The Sweet Look And The Loving Manner - Trobairitz, Love Lyrics and Chansons de Femme from Medieval France / Wishart, Sinfonye [Import]

Stevie Wishart (Artist), Wishart (Artist, Orchestra), Sinfonye (Artist), Vivien Ellis (Artist), Paula Chateauneuf (Artist), Jim Denley (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Wishart
• Audio CD (August 26, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B000002ZS3
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #447,208 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Careza, Alais, Iselda: Na Carenza

2. Iseut de Capio & Almuc de Castelnau: Domna N'Almucs, si-us plages

3. Beatriz de Romans: Na Maria

4. Anonymous: Soufres, maris

5. Anonymous: Toute seule, passerai

6. Anonymous: Por coi me bait mes maris?

7. Anonymous & Pistoleta: Bona domna, un conseill vos deman

8. Anonymous: C'est la gieus en mi les prez

9. Anonymous: C'est desoz l'olive en mi les prez

10. Anonymous: La jus desouz l'olive

11. Anonymous: Et une chambre cointe et grant / Et Gaudebit (instrumental)

12. Anonymous: Main s'est levee Aelis / Ne (instrumental)

13. Anonymous: Tout leis en mi les prez / Dominus (instrumental)

14. Ventadorn: Non es meraveilla s'eu chan (instrumental)

15. Comtessa de Dia: Estat ai en greu cossirier

16. Wishart & Comtessa de Dia: Estampie on "A chanter m'er" (instrumental)

17. Anonymous: Bele Doette as fenestres se siet

18. Marie de Dregnau de Lille: Mout m'abelist quant le voi (instrumental)

19. Audefroi le Bastart (fl. 1215): Bele Emmelos (instrumental)

20. Anonymous: Avant hier en un vest pre (instrumental)

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Among the most storied achievements of the "12th-Century Renaissance" are, of course, the poetry and songs of the troubadours and their northern French counterparts, the trouvères. Less well-known is the fact that there were at least 20 trobairitz (female troubadors) and two female trouvères. Sinfonye explores their works--along with the chanson de toile and chanson de femme, two distinct forms--written from a woman's viewpoint--on The Sweet Look and the Loving Manner. Unfortunately, only one song, A chantar m'er by the Comtessa de Dia, survives with a melody; Sinfonye solves this problem by using a standard medieval procedure--contrafactum, i.e., fitting existing melodies (in this case, by male troubadours) with new texts (by trobairitz). Vivien Ellis brings a plain, folkish voice to these songs--she doesn't achieve all the subtlety one might want, but her singing has an appealing directness and simplicity. The instrumental preludes occasionally seem disconnected from the songs they introduce, but the playing is otherwise lively and sensitive. --Matthew Westphal