Chansons et psaumes de la Réforme · and shops and often punctuated the professional activity of...
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1 HMA 1951672 The Awakening of Protestant Music. The Catholic Church had confined the execution of liturgical singing to a single ecclesiastical body: the ‘schola’. The Reformation, however, aimed at returning it to the congregation of the faithful. This musical practice did not end at the doors of the church or the schools, but the singing of the Psalms could be heard in the streets, the shops and in the homes of those who practised domestic polyphonic music. It was here that the Psalms and religious chansons were soon to dethrone – sometimes by simply changing the words – the popular Renaissance secular chansons, now considered ‘foolish, vain and unseemly’ – in a word, immoral. Chansons et psaumes de la Réforme We know that the 16th century Reformation introduced a more ‘democratic’ approach to the performance of music in the Church by entrusting the execution of the liturgical singing to the congregation instead of to the specially trained singers of the ‘schola’, who from a very early period had reduced the Christian people to silence during the celebration of the religious service. In Protestant Churches it became customary from the very beginning for the entire congregation to respond to the officiating priest with hymns in the vernacular sung in unison to melodies that were easy to memorise and to sing. This gave birth in the Lutheran Church to the immense treasury of German chorales initiated by Martin Luther himself, and in the French Calvinist Church to the 150 Psalms of David translated and put into rhyme by Clément Marot and Théodore de Bèze. All of the verses of this closed, but essentially biblical cycle were sung over a period of about six months, i.e. twice a year, during the services on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday, which was a day of prayer. But we also know that among French Protestants this musical practice did not end when the faithful left the church or the schoolroom, because a place was allocated to the singing of the Psalms, in which children very soon participated, side by side with the family reading of the Bible, for the enhancement of domestic piety. It was also heard in the streets and shops and often punctuated the professional activity of craftsmen and artisans. Among the more cultivated classes of the population who practised polyphonic singing and playing at home as a learned entertainment, psalms and then sacred chansons gradually made their way into the repertoire and dethroned the secular chansons, now deemed foolish, vain and unseemly – in other words, immoral. From 1542 to the end of the 16th century many composers dipped into the literary and spiritual treasury of these Huguenot Psalms and their relevant church melodies, using them in compositions of extremely varied forms, vocal and instrumental forces and length, ‘not for the purposes of being sung in Church, but to rejoice in God, especially at home’ (Claude Goudimel, 1565). Some of these Psalms were developed into motets in which all of the stanzas were set to music, resulting in large-scale compositions in several parts. The most illustrious practitioners of this form were Claude Goudimel (eight books of Psaumes en forme de motets, 1551-1566) and Claude Le Jeune (Le Dodécacorde, 1598). Benedictus Appenzeller’s four-part setting of Psalm 130, Du fond de ma pensée (1542), is one example, although not very characteristic, because it does not yet make use of the ecclesiastic melody. Most of the Psalms, however, were treated in a more concise style, with the melody in the tenor or the soprano, all the stanzas being sung to the melody of the first one (Clément Janequin, Claude Goudimel, Claude Le Jeune, Paschal de l’Estocart). The most innovative form, the source of what we call the chorale, consisted in the note for note harmonisation of the customary melody. The most notable composers of this type were, once again, Claude Goudimel and Claude Le Jeune. Only one example is given on this recording, Clément Janequin’s setting of Psalm 23, Mon Dieu me paist. It is in the simplest style imaginable, intended for the widest possible distribution among musicians and clear enough for the text to be understood and remembered by any audience. Because this is not concert music, but music destined for the ‘re-creation’ of those who practice it, as Jean Calvin wrote in his preface to the Psalter of 1543, ‘For, among the things that are proper and able to recreate man and to give him sensuous enjoyment, music is either the first, or one of the principal ones, and we must consider that it is a gift of God intended for this purpose.’ Neither is it choral music, but personal and intimate music in which each part is taken by a single singer who, if need be, may be replaced by an instrument. An example of this practice is Pierre Certon’s four-part setting of Psalm 32, O bienheureux celuy, the
Transcript of Chansons et psaumes de la Réforme · and shops and often punctuated the professional activity of...
