Feast of the Pheasant
Encyclopedia
The Feast of the Pheasant (French
: Banquet du Voeu du Faisan, "Banquet of the Oath of the Pheasant") was a banquet given by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
on 17 February 1454 in Lille
, now in France. Its purpose was to promote a crusade against the Turks
, who had taken Constantinople
the year before. The crusade never took place.
There are contemporary accounts of the banquet (notably the Memoirs of Olivier de la Marche
, and the Chroniques of Mathieu d'Escouchy
), which name and describe in much detail the lavish entertainments staged during the meal and various pieces of music performed at it, perhaps including Dufay
's motet
Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae
. At one point in the show, according to the chronicles, an actor dressed as a woman in white satin clothes, personifying the
church of Constantinople (according to one hypothesis, played by Olivier de la Marche himself) entered the hall of the banquet riding on an elephant, led by a giant Saracen
, to recite a "complaint and lamentation in a piteous and feminine voice" ("commença sa complainte et lamentacion à voix piteuse et femmenine"), requesting aid from the Knights of the Golden Fleece
. It has been surmised that this was the moment when Dufay's motet would have been performed; other authors have conjectured that it was merely a moment of inspiration and that the motet was actually written later.
We are also told which music by Gilles Binchois
was performed and of 24 musicians playing inside an enormous pie and a trick with a horse riding backwards.
The oath taken by the participants, the Vœux du faisan ("oath
of the pheasant
") was in the tradition of the "bird oaths" of Late Medieval France as popularized in the 14th century romance of the Voeux du paon.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Banquet du Voeu du Faisan, "Banquet of the Oath of the Pheasant") was a banquet given by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
on 17 February 1454 in Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, now in France. Its purpose was to promote a crusade against the Turks
Growth of the Ottoman Empire
The Growth of the Ottoman Empire is the period followed after the Rise of the Ottoman Empire in which the Ottoman state reached the Pax Ottomana. In this period, the Ottoman Empire expanded southwestwards into North Africa and battled with the re-emergent Persian Shi'ia Safavid Empire to the east...
, who had taken Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
the year before. The crusade never took place.
There are contemporary accounts of the banquet (notably the Memoirs of Olivier de la Marche
Olivier de la Marche
Olivier de la Marche was a courtier, soldier, chronicler and poet in the last decades of the independent Duchy of Burgundy. He was close to Charles the Bold, and after his death held the important position of maître d'hotel to his daughter Mary of Burgundy, and her husband, and was sent on a...
, and the Chroniques of Mathieu d'Escouchy
Mathieu d'Escouchy
Mathieu d'Escouchy was a Picard chronicler during the last stages of the Hundred Years War. His Chronique was a continuation of the chronicle of Enguerrand de Monstrelet, with manuscripts of which it occurs as a third volume; it was edited by G. du Fresne de Beaucourt,...
), which name and describe in much detail the lavish entertainments staged during the meal and various pieces of music performed at it, perhaps including Dufay
Dufay
Dufay is the surname of* Charles François du Fay, French chemist* Guillaume Dufay, a Franco-Flemish composer and music theorist* Rick Dufay, a former guitarist with AerosmithDufay can also refer to...
's motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae
Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae
Lamentatio sanctae matris ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae is a motet by the Renaissance composer Guillaume Dufay. Its topic is a lament of the fall of Constantinople under the Ottoman Turks in 1453...
. At one point in the show, according to the chronicles, an actor dressed as a woman in white satin clothes, personifying the
church of Constantinople (according to one hypothesis, played by Olivier de la Marche himself) entered the hall of the banquet riding on an elephant, led by a giant Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
, to recite a "complaint and lamentation in a piteous and feminine voice" ("commença sa complainte et lamentacion à voix piteuse et femmenine"), requesting aid from the Knights of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
. It has been surmised that this was the moment when Dufay's motet would have been performed; other authors have conjectured that it was merely a moment of inspiration and that the motet was actually written later.
We are also told which music by Gilles Binchois
Gilles Binchois
Gilles de Binche , also known as Gilles de Bins , was a Franco-Flemish composer, one of the earliest members of the Burgundian School, and one of the three most famous composers of the early 15th century...
was performed and of 24 musicians playing inside an enormous pie and a trick with a horse riding backwards.
The oath taken by the participants, the Vœux du faisan ("oath
Oath
An oath is either a statement of fact or a promise calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually God, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. To swear is to take an oath, to make a solemn vow...
of the pheasant
Pheasant
Pheasants refer to some members of the Phasianinae subfamily of Phasianidae in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattles and long tails. Males are usually larger than females and have...
") was in the tradition of the "bird oaths" of Late Medieval France as popularized in the 14th century romance of the Voeux du paon.
Discography
- Le Banquet du Voeu, 1454, Music at the Court of Burgundy, Ensemble Gilles Binchois - Dominique Vellard, Virgin Classics 91441,Virgin Veritas 59043.