Known as “La Chièvre de Reims,” Robert de Reims was among the earliest trouvères—poet-composers who were contemporaries of the troubadours, but who wrote their works in the northern dialects of France. This critical edition provides new translations into English and Modern French of all the songs and motets attributed to him, along with the original texts, the extant melodies, and a substantive introduction.
Active sometime between 1190 and 1220, Robert de Reims was an influential figure in the literary circles of Arras. There are thirteen compositions set to music attributed to him, including nine chansons (songs) and four polyphonic motets that show broad dissemination in the thirteenth century and beyond. Robert’s work is exceptional on a number of fronts. His poetry is known for acoustic luxuriance and expertise in rhyming, grounded in the play of echoes and variations. He is the earliest trouvère known to have composed a sotte chanson contre Amours (silly song against Love), and his lyrics feature the first specimens of intensive echo rhyming. Located clearly at the nexus of monophonic song and polyphony, Robert’s corpus also poses the intriguing question of trouvère participation in the development of the polyphonic repertory.
The case of Robert de Reims jostles and tempers the standard history of the chanson and the motet. Accessible and instructive, this trilingual critical edition of his complete works makes the oeuvre of this innovative and consequential trouvère available in one volume for the first time.
Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
List of Manuscripts Cited
Introduction
Robert de Reims, dit La Chievre: What We Know, What We Can Surmise
The Corpus and Its Manuscript Tradition
Thematic Content
Language
Versification: Strophic Structures, Rhyme, and Other Phonic Echoes
Music and Text in the Works of Robert de Reims
Editorial Policy for the Texts and Translations
Editorial Policy for the Music
Presentation of the Critical Apparatus
Tables
Notes
Songs and Motets
1. Bien s’est Amors honie — Chanson
2. Plaindre m’estuet de la bele en chantant — Chanson
3. Qui bien veut Amors descrivre — Chanson à refrain
4a. Quant voi le douz tens venir — Chanson avec des refrains
4b. Qant voi le douz tens venir /(immo)latus — Motet
5a. L’autrier de jouste un rivage — Pastourelle
5b. L’autrier de jouste un rivage /domino quoniam — Motet
6. Touse de vile champestre — Pastourelle
7a. Quant fueillissent li buison — Chanson avec des refrains
7b. Quant florissent li buisson /domino quoniam — Motet
8a. Main s’est levee Aëliz — Chanson de rencontre
8b. Main s’est levee Aëlis /(mansuetudi)nem — Motet
9. Ja mais, por tant con l’ame el cors me bate — Sotte chanson contre Amours