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HMA 1951672
The Awakening of Protestant Music.
The Catholic Church had confined the execution of
liturgical singing to a single ecclesiastical body: the
‘schola’. The Reformation, however, aimed at returning
it to the congregation of the faithful. This musical
practice did not end at the doors of the church or the
schools, but the singing of the Psalms could be heard
in the streets, the shops and in the homes of those
who practised domestic polyphonic music. It was here
that the Psalms and religious chansons were soon to
dethrone – sometimes by simply changing the words
– the popular Renaissance secular chansons, now
considered ‘foolish, vain and unseemly’ – in a word,
immoral.
Chansons et psaumes
de la Réforme
We know that the 16th century Reformation introduced a more ‘democratic’ approach to the performance of music in the Church by entrusting the execution of the liturgical singing to the con gre gation instead of to the specially trained singers of the ‘schola’, who from a very early period had reduced the Christian people to silence during the celebration of the religious service. In Protestant Churches it became customary from the very beginning for the entire congregation to respond to the offici ating priest with hymns in the vernacular sung in unison to melodies that were easy to memor ise and to sing. This gave birth in the Lutheran Church to the immense treasury of German chorales initiated by Martin Luther himself, and in the French Calvinist Church to the 150 Psalms of David translated and put into rhyme by Clément Marot and Théodore de Bèze. All of the verses of this closed, but essentially bib lical cycle were sung over a period of about six months, i.e. twice a year, during the services on Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday, which was a day of prayer. But we also know that among French Protestants this musical practice did not end when the faithful left the church or the schoolroom, because a place was allocated to the singing of the Psalms, in which children very soon participated, side by side with the family reading of the Bible, for the enhancement of domestic piety. It was also heard in the streets and shops and often punctuated the professional activity of craftsmen and artisans. Among the more cultivated classes of the population who practised polyphonic singing and playing at home as a learned entertainment, psalms and then sacred chansons gradually made their way into the repertoire and dethroned the secular chansons, now deemed foolish, vain and unseemly – in other words, immoral. From 1542 to the end of the 16th century many composers dipped into the literary and spiritual treasury of these Huguenot Psalms and their rele vant church melodies, using them in compositions of extremely varied forms, vocal and instrumental forces and length, ‘not for the purposes of being sung in Church, but to rejoice in God, especially at home’ (Claude Goudimel, 1565). Some of these Psalms were developed into motets in which all of the stanzas were set to music, resulting in large-scale compositions in several parts. The most illustrious practitioners of this form were Claude Goudimel (eight books of Psaumes en forme de motets, 1551-1566) and Claude Le Jeune (Le Dodécacorde, 1598). Benedictus Appenzeller’s four-part setting of Psalm 130, Du fond de ma pensée (1542), is one example, although not very characteristic, because it does not yet make use of the ecclesiastic melody. Most of the Psalms, however, were treated in a more concise style, with the melody in the tenor or the soprano, all the stanzas being sung to the melody of the first one (Clément Janequin, Claude Goudimel, Claude Le Jeune, Paschal de l’Estocart). The most innovative form, the source of what we call the chorale, consisted in the note for note harmonisation of the customary melody. The most notable composers of this type were, once again, Claude Goudimel and Claude Le Jeune. Only one example is given on this recording, Clément Janequin’s setting of Psalm 23, Mon Dieu me paist. It is in the simplest style imaginable, intended for the widest pos sible distribution among musicians and clear enough for the text to be understood and remembered by any audience. Because this is not concert music, but music destined for the ‘re- creation’ of those who practice it, as Jean Calvin wrote in his preface to the Psalter of 1543, ‘For, among the things that are proper and able to recreate man and to give him sensuous enjoyment, music is either the first, or one of the principal ones, and we must consider that it is a gift of God intended for this purpose.’ Neither is it choral music, but personal and intimate music in which each part is taken by a single singer who, if need be, may be replaced by an instrument. An example of this practice is Pierre Certon’s four-part setting of Psalm 32, O bienheureux celuy, the
