Courtly Love Songs of Medieval France

"This is the first full-length study of the courtly love songs of the trouvere to address the central musical problems of the repertoire as a whole, embracing source studies, interpretation, historiography, and analysis. The argument of the book revolves around three axes, each of which is essential to the appreciation of the others: problems concerning the extant manuscript tradition, the crucial role of orality, and stylistic changes and plurality in the reperotire."

"A full overview of the musical sources and notation is undertaken. This reveals the idiosyncrasies of individual manuscripts but, more importantly, it identifies two basic phases in the manuscript tradition. The study of melodic variants reveals the performance art that lies at the heart of the courtly grand chant. Individual songs are analysed, and processes and techniques of variation are examined, bringing us to a closer understanding of the tenets of the melodic art of the early trouveres."--Jacket.