Doulce mémoire/Fini le bien
from Doulce mémoire by Mignarda
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Doulce mémoire: Pierre Regnault "Sandrin" (c. 1490 – 1561)
Fini le bien: Pierre Certon (c. 1510 – 1572)
The poetry is attributed to “Le Roy,” most likely François I (1494-1547), and may have been written during his imprisonment in Italy following the 1525 battle of Pavia (the inspiration for many instrumental settings that strive to create random battle noises, a variation form popular throughout the 16th century). Music for the résponce, “Fini le bien” is attributed to Pierre Certon (c. 1510 – 1572), and while the music diverges in melodic detail from the original by Sandrin, the text itself is, at least in spirit, a repetition of the first verse beginning with the last line working backward.
The popular chanson was adapted for two voices from Sandrin’s four-part original by French musician Antoine Gardane and published in 1555 by Le Roy & Ballard in Chansons à deux, a veritable goldmine of the sort of music sung around our house for our own entertainment. We recorded a version on our 2009 recording Au pres de vous, performed with solo voice on the cantus and lute on the tenor line. Our new recording features Doulce mémoire complete with its résponce sung in two voices a cappella.
You might well ask: what relevance does a song first published in 1537 have in a program of proto-baroque airs de cour? The lasting popularity of Doulce Mémoire is demonstrated by the appearance of an instrumental arrangement of the piece found nearly a century after its earliest mention, in an English manuscript collection of music for viols written in the hand of William Lawes (1602 – 1645).
Doulce Mémoire, the title track of this album, opens the gate to a sampling of early airs de cour by Adrian Le Roy and moves forward chronologically and stylistically to music of a few decades later—to what is essentially music of the early baroque. The recording is aptly named to celebrate the sweet memories of 18 years as a duo dedicated to music for voice and lute, and we look forward to sharing the results of this album and others that are in preparation for the coming years.
Fini le bien: Pierre Certon (c. 1510 – 1572)
The poetry is attributed to “Le Roy,” most likely François I (1494-1547), and may have been written during his imprisonment in Italy following the 1525 battle of Pavia (the inspiration for many instrumental settings that strive to create random battle noises, a variation form popular throughout the 16th century). Music for the résponce, “Fini le bien” is attributed to Pierre Certon (c. 1510 – 1572), and while the music diverges in melodic detail from the original by Sandrin, the text itself is, at least in spirit, a repetition of the first verse beginning with the last line working backward.
The popular chanson was adapted for two voices from Sandrin’s four-part original by French musician Antoine Gardane and published in 1555 by Le Roy & Ballard in Chansons à deux, a veritable goldmine of the sort of music sung around our house for our own entertainment. We recorded a version on our 2009 recording Au pres de vous, performed with solo voice on the cantus and lute on the tenor line. Our new recording features Doulce mémoire complete with its résponce sung in two voices a cappella.
You might well ask: what relevance does a song first published in 1537 have in a program of proto-baroque airs de cour? The lasting popularity of Doulce Mémoire is demonstrated by the appearance of an instrumental arrangement of the piece found nearly a century after its earliest mention, in an English manuscript collection of music for viols written in the hand of William Lawes (1602 – 1645).
Doulce Mémoire, the title track of this album, opens the gate to a sampling of early airs de cour by Adrian Le Roy and moves forward chronologically and stylistically to music of a few decades later—to what is essentially music of the early baroque. The recording is aptly named to celebrate the sweet memories of 18 years as a duo dedicated to music for voice and lute, and we look forward to sharing the results of this album and others that are in preparation for the coming years.
lyrics
Doulce mémoire en plaisir consummée,
O siècle heureulx qui cause tel scavoir,
La fermeté de nous deux tant aymée,
Qui à nos maulx a sceut si bien pourvoir
Or maintenant a perdu son pouvoir,
Rompant le but de ma seul' espérance
Servant d’exemple à tous piteux à veoir
Fini le bien, le mal soudain commence.
Fini le bien, le mal soudain commence.
O cueur heureux, qui mect à nonchaloir
La cruauté, malice et inconstance
Qu’on voit souvent au féminin vouloir
La méprisant ne se pourra douloir :
Car la vertu croistra sa renommée,
Luy despartant pour si loyal devoir
Doulce mémoire en plaisir consommée.
Sweet memory, consummated in pleasure,
Our happy time of such understanding.
The constancy of our two loving souls
Which could triumph over all adversity
Has now, alas, lost all its former power
And all my hopes are completely dashed,
A sad, sad case for pitying eyes to see.
Good is finished, misfortune has beset us.
Good is finished, misfortune has beset us.
It is misfortune to see your faults
Because Evil, through his power,
has returned to us all our pleasurable hopes
as much discontent to one who craved
variety to love's constancy.
It goes well for those who foresee this.
Sweet memory in pleasure so consumed.
English translation by Donna Stewart.
O siècle heureulx qui cause tel scavoir,
La fermeté de nous deux tant aymée,
Qui à nos maulx a sceut si bien pourvoir
Or maintenant a perdu son pouvoir,
Rompant le but de ma seul' espérance
Servant d’exemple à tous piteux à veoir
Fini le bien, le mal soudain commence.
Fini le bien, le mal soudain commence.
O cueur heureux, qui mect à nonchaloir
La cruauté, malice et inconstance
Qu’on voit souvent au féminin vouloir
La méprisant ne se pourra douloir :
Car la vertu croistra sa renommée,
Luy despartant pour si loyal devoir
Doulce mémoire en plaisir consommée.
Sweet memory, consummated in pleasure,
Our happy time of such understanding.
The constancy of our two loving souls
Which could triumph over all adversity
Has now, alas, lost all its former power
And all my hopes are completely dashed,
A sad, sad case for pitying eyes to see.
Good is finished, misfortune has beset us.
Good is finished, misfortune has beset us.
It is misfortune to see your faults
Because Evil, through his power,
has returned to us all our pleasurable hopes
as much discontent to one who craved
variety to love's constancy.
It goes well for those who foresee this.
Sweet memory in pleasure so consumed.
English translation by Donna Stewart.
credits
from Doulce mémoire,
released September 3, 2021
Donna Stewart and Ron Andrico, voice
Recorded at the Lava Room, Beachwood, OH
Engineer, Chris Ebbert
Donna Stewart and Ron Andrico, voice
Recorded at the Lava Room, Beachwood, OH
Engineer, Chris Ebbert
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
Mignarda Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Mignarda specializes in thoughtful programming illuminating the vibrant mingling of renaissance music & poetry. Noted for awakening modern audiences to an appreciation for historical music, their work encompasses concertizing, teaching & recording, with 17 critically-acclaimed CDs, a series of 16 music editions, scholarly articles, reviews and the internationally-popular blog, Unquiet Thoughts. ... more
discography
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Jun 2022 -
Sep 2021 -
Apr 2021 -
Nov 2020
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