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performance of which unites two voices and two instruments. Purely instrumental music, too, was developing rapidly at this period, as witnessed by the pieces for lute or for organ written to Psalm melodies, like the Fantaisies by Eustache du Caurroy heard on this recording.The art music of the Reformation is not, however, limited to the polyphonic psalm settings. The ‘chanson spirituelle’ is another, quantitatively no less import ant, aspect of it. The term denotes all of the music written to religious or moral istic texts other than paraphrases of the Psalms. Not compelled to use a pre-existing melody, they assume a freer, often more audacious character and are stylistically closer to the secular chanson. An outstanding example can be heard in Claude Le Jeune’s five-part chanson Hélas mon Dieu, ton ire s’est tournée. On the words ‘Hélas mon Dieu’ it presents two expressive passages using the chromatic technique of the ‘Anciens’, considered as particularly appropriate to the ex pression of lamentation. Among the large number of these ‘chansons spirituelles’ mention must be made of the Octonaires de la Vanité du Monde , short eight-line moral poems by three Protestant poets, the pastors Antoine de la Roche-Chandieu and Simon Goulart, and Joseph Du Chesne, a chemist and physician to Henry IV. The subjects of these poems are inspired by a theme common to religious thinking of the time, the renunciation of the world and its allurements, a world that the poets endeavoured to depict by employing colourful images and conceits, which in turn furnished composers like Paschal de l’Estocart and Claude Le Jeune with the occasion for vigorous and picturesque musical de scrip tions which endow their Octonaires with a richness of invention and originality quite uncommon for the period. They could be defined as French spiritual madrigals. Paschal de l’Estocart’s fifty Octonaires de la Vanité du Monde were published in 1581. Three of them may be heard on this recording. As for Claude Le Jeune’s Octonaires, published in 1606, six years after his death, they are grouped into twelve suites of three chansons each, and correspond to the twelve Renaissance modes. The first and second are in four parts and the third in three. He intended adding two more pieces in five and in six parts, but his death prevented him from completing the project.These Octonaires take us far from the melodic and contrapuntal style of the Franco-Flemish school. With them we have already entered the Baroque era and one can only dream of what the Reformed musical tradition might have become if the restrictions on religious freedom, the progressive shrinking of French Protestant ism and the ensuing persecutions in the 17th century had not definitively put an end to the brief but astonishingly rich history of which the above is a broadly sketched outline.
Marc Honegger
Translated by Derek Yeld
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PASCHAL DE L’ESTOCARTPsaume XXXIII
1 | Réveillez vous chacun fidèle,*Menez en Dieu joye or endroit,Louange et très séante et belleEn la bouche de l’homme droit.Sur la douce harpePendue en escharpe,Le Seigneur louez,De luts, d’espinettes,Sainctes chansonnettesA son nom jouez.
BENEDICTUS APPENZELLERPsaume CXXX
2 | Du fond de ma pensée,Au fond de tous ennuyctzDieu, je t’ai adresséeMa clameur jours et nuyctzEntends ma voix plaintiveSeigneur, il est saisonTon aureille ententiveSoit a mon oraison.
Si ta rigueur expresseEn nos peschez tu tiensSeigneur, Seigneur qui est ceQui demourra des tiensSi n’es tu point severeMais propice à mercy.C’est pourquoy on revereToy et ta loy aussy.* Chansons “Contrafactum”En Dieu, je me console,Mon ame si attendt,En sa ferme parolleTout mon espoir s’estendtMon ame à Dieu regardeMatin et sans sejour,Matin devant la gardeAssise au poinct du jour.
Que Israel en Dieu fondeHardiment son appuyCar en grace il habondeEt secours est en luy,C’est celluy qui sans doubteIsrael getteraHors d’iniquite touteEt le rachetera.
CLAUDE GOUDIMELPsaume XL
4 | Après avoir constamment attendu,De l’Éternel la volonté,Il s’est tourné de mon costé,Et à mon cry au besoin entendu.Hors de fange et d’ordure,Et profondeur obscure,D’un gouffre m’a tiré :A mes pieds affermis,Et au chemin remis,Sur un roc assuré.
