The label "Renaissance", meaning rebirth, a time of exploring new ideas was applied by historians long after the time it applied to. If your appetite has already been whetted by Sting's album, I hope you will enjoy further exploring the music of this most remarkable period, and if not, I hope to entice you to sample this music which gives us a chance to share, at a distance, the hopes and dreams of the men and women who lived during one of the most important moments in European history.
One of the most important developments of the Renaissance was the exploration of the possibilities of polyphonic music; a breaking with the tradition of a single melodic line in favour of weaving melodies together to create harmonies, sometimes surprising, sometimes uncomfortable to the modern ear, but to the listeners of the time, excitingly new. The golden age of polyphonic music produced not only the genius of Dowland, but also men like William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, Claudio Monteverdi in Italy, and Michael Praetorius in Germany. In France, a book was printed (Orchésographie) which not only aimed to teach the popular dances of the day, along with some of the necessary musical theory, but also included some of the music for the dances which would eventually be adapted by the Twentieth Century composer Peter Warlock (Philip Heseltine) in his "Capriol Suite" named after the character of the student in the book. Here, from Thoinot Arbeau's* Orchésographie, is his pavane "Belle qui tiens ma vie" in abcPlus notation:
X:59 % number
T:Belle qui tients ma vie % title
C:Thoinot Arbeau % composer
N:Thoinot Arbeau was an anagram of Jehan de Tabourot
N:A professor of mathematics
O:Orchésographie % origin.
S:Transcribed from an arrangement by Karl Aloritias.
M:C| % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 name=Soprano sname=sop. % voice 1
V:2 name=Alto sname=alt.
V:3 name=Tenor sname=ten.
V:4 name=Bass sname=bass clef=bass
[V:1]|: G2 G ^F | G A B2 | B d c B | B A B2 :|
w:1.Bel-le qui tiens ma vi-e Cap-ti-ve dans tes yeulx,
w:2.Pour-quo fuis tu, mi-gnar-de, Si je suis pres de toi?
w:3.Tes beau-tes et ta gra-ces Et tes di-vins pro-pos
w:4.Mon am-e vou-lait e-tre Li-bre de pas-si-on
w:5.Ap-pro-che donc ma bell-e, Ap-pro-che toi mon bien,
w:6.Je meurs, mon An-ge-let-te, Je meurs en te bais-ant
w:7.Plu-tot on ver-ra l'on-de Con-tre-mont re-cul-er,
[V:2]|: D2 D D | D F F2 | F F E F | G F F2 :|
[V:3]|: B2 B A | B c d2 | d B G d | c c d2 :|
[V:4]|: G,2 G, D, | G, F, B,,2 | B,, B,, C, D, | _E, F, B,,2 :|
%
[V:1]B2 A A | G G F2 | D2 E/F/ G | G ^F G2 |
w:1.Qui m'as l'ame ra-vi-e D'un sour--ris gra-ci-eux,
w:2.Quand tes yeux je re-garde Je me* perds de-dans moi,
w:3.Ont echauf-fé la gla-ce Qui me* ge-lait les os,
w:4.Mais l'a-mour s'est fait maitre De mes* af-fec-ti-ons
w:5.Ne me sois plus re-belle Puis-que mon co-eur est tien,
w:6.Ta bou-che tant dou-cette Va mon* bien rav-is-sant
w:7.Et plu-tot l'oeil du monde Ce-s-se-ra de bru-ler,
[V:2]F2 F F | D _E D2| D2 C D | D D [D2=B,2]|
[V:3]d2 c d | B c A2 | B2 G B | A A [=B2G2]|
[V:4]B,2 F, D, | G, C, D,2 | B,2 C, G,, | D, D, G,,2|
%
[V:1]B2 A A | G G ^F2 | D2 =E/^F/ G | G ^F G2 |]
w:1.Viens tot me se-cou-rir Ou me* fau-dra mou-rir.
w:2.Car tes per-fec-ti-on Chan-gent* mes ac-ti-ons
w:3.Et ont rem-pli mon coeur D'une a--mou-reuse ar-deur.
w:4.Et a mis sous sa loi Et mon* coeur et ma foi.
w:5.Pour mon mal ap-pais-er Don-ne* moi un bai-ser.
w:6.A ce coup mes es-prits Sont tous* d'a-mour e-pris.
w:7.Que l'a-mour qui m'e-point De-crois--se d'un seul point.
