Description
Book SynopsisGuillaume de Machaut, a pioneer of a new school of lyric compositions, is the most important poet and composer of late medieval France. This volume provides a freshly prepared edition based on the most reliable manuscript of two of Machaut’s best known
dits, the
Remede de Fortune (Remedy for Fortune) and the
Confort d’ami (Consolation from a Friend), both of which adapt the central ideas of Boethian philosophy to the love poetry tradition.
Less well known than the
Remede, the
Confort d’Ami is an important political document and exemplifies one of the most significant of medieval literary forms, the
regiment principum. The work is addressed to Machaut’s imprisoned patron, Charles of Navarre, who attempted to seize the throne of France upon his release. The music of the intercalated lyrics in the
Remede is here included
in situ in performance-accessible form, as are the manuscript illuminations in
grisaille. Detailed commentaries on Machaut, these poetical works, the accompanying music, and the art program of the base manuscript are also included.
Table of ContentsIntroduction Art History Commentary by Domenico Leo Introduction to Music by Uri Smilansky
The Boethian Poems 1.
Le Remede de Fortune 2.
Le Confort d'Ami Explanatory Notes Textual Notes Notes to the Music by Uri Smilansky
