Download Secular Music

MUSIC 301/501
Women in Music
Medieval Secular Music
· In earlier middle ages, women had some freedoms esp. in France, but to lesser extent in
other parts of northern Europe, e.g. they could inherit land, belong to guilds and take over
business if husband died
· Some very powerful women: Eleanor of Aquitaine (d. 1204), her grand-daughter
Blanche of Castile (d. 1252)
· In late 13th/early 14th Century women's political and financial power began to decline, but as
it did, power in "affairs of the heart" increased through idea of Courtly Love.
· By 13th century courts often included musicians, poets, artists, etc.
· Courtly Love poetry put an aristocratic woman on a pedestal: she was to be worshipped
from afar, unattainable
· Poems of courtly love were set to music by various musicians: Troubadours (southern
France, Provençal language, beginning 12th Century), Trouvères (northern France, medieval
French or Lange d’Oc, slightly later), Minnesingers in Germany
· Troubadours were often aristocratic or royal; sometimes itinerant
· Songs were either about courtly love, seasons, or crusades
· Songs were monophonic
· Women Troubadours were called Trobairitz
· Performance of music by women can be extrapolated from the French Romances: in these
stories women often sing and accompany themselves
· Romances were stories containing poetry for songs; melodies sometimes included
· Instruments used in stories were harp, vielle, antecedents to guitar
· These instrument choices confirmed by pictures in manuscripts etc.
· Other Women performers:
· Jouglaresses were itinerant lower-class women
· Servants and courtesans: mostly in Spain: centuries earlier, Arabs in Arabian conquests
had made slaves of women of various races to bring music to the courts and
harems. Some were sold to Spanish Nobility; eventually no longer slaves but
entertainers and servants to the Spanish noble households
· Other sources of info about women performers:
· Professional musician guilds’ registration records
· Tax records list occupations e.g. jougleresse, salterionnesse
· Household accounts show payments to musicians
Women as composers:
· Probably women were first poets to use vernacular in poetry in middle ages
· "Woman's Songs" were not necessarily by women, but a literary genre in which
speaker is a woman (author could be either sex); this was more of a popular, folk
type of song than courtly love songs
· Troubadour (Trobairitz) songs: about 20 women's names of surviving examples; fewer
female trouvères.
· Adaptation of courtly love themes: many of these poems have adversarial attitude; love
songs are often complaints against faithless lovers
·
·
Several Trobairitz poems survive; they were set to music in their own day but music is
now lost to all except one example:
· Comtessa de Dia (b.1140)'s A chantar m'er de so que no volria.
· Translation of text is in NB. Song complains of unfaithful lover; reminds him of her
virtues
· Melody uses formal approach common to these songs: AAB where last line of B is
same as last line of A (concluding half-strophe)
· A few Trouvère songs by women still exist with the music
In late 14th C women's participation as composers declined: polyphonic secular music
became much more popular, and women had no access to training for this. There were also
fewer male composers of the same class at this time; composition became a more
specialized, professional activity.