The music of the troubadours

The Music of the Troubadours is the first comprehensive critical study of the 315 extant melodies of the troubadours of Occitania in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It begins with an overview of the social and political milieu of the late medieval Mediterranean world, along with brief biographies of the 42 troubadours whose music survives. Elizabeth Aubrey then describes in detail the four manuscripts that transmit this music, and her analysis of scribal procedures shows the overlapping roles of composers, singers, and scribes. Music and poetry complemented each other. Aubrey examines the medieval poetic traditions within which the troubadours composed, including discussions of genre, versification, and poetic style. Through an in-depth analysis of the forms and styles of the melodies, she identifies musical traits of certain composers and offers a broad view of the chronological development of the music. She also discusses issues of performance practice, such as rhythm, the use of instruments, chromatic inflections, and ornamentation, to aid today's musicians in recreating these timeless and beautiful songs.