[V:2]_B,2 F F | D _E D2 | F2 E D | D D D2 |]
[V:3]d2 c d | B c A2 | B2 G B | A A [=B2G2]|]
[V:4]G,2 F, D, | G, C, D,2 | B,,2 C, G,, | D, D, G,,2 |]
Thomas Campion was a good example of the type we might call a "renaissance man" if he were alive today. A student of both law, and medicine, he was also a talented musician and poet who may have been a victim of one of the many plagues that devastated London in the sixteenth century. From the lute book of Jane Pickering, I would like to offer his "What if a day or a moneth or a yeare" in abcPlus notation:
X:60 % number
T:What if a day or a moneth or a year % title
C:Thomas Campion % composer
O:Jane Pickering's Lute book % origin.
M:C % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q: % tempo
K:C % key
V:1 % voice 1
V:2 clef=treble merge
[V:1]|:A ^G/A/ [B^G] A/B/ | c d/c/ [B2^G2E2] |[cA] B/c/ d c/d/ |
w:What if a day or a moneth or a yeare crown Thy de-lights with a
w:Can-not a chance of a night or an howre crosse thy de-sires with a
[V:2]|:[E2A,2] E,2 | [A2A,2][E,2] | A,2 [G2G,2]|
[V:1] ee dc |B2 [A2E2]:|ee [dG][dG]|
w:thou-sand sweet con-tent-ings? For-tune, hon-our,
w:thous-and sweet tor-ment-ings?
[V:2][G2C2]G,A,|E E, A,2 :|[c2C2] G, G, |
[V:1][cA][cA][B2^G2E2]| cd eg|[^f2B2] [e2B2^G2E2]||
w:beau-ty, youth, are but blos-soms dy-ing;
[V:2] A A E,2 |[A2A,2]CE|[^D2B,2][B,2E,2] ||
[V:1]|:[cA]d[e2G2]|[BG]c[d2G2]|AB c d/c/ |B2 [A2E2]:|]
w:Wan-ton pleasure, doat-ing love, are but sha-d-ows fly-ing.
w:All our joyes are but toyes, id-le thoughts de--ceiv-ing;
w:None have power of an howre in their lives be--reav-ing.
[V:2]|:A, B, C2 |G,A, B,2 |[E2A,2][A2A,2] |EE, A,2 :|]
W:
W:Earthe's but a point to the world, and a man
W:Is but a point to the world's compared centure:
W:Shall then a point of a point be so vaine
W:As to triumph in a seely point's adventure?
W:All is hassard that we have,
W:There is nothing biding.
W:Dayes of pleasure are like streames
W:Through faire meadowes gliding.
W:Weal and woe, time doth goe,
W:Time is ever turning;
W:Secret fates guide our states,
W:Both in mirth and mourning.
And since you have been patient enough to read this unusually long entry, I hope you will not be disappointed by my transcription of John Dowland's "Pavana Lachrimae Antiquae", one of his "Seven Teares", in abcPlus notation:
X:61 % number
T:Pavana Lachrimae Antiquae % title
C:John Dowland % composer
O:Second Booke of Songs or Ayres (1600) % origin.
M:2/2 % meter
L:1/4 % length of shortest note
Q:1/2=60 % tempo
V:1 % voice 1 - recorder
V:2 T=-12 % lute 1st voice
V:3 clef=treble merge T=-12 % lute 2nd voice
K:C % key
[V:1]|: A3 G/F/ | E2 c2-|c2 B A | ^G4 |
w:1.Flow, my* tears, fall_ from your springs!
w:2.Down, vain de-lights, shine_ you no more!
