Customer Reviews

Songs of the Troubadours and Trouveres: An Anthology of Poems and Melodies (Garland Reference Library of the Humanities)

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Expensive, yes. But there aren't a whole lot of Troubadour or Trouvère anthologies available in print, especially ones with music. And this is an excellent anthology, beautifully produced on light crème-colored 250-year acid-free paper. It's probably the next best thing to owning G, R, X, or W, one of the 4 existing Troubadour chansonniers with music. Notation is mostly the enlightened non-metrical variety proposed by Hendrik van der Werf: noteheads only, with neumes indicated by slurs. The page layout is spacious and delightful, with side-by side text and translation of Old Occitan to English by Margaret Switten and Old French to English by Samuel Rosenberg. Both text editors have given very clear, flowing translations. I especially appreciate Switten for preserving the Old Occitan syntax as much as possible, which makes it much easier to get a handle on the learning the original Occitan while working through a song.

You don't have to be a musicologist to appreciate this anthology. Though solidly researched with sources and key editorial decisions clearly indicated, most of the "critical apparatus" has been left to the editors' previous publications. Commentary is given at the section headings for the various poet-composers along with their vidas (lifes). Pronunciation guides and introductory essays give just enough linguistic, musicological, and historical background and differing opinions to encourage readers and singers to draw their own conclusions and make their own informed and inspired interpretations. To continue the tradition. A small selection of sharply-reproduced facimile pages makes the visual and spiritual link between this rare volume and the chansonniers of old.

The accompanying CD is well performed and a joy to listen to.