CLAUDE GOUDIMELPsaume CXXXVII
5 | Estans assis aux rives aquatiquesDe Babylon, plorions mélancoliques,Nous souvenans du pays de Sion :Et au milieu de l’habitation,Où de regrets tant de pleurs espandismes,Aux saules verds nos harpes nous pendismes.
Lors ceux qui là captifs nous emmenerent,De les sonner fort nous importunerent,Et de Sion les chansons reciter :Las, dismes-nous, qui pourroit inciterNos tristes coeurs à chanter la louangeDe nostre Dieu en une terre estrange ?
Or toutefois puisse oublier ma dextreL’art de harper, avant qu’on te voye estre,Jerusalem, hors de mon souvenir. Ma langue puisse à mon palais tenir,Si je t’oublie, et si jamais ay joye,Tant que premier ta delivrance j’oye.
Aussi seras, Babylon, mise en cendre :Et tres-heureux qui te saura bien rendreLe mal dont trop de pres nous viens toucher :Heureux celuy qui viendra arracherLes tiens enfans de ta mamelle impure,Pour les froisser contre la pierre dure.
CLÉMENT JANEQUINPsaume X
6 | Dont vient cela Seigneur je te suppli,Que loing de nous te tient les yeulx couverts,Te caches tu pour nous mettre en oubli,Mesmes au temps, qui est dur, et divers,Par leur orgueil sont ardantz les perversA tourmenter l’humble qui peult se prise :Fais que sur eulx tombe leur entreprise.
Psaume XXIII
7 | Mon Dieu me paist sous sa puissance haute :C’est mon berger, de rien je n’auray faute :En tect bien seur, joignant les beaux herbagesCoucher me fait, me meine aux clairs rivages,Traite ma vie en douceur tres humaine :Et pour son Nom, par droits sentiers me meine.
Psaume XIII
8 | Jusques à quand as estably,Seigneur de me mettre en oubly ?Est ce à jamais ? par combien d’aageDestourneras-tu ton visageDe moy, las, d’angoisse remply.
Psaume XI
9 | Veu que du tout en Dieu mon cœur s’appuye,Je m’esbahy comment de vostre mont,Plustot qu’oyseau dites que je m’enfuye. Vray est que l’arc les malins tendu m’ont,Et sur la corde ont assis leurs sagettes,Pour contre ceux qui de coeur justes sont,Les descocher jusques en leurs cachettes.
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PIERRE CERTONPsaume XXXII
10 | O bienheureux celuy dont les commisesTransgressions sont par grace remises :Duquel aussi les iniques pechez,Devant son Dieu sont couvers et cachez !O combien plein de bonheur je reputeL’homme à qui Dieu son peché point n’impute !Et en l’esprit duquel n’habite pointD’hypocrisie et de fraude un seul poinct !
LOYS BOURGEOISPsaume XXXVIII
11 | Las ! en ta fureur aigue,Ne m’argue :De mon faict, Dieu tout puissant :Ton ardeur un peu retire,N’en ton ireNe me puni languissant.
PASCHAL DE L’ESTOCARTPsaume CXXXVII
12 | Estans assis aux rives aquatiques*De Babylon, plorions mélancoliques,Nous souvenans du pays de Sion :Et au milieu de l’habitation,Où de regrets tant de pleurs espandismes,Aux saules verds nos harpes nous pendismes.
ROLAND DE LASSUS
13 | Quand mon mari s’en va dehors,*Trotter ne vay en la rue,Mais à la besogne alors,Ménagère je me rue. S’il revient de la charrueAcueil luy fay gracieux :Il n’est vilain, grommeleur ni facheux,Bien que sois jeune et luy vieux.
14 | J’ayme mon Dieu et l’aymeray,*En ce propos suis et seray,Et le tiendray toute ma vie,Et quoy que l’on me porte envieJ’ayme mon Dieu et l’aymeray.
ROLAND DE LASSUS
15 | Fuyons des vices le jeu,*Comme le feu,N’aime les pechez infames,Sauve-toy loin de leurs flammes.Quand à moy je n’en ay cure,Ni les procure.Jamais on n’y gaigne rien,Je le sçay bien.Fuyons des vices le jeu,Comme le feu.
