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Ex Silentio & Dimitris Kountouras - Music from the Court of Lusignan / The Codex of Cyprus (2021)

Posted By: delpotro

Date: 29 May 2024 19:32:29

The Torino Ms J.II.9 codex, kept in the National University Library of Turin, is a sumptuous manuscript consisting of 159 sheets, each measuring 377x270 mm. We may safely assume that the person responsible for putting together the musical works of this codex was a Frenchman resident at the Court of the Lusignan family long enough for the codex to be completed; the period in question must have been sometime between 1413 and 1430 CE.

The music of the codex follows the aesthetic principles of the Ars subtilior. It represents the music produced at the royal Court of the Lusignan of Cyprus (1192-1489).

All in all, it constitutes an invaluable artefact. It is divided into five parts or “fascicles”, and contains 334 musical compositions: hymns, polyphonic liturgical parts, motets in French and Latin, as well as secular forms popular at the time, such as virelais, rondeaux and ballades. These last three musical forms are, as already discussed, the most typical of their time, as regards French secular poetry, and consist of alternating eight-syllable and ten-syllable verses, with a caesura falling between the fourth and fifth syllable of each line.

All the compositions contained in the codex belong to composers that remain anonymous, and they are unique (“unicae”), which means that they are not to be found in other codices. In the works concerned, we find influences from the Ars subtilior, as regards rhythmic complexity, as well as a freer cantilena style (i.e. a singing quality in the higher voice), reminiscent of the polyphony of early 15th century Burgundy. So the codex is a very representative example of French polyphony, lying between the Ars subtilior and the polyphony of Guillaume Dufay’s (1397-1474) generation. It contains 334 monophonic and polyphonic compositions, as follows: 102 ballades, 64 virelais & rondeaux, 41 motets, 21 liturgical parts, 106 hymns and psalms.

This very demanding repertoire must have been interpreted by an excellent group of singer-musicians residing at Court. Two such musicians, who are known to have lived in Nicosia at the time, are Jean Hanelle (c. 1380-1436 CE) and Gilet Velut (c. 1380-1417 CE). Jean Hanelle, of whom we know little, was a singer in Cambrai, perhaps the teacher of Guillaume Dufay, as well as a musician at the Lusignan Court in Nicosia. According to musicologist Karl Kügle, Hanelle must have composed most of the works contained in the Turin codex. He must have passed the greater part of his creative life at the Cypriot Court, as he was the Maitre de la Chapelle, i.e. the person in charge of the music played in the Court chapel.

Velut must have established some connection with the Cambrai cathedral, and, sometime around 1411, must have travelled to Cyprus, after which point we lose track of his whereabouts. Scholars believe that Velut died in Cyprus. It is worth noting that both of these musicians are mentioned by name in the famous Cypriot Leontios Machairas’ Chronicle:

…whereupon he brought hither as psalmist Juan Murese the priest,
and Sire Juan Morosie the priest, and Juan Rondos, and Juan Hanelle,
and Jacquo de Razé and Gilet Velut, and Sire Pierre Vernet the priest…

Some of the pieces mention Cyprus, as well as members of the Lusignan family, such as King Janus (in motets no. 6 and no. 8), and James I de Lusignan.

The codex must have been a wedding gift, as part of Anna’s (King Janus’ daughter) dowry, for her marriage to Louis de Savoy (1413-1465), son of Amedeo, Duke of Savoy, and Marie of Burgundy. The groom never set foot on Cyprus, however an emissary was sent, who attended the marital festivities which took place over many days and were well attended by various members of the European nobility. The bride, with her retinue, departed for Savoy on the 1st of November 1433, traveling via Venice. When Anna reached Chambery, the formal marriage ceremony took place, this time attended by the groom, Louis de Savoy, on the 2nd of February 1434. The festivities were attended by, among others, Philip the Good, King of Burgundy, and in charge of the music was the well-known composer Guillaume Dufay, who was resident at the Court of Savoy, having arrived the previous day. The codex also reached Chambery, the Savoy capital, as part of Anna’s baggage, and was incorporated into the collection of the Dukes of Savoy.

Sometime during the 18th century it was catalogued as an ‘Antiphonarium et Graduale Ecclesiasticum” and was taken to Turin. In the 19th century, it became part of the collections of the National Library at Turin and, in 1904, was threatened by a fire which broke out at the library, without suffering substantial damage.

The music of the Turin codex constitutes an invaluable source and, at the same time, a musical embodiment of the Gothic aesthetic of the French rulers of the East, equivalent to other such expressions of the same aesthetic, as found, for example, in the Cypriot architectural monuments of the Cathedral of Saint Sophia (Holy Wisdom) and Bellapais Abbey.

Tracklist:
01. Le mois de Mai (rondeau a3)
02. il ne sait pas (rondeau a3)
03. il s'empeche de folie (ballade)
04. Qui n'a le cuer rainpli (rondeau a2, instr.)
05. La douceur de vostre biau vis (virelai)
06. Tout vrais solas feray (rondeau a2)
07. Je la remire (rondeau a3)
08. Je vous suppli, très douce rose (ballade a3)
09. EPILOGUE (Bonus Track) - Et in terra pax (frag., monophonic hymn, instr.)

EAC

Exact Audio Copy V1.6 from 23. October 2020

EAC extraction logfile from 24. May 2024, 16:34

Ex Silentio @Dimitris Kountouras / The Codex of Cyprus - Music from the Court of Lusignan

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Track 1

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Accurately ripped (confidence 1) [26FC749C] (AR v2)
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Track 2

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Track 3

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Accurately ripped (confidence 1) [04B2F812] (AR v2)
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Track 4

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Accurately ripped (confidence 1) [EBD984D6] (AR v2)
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Track 5

Filename E:\Ex Silentio - Music from the Court of Lusignan (2021) [FLAC] {Nefeli}\05. La douceur de vostre biau vis (virelai).wav

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Accurately ripped (confidence 1) [16F1050A] (AR v2)
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Track 6

Filename E:\Ex Silentio - Music from the Court of Lusignan (2021) [FLAC] {Nefeli}\06. Tout vrais solas feray (rondeau a2).wav

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Track 7

Filename E:\Ex Silentio - Music from the Court of Lusignan (2021) [FLAC] {Nefeli}\07. Je la remire (rondeau a3).wav

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Track 8

Filename E:\Ex Silentio - Music from the Court of Lusignan (2021) [FLAC] {Nefeli}\08. Je vous suppli, très douce rose (ballade a3).wav

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Track 9

Filename E:\Ex Silentio - Music from the Court of Lusignan (2021) [FLAC] {Nefeli}\09. EPILOGUE (Bonus Track) - Et in terra pax (frag., monophonic hymn, instr.).wav

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All tracks accurately ripped

No errors occurred

End of status report

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Submit result: already submitted
Track | CTDB Status
1 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
2 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
3 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
4 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
5 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
6 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
7 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
8 | (1/1) Accurately ripped
9 | (1/1) Accurately ripped

==== Log checksum 7CB7B3B2FD7E5CEA743B116CBFA5CF396A150587E438976317F690963AF2A98A ====

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CD-Rip FLAC MP3 Lossless 2021 Classical Classical Music Vocal Medieval Renaissance Dimitris Kountouras CD-Rip + Scans Ex Silentio