[V:2]|:[A3E3] G/F/ | z2 c2- |c2 B A |[^G4E4]|
[V:3]|:C3 B, | [E2C2-]C E-|E D/C/ D2 | B,4 |
%
[V:1]A2 E2-|E E =G G | F2 D2 | E3 B |
w:Ex-iled* for ev-er let me mourn, Where
w:No nights* are dark e-nough for those That
[V:2][A2E2]E2-| E E [=GE][GE]| F2 D2 | E3 B |
[V:3]C4 | C2- C C | D C B, A,| B,4 |
%
[V:1]c2 A2 | B2 ^G2 | A c-c/ B/ A | ^G2 c2 |
w:night's black-bird her sad in--fa-my sings, There
w:in des-pair their lost for--tunes de-plore. Light
[V:2]c2 [A2E2C2] | [B2][^G2E2] | A c-c/B/ A | [^G2E2] z c |
[V:3]z4 | D2 B,2 | E2 D2 | B,2 [E2C2] |
%
[V:1]B A A2-|A ^G/^F/ G2 | A4-|A4 :|
w:let me live_ for--lorn__
w:doth but shame_ dis--close__
[V:2][BD][AC] A2-|A/A/^G/^F/ G/ A G/ | [L:1/8][A3E3^C3] G/F/ EDCB, | [L:1/4][A4E4^C4] :|
[V:3] z2 B, A,|B,3 D | z4 | z4 :|
%
[V:1]|: c3 B | A G c2-|c B/A/ B2 | c2 G2 |
w:3.Nev-er may my woes_ be_ re-liev-ed,
w:4.From the high-est spire_ of_ con-tent-ment
[V:2]|:c3 B | A G [c2G2] | c/c/B/A/ B/ c B/ | c2 G2 |
[V:3]|:[E4C4]| [E2C2] E2 | F3 F | E4 |
%
[V:1]z A2 ^G | A F E2 | z D F2 | z F A2 |
w:Since pi-ty is fled; And tears and sighs
w:My for-tune is thrown; And fear and grief
[V:2]z A-A/A/ ^G | A z3 |z D F2 | z F A2 |
[V:3]z [E-C][E2B,2]| [EC][FA,-][E2A,2]|z2 A,2 | z A, C2 |
%
[V:1]z A c2 | z G B>c | d2 z D | F>G A2 |
w:and groans my wea-ry days, my wea-ry days
w:and pain for my de-serts, for my de-serts
[V:2]z [AC] c2 | z G B>c | d2 z2 | F>G A2 |
[V:3]z2 E C | E>F G2 | z D2 D| z D (C [FC])|
%
[V:1]z c2 B | c>B A/^G/ A | ^G4-|G4 :|
w:Of all joys have de--priv-ed__
w:Are my hopes since hope_ is gone.__
[V:2]z c2 B | c>B A/^G/ A | ^G4 | [^G4E4B,4] :|
[V:3]z E/D/ E [EB,]| E/D/ C2 B,/A,/ | [EB,]>E D/C/B,/A,/ | z4 :|
%
[V:1]|: ^G3 A | B2 c2 | B A A2-|A ^G/^F/ G2 |
w:Hark! you sha-dows that in dark--ness__
[V:2]|: ^G3 A | B2 c2 | B A A2-|A/A/^G/^F/ G2 |
[V:3]|: E4 | E4 | G>F E D| E4 |
%
[V:1]A3 c | B c A2 | ^G4 | z4 |
w:dwell, Learn to con-temn light.
[V:2] A3 c | B c A2 | ^G4 | z4 |
[V:3] C/B,/C/D/ E>F | G2 C D | B, E2 B,| C2 [G2B,2-]|
%
[V:1] z2 e2-|e B d2-|d A c2 | B2 A2 |
w:Hap--py, hap--py they that in
[V:2] z2 e2-|e B d2-|d A c2 | B2 A2 |
[V:3] [GB,][C-A,-][C2A,2]|D3 E |F3 E-| E B, C A, |
%
[V:1] ^G2 c2 | B A A2-| A ^G/^F/ G2 | A4-|A4 :|
w:hell Feel not the world's_ de----spite._
[V:2] ^G2 z c | B A A2-|A/A/^G/^F/ G/ A G/ | [L:1/8][A3E3^C3] F EFDE | [L:1/4][A4E4^C4] :|
[V:3] [E2B,2][E2C2]| D C B, A,|E2-E D | z4 | z4 :|
Unfortunately, the Convert-A-Matic, to which I normally provide a link so that you can make your own sheet music from the notation, may not be able to cope with abcPlus notation, however I recommend Joop Cooleghem's abcEdit freeware, which provides facilities to produce sheet music in PDF, hard copy, and MIDI playback.
I will gladly provide PDF files for any of the above songs in answer to an email request.
*Thoinot Arbeau: as a respected professor of mathematics and a cleric in the church, Jehan de Tabourot published his musical treatise, something which might otherwise have damaged his reputation as a scholar, using an anagram of his name!
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