CLAUDIN DE SERMISY
16 | Tant que vivray en eage florissant*Je serviray le Seigneur tout puissantEn faict, en ditz et chansons par accordz.Le viel serpent m’a tenu languissant,Mais Jesus Christ m’a fait rejouissantEn exposant pour moy son sang et corps.Son alliance, c’est ma fiance,Il est tout mien, je suis tout sien.Fi de tristesse, vive liessePuisqu’en mon Dieu ha tant de bien !
CLAUDE LE JEUNEPsaume CXXX
18 | Du fons de ma pensée,*Au fond de tous ennuis,A toy s’est adresséeMa clameur jours et nuits.Enten ma voix plaintiveSeigneur il est saison,Ton aureille ententiveSoit à mon oraison.
Psaume LXIII
19 | O Dieu je n’ay Dieu fors que toy !*Dès le matin je te reclame,Et de ta soif je sens mon âmeToute pasmée dedans moyLes pauvres sens d’humeur tous vuidesDe mon corps mat et altéréToujours Seigneur t’ont desiréEn ces lieux desers et arides.
20 | Helas ! mon Dieu, ton ire s’est tournée,*Vers moy ton serf, qui me poursuit sans cesse,La peur que j’ay, fait que l’ame étonnéeDonne à mon coeur une estrème detresse :Le sens me faut, et vertu me délaisse,Toujours estant douleur devant mes yeux.Je te reclame et appelle en tous lieuxPour mettre fin à l’ennuy qui me point :Si tu ne veux, hélas m’envoyer mieux,Au moins, mon Dieu, ne m’abandonne point.
Octonaires de la vanité et inconstance du monde
24 | Douziesme mode :Ambition, Volupté, Avarice,*Trois Dames sont à qui on fait service,Et les Mondains se travaillent sans cesse,Pour en avoir Honneur, Plaisir, Richesse. Tous sont payez : le vain AmbitieuxN’a que du vent, le fol Voluptueux,Un repentir, l’Avare, un peu de terre,Et moins en a d’autant plus qu’il en serre.
Orfèvre taille moy une boule bien ronde,Creuse et pleine de vent, l’image de ce Monde,Et qu’une grand’ beauté la vienne revestirAutant que ton burin peut tromper et mentireEn y representant des fruits de toute guise :Et puis tout à l’entour escry ceste devise :Ainsi roule toujours ce Monde decevantQui n’a fruits qu’en peinture et fondés sur le vent.
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Ce Mond’est un pèlerinage :Les meschans forcenez de rage.Y sont les devots pelerinsQui, fourvoyés des drois chemins,Tombent en la fosse profondeDe la mort. Mais, ô toy mon Dieu,Guidant mes pas en autre lieu,Tire moy du chemin du Monde.
PASCHAL DE L’ESTOCART
Octonaires de la vanité et inconstance du monde :
25 | Je vi un jour le Monde combattant*Contre Vertu, sa plus grande ennemie.Il la menace, et elle le desfie.Il entre au camp, et elle l’y attend.Il marche, il vient, il s’approche, il luy tire.Mais tous ses coups ne peuvent avoir lieu.Car tous les traits du Monde sont de cire,Et le bouclier de Vertu est de Feu.
Contratenor : Le Monde est de cire, et Vertu est de feu.
26 | Celuy qui pense pouvoir*Au Monde repos avoir,Et assied son esperanceDessus un tel changement :Que pense un tel homme ? il penseEstre assis bien seurementDessus une boule ronde,Flottant au milieu de l’onde.
27 | Où est la mort ? au Monde, et le Monde ? en la mort.*Il est la mort luy mesme, et n’y a rien au MondeQui face tant mourir le Monde, que le Monde,Qui engendre, nourrit, et faict vivre sa mort.Mais si l’amour de Dieu ostoit le Monde au Monde,Faisant mourir du Monde et l’amour et la mort :Lors heureux nous verrions triompher de la mortLe Monde non Mondain, et la mort morte au Monde.
Sexta pars : O Dieu, je vis en Toy, Fay moy mourir au Monde.
