Albertet de Sestaro
Encyclopedia
Albertet de Sestaró, Sestairó, Sestairon, Sestarron, Sisteron, or Terascon (fl.
1194–1221) was a Provençal
jongleur and troubadour
from the Gapençais
(Gapensés in Occitan). Of his total oeuvre, twenty three poems survive. "Albertet" or "Albertetz" is the Occitan diminutive of Albert. Unqualified it usually refers to Albertet de Sestaro, but there was an Albertet Cailla
.
According to his vida
he was the son of a noble jongleur named Asar, one of whose pieces may survive. Albertet was reputed for his voice and for the innovative melodies of his short cansós
, but not for his lyrics. Fellow troubadour Uc de Lescura
praised Albertet's votz a ben dir ("well-spoken-of voice"). He was a welcomed performer and conversationalist in court society. Much of his life was spent at Orange
, where he grew wealthy before moving to Lombardy
, where he remained from 1210 to 1221. In Italy he frequented the courts of Savoy
, Montferrat
, Malaspina, Genoa
, and the Este in Ferrara
. At the Este court he probably came into contact with Guillem Augier Novella
, Aimeric de Pegulhan, and Aimeric de Belenoi
. He also travelled west of Provence as far as Montferrand
, where he met Dalfí d'Alvernha, Gaucelm Faidit
, and Peirol
, and by some accounts he even took refuge in Spain
at some point. Eventually he returned to Sisteron
in the Forcalquier
, where he died.
One of Albertet's most famous works is a satire which heaps praise on seven prominent women of his time, notably Beatrice of Savoy
, wife of Raymond Berengar IV of Provence. There is also a tensó
between Albertet and Aimeric de Pegulhan: N'Albertz, chausetz a vostre sen. This tensó is evidence that Albertet called himself Albert, though later scribes usually employed the diminutive. Albertet also composed a tenso with Aimeric de Belenoi. He praised Augier and Gaucelm Faidit, and he honoured Peirol by name in one tornada
:
Asides from this request to Peirol, Albertet elsewhere begged his lady to learn his poems, possibly with an eye to the propagation through further singing and recitation:
Despite his reputation as a musician, only two of his surviving works— the Mos coratges m'es camjatz and A! mi no fai chantar foilla ni flors (both cansós)—have complete melodies, though one other (En mon cor ai un' aital encobida) is partially extant. There is another piece, a descort
entitled Bel m'es oimais, which does not survive with music in its only manuscript but which might have been the model for the strophic lai
Bel m'est li tans of the trouvère
Colin Muset
. Another trouvère, Mahieu le Juif
, was probably influenced by a piece of Albertet's in composing the text for his song beginning Par grant. Each piece of Albertet's surviving musical work is distinct, though on the whole it is conservative, written within one tenth interval, syllabic
with melisma
s only at the ends of phrases. Mos coratges is conventional but ornate; En mon cor appears to have been through-composed
; and A! mi no fai chantar is complex and subtle, written in a simple style, but with unique intervals and phrasing.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1194–1221) was a Provençal
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
jongleur and troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
from the Gapençais
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
(Gapensés in Occitan). Of his total oeuvre, twenty three poems survive. "Albertet" or "Albertetz" is the Occitan diminutive of Albert. Unqualified it usually refers to Albertet de Sestaro, but there was an Albertet Cailla
Albertet Cailla
Albertet "Albert" Cailla or Calha was a Albigeois jongleur and troubadour. According to his vida he was "of slight worth" but beloved by his neighbours and the local women. His vida says that he composed one good canso and several sirventes, but only one partimen survives...
.
According to his vida
Vida (Occitan literary form)
Vida is the usual term for a brief prose biography, written in Old Occitan, of a troubadour or trobairitz.The word vida means "life" in Occitan languages. In the chansonniers, the manuscript collections of medieval troubadour poetry, the works of a particular author are often accompanied by a...
he was the son of a noble jongleur named Asar, one of whose pieces may survive. Albertet was reputed for his voice and for the innovative melodies of his short cansós
Canso (song)
The canso is a song style used by the troubadours. It consists of three parts. The first stanza is the exordium, where the composer explains his purpose. The main body of the song occurs in the following stanzas, and usually draw out a variety of relationships with the exordium. The canso can end...
, but not for his lyrics. Fellow troubadour Uc de Lescura
Uc de Lescura
Uc de Lescura or de l'Escura was a minor troubadour. The Lescura of his birth is unknown. There is a Lescurre in Ariège, Aveyron, and Tarn...
praised Albertet's votz a ben dir ("well-spoken-of voice"). He was a welcomed performer and conversationalist in court society. Much of his life was spent at Orange
Orange, Vaucluse
Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy...
, where he grew wealthy before moving to Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, where he remained from 1210 to 1221. In Italy he frequented the courts of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
, Montferrat
March of Montferrat
The March of Montferrat was frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages and state of the Holy Roman Empire...
, Malaspina, Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
, and the Este in Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
. At the Este court he probably came into contact with Guillem Augier Novella
Guillem Augier Novella
Guillem Augier Novella was a troubadour from Vienne in the Dauphinois who lived most of his adulthood in Lombardy and was active as a minstrel in the early or mid thirteenth century...
