern Italy. They performed mostly using Provencal, a popular language of the time.

Trouveres were found in northern France and used a variety of similar regional languages from England, Picardy, Normandy, and Champagne.

The origin of their musical style is debated. Some have argued that it has roots in Celtic culture, and others have argued that it was a musical tradition borrowed from the Arabic world. Regardless of its actual origins, the music was truly unique for its day and age.

The musical compositions of both the troubadours and trouveres were concerned primarily with the subject of love. The subjects of their songs covered a broad range of situations and feelings.

These included simple declarations of love, discordant verses on love, a lover’s defense of his feelings, stories of a romantic encounter between a knight and a female shepherd, and many others. While the subject was almost exclusively love, the works of the troubadours and trouveres also reveal a remarkable awareness of style and an amazing technical ability.

Whereas the liturgical chants popular in the church were primarily focused on verse, it is believed that the work of troubadours and trouveres placed equal emphasis on the lyrics of a song and its musical accompaniment. Their musical style certainly popularized the use of musical instruments in songs in Renaissance Europe.

Yet while the verse was strongly associated with the music, the songs could easily be adapted for a variety of tones and rhythms. Songs were passed among musicians orally, although the works of trouveres in northern France were sometimes documented by literary groups. Given their mostly oral tradition, the songs were typically not documented.

Moreover, the musical aspect was very rarely documented.

As such, it is difficult to pinpoint if the work of the troubadours and trouveres was centered on the lyrical aspect or the musical aspect of their songs. Scholars have suggested that the songs were written to be performed in a declamatory way.

However, such an assertion clearly puts the emphasis on the verse, not the music. In spite of the lack of a consensus surrounding their work, the troubadours and trouveres no doubt made an important contribution to the musical world with the introduction and widespread use of musical instruments.