This broadcast focuses on a 14th-century literary work, called the ‘Roman de Fauvel’.
Excerpt from Roman de Fauvel:
In this satirical work, dating back to the early 14th century,abuses in state and church in
France are ridiculed. It is attributed to Gervais du Bus, who worked as a clerk in the royal chancery. The main character is a donkey, whose name forms an acrostic. Each letter stands for a vice that, according to the author, was rampant at that time. The work has been handed down in various manuscripts. In one of them, the text is alternated with musical pieces of very different character: spiritual and secular, monophonic and polyphonic, in Latin and French texts.
Each ensemble makes its own choice from the material. In this broadcast, we hear the version of The Boston Camerata and the ensemble Project Ars Nova.
Anonymous (France, 14th century) / text attributed to Gervais du Bus (fl. 1300-1338) From ‘Roman de Fauvel’:
- Porchier mieuz estre ameroy
- O Varium fortune
- Quare fremuerunt gentes (motet)
- Jure quod in opere (motet)
- Ad solitum vomitum (motet)
- Virtus moritur
- Floret fex favellae
- Omni pene curie
- Veni sancte spiritus
- Rex beatus (motet)
- Fauvel cogita (instr)
- Inter membra singula (instr)
- Vertitas arpie (motet)
- J’ay fait nouveletement (motet)
- Ay amours
- Sicut de ligno parvulus (motet)
- A touz jour, sanz remanoir
- Fauvel est mal assegné
- Douce dame débonnaire
- Fauvel cogita
- Je qui poair seule
- Buccinate in neomenia tuba
- From Le lai des Herlequines: En ce dous temps d’este
- Ah Parisius
- Fauvel nous a fait présent (motet)
- Ci chans veult boire
- Floret fex favellea (instr)
- Quomodo cantabimus (motet)
- In nova fert (motet; Philippe de Vitry)
- Porchier mieuz estre ameroy
- Maria virgo virginum (motet)
- Plebs fidelis francie
- In mari miserie (motet) The Boston Camerata and Ensemble Project Ars Nova conducted by Joel Cohen (cd: “Le Roman de Fauvel” – Erato 4509-96392-2, 1995)
Addition: Anonymous (France, 14th century)
- Douce dame débonnaire Shira Kammen and Cheryl Ann Fulton, harp (cd: see 1-33)