, Aimeric de Pegulhan, and Aimeric de Belenoi
Aimeric de Belenoi
Aimeric de Belenoi was a Gascon troubadour. At least fifteen of his songs survive and there are seven more which were attributed to him in some medieval manuscripts....
. He also travelled west of Provence as far as Montferrand
Montferrand
Montferrand may refer to the following places in France:* Montferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, a former town, now part of Clermont-Ferrand* Montferrand, Aude, a commune in the department of Aude* Montferrand-du-Périgord, a commune in the department of Dordogne...
, where he met Dalfí d'Alvernha, Gaucelm Faidit
Gaucelm Faidit
Gaucelm Faidit was a troubadour, born in Uzerche, in the Limousin, from a family of knights in service of the count of Turenne. He travelled widely in France, Spain, and Hungary...
, and Peirol
Peirol
Peirol or PeiròlIn Occitan, peir means "stone" and -ol is a diminutive suffix, the name Peirol being understood as the equivalent of "Little Stone" but also "Petit Pierre" or "Pierrot" ; however, "peiròl" also meant a cauldron or a stove...
, and by some accounts he even took refuge in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at some point. Eventually he returned to Sisteron
Sisteron
Sisteron is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Sisteron is situated on the banks of the River Durance just after the confluence of the rivers Buëch and Sasse...
in the Forcalquier
Forcalquier
Forcalquier is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river...
, where he died.
One of Albertet's most famous works is a satire which heaps praise on seven prominent women of his time, notably Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy
Beatrice of Savoy was the daughter of Thomas I of Savoy and Margaret of Geneva. She was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence.-Family:...
, wife of Raymond Berengar IV of Provence. There is also a tensó
Tenso
A tenso is a style of Occitan song favoured by the troubadours. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position on a topic relating to love or ethics. Closely related genres include the partimen and the cobla exchange...
between Albertet and Aimeric de Pegulhan: N'Albertz, chausetz a vostre sen. This tensó is evidence that Albertet called himself Albert, though later scribes usually employed the diminutive. Albertet also composed a tenso with Aimeric de Belenoi. He praised Augier and Gaucelm Faidit, and he honoured Peirol by name in one tornada
Tornada (Occitan literary term)
In Occitan lyric poetry, a tornada refers to a final, shorter stanza which is addressed to a patron, lady, or friend. They often contain useful information about the piece's composition and the troubadour's circle....
:
|
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Asides from this request to Peirol, Albertet elsewhere begged his lady to learn his poems, possibly with an eye to the propagation through further singing and recitation:
Despite his reputation as a musician, only two of his surviving works— the Mos coratges m'es camjatz and A! mi no fai chantar foilla ni flors (both cansós)—have complete melodies, though one other (En mon cor ai un' aital encobida) is partially extant. There is another piece, a descort
Descort
The descort is a subgenre of Occitan lyric poetry used by the troubadours. It is a song heavily discordant in verse form and/or feeling and often used to express disagreement. It was invented by Garin d'Apchier when he wrote Quan foill'e flors reverdezis...
entitled Bel m'es oimais, which does not survive with music in its only manuscript but which might have been the model for the strophic lai
Lai
A lai is a lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.Lais were mainly composed in France and Germany, during the 13th and 14th centuries. A Provençal term for a similar kind of poem is descort.The English term lay is a...
Bel m'est li tans of the trouvère
Trouvère
Trouvère , sometimes spelled trouveur , is the Northern French form of the word trobador . It refers to poet-composers who were roughly contemporary with and influenced by the troubadours but who composed their works in the northern dialects of France...
Colin Muset
Colin Muset
Colin Muset was an Old French trouvère and a native of Lorraine. He made his living in the Champagne by travelling from castle to castle singing songs of his own composition and playing the vielle. These are not confined to the praise of courtly love that formed the usual topic of the trouvères,...
. Another trouvère, Mahieu le Juif
Mahieu le Juif
Mahieu le Juif was an Old French trouvère. His name means "Matthew the Jew" and, if his own songs are to be believed, he was a convert from Judaism to Christianity. Only two of his songs survive, one with a melody...
, was probably influenced by a piece of Albertet's in composing the text for his song beginning Par grant. Each piece of Albertet's surviving musical work is distinct, though on the whole it is conservative, written within one tenth interval, syllabic
Syllabic
Syllabic may refer to:*Canadian Aboriginal syllabics, a family of abugidas used to write a number of Aboriginal Canadian languages.*Syllabary, writing system using symbols for syllables...
with melisma
Melisma
Melisma, in music, is the singing of a single syllable of text while moving between several different notes in succession. Music sung in this style is referred to as melismatic, as opposed to syllabic, where each syllable of text is matched to a single note.-History:Music of ancient cultures used...
s only at the ends of phrases. Mos coratges is conventional but ornate; En mon cor appears to have been through-composed
Through-composed
Through-composed music is relatively continuous, non-sectional, and/or non-repetitive. A song is said to be through-composed if it has different music for each stanza of the lyrics. This is in contrast to strophic form, in which each stanza is set to the same music...
; and A! mi no fai chantar is complex and subtle, written in a simple style, but with unique intervals and phrasing.