Martinus Fabri
Encyclopedia
Martinus Fabri was a North Netherlandish composer of the late 14th century.
Fabri was probably either from Flanders
or the Netherlands
, and lived near the end of the Middle Ages
. The surname "Fabri" was probably a Latinization of the name "Smeets" or perhaps "Le Fèvre" (Wegman 1992, 192). Little is known about his life. Apart from undated mention of his name in the records of the church of St Donatian, Bruges
, he is known to have been a singer at the court of Holland at The Hague
from 1395 until his death in May of 1400 (Reaney 2001). Of the three singers known to have been at the court in this time period, he was the only one known to have had a university degree (Wegman 1992, 193). After his demise, several books of polyphonic music
were bought from his estate by the Count of Holland for use in his chapel (Reaney 2001).
Of his compositions, only four complete pieces survive, all ballade
s. Two of these have French texts (Or se depart and N'ay je cause d’estre lies et joyeux) and are in the ars subtilior
style, highly complex and mannered (Reaney 2001). Both are three-voice compositions, though there are two (incompatible) alternatives for the third voice in Or se depart—a triplum and a contratenor (Reaney 2001). The other two ballades are in Dutch (Eer ende lof heb d'aventuer and Een cleyn parabel), with a simpler syllabic style of setting (Reaney 2001). The Leiden manuscript in which all of Fabri's works are found also contains an incomplete ballade, Een cleyn parabel, the text of which describes a dilemma: the poet loves his lady and would like to marry her, but finds it difficult to accept her recently born child. This may be an autobiographical reference: Martinus Fabri had a son baptized in April 1396, and the godmother was Margaret of Cleves, Countess of Holland
(Wegman 1992, 194).
. MEW 0852. Contains a recording of "Eer ende lof" by Martinus Fabri.
Fabri was probably either from Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
or the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and lived near the end of the Middle Ages
Medieval music
Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Roman Empire and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century...
. The surname "Fabri" was probably a Latinization of the name "Smeets" or perhaps "Le Fèvre" (Wegman 1992, 192). Little is known about his life. Apart from undated mention of his name in the records of the church of St Donatian, Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
, he is known to have been a singer at the court of Holland at The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
from 1395 until his death in May of 1400 (Reaney 2001). Of the three singers known to have been at the court in this time period, he was the only one known to have had a university degree (Wegman 1992, 193). After his demise, several books of polyphonic music
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
were bought from his estate by the Count of Holland for use in his chapel (Reaney 2001).
Of his compositions, only four complete pieces survive, all ballade
Ballade
The ballade is a form of French poetry. It was one of the three formes fixes and one of the verse forms in France most commonly set to music between the late 13th and the 15th centuries....
s. Two of these have French texts (Or se depart and N'ay je cause d’estre lies et joyeux) and are in the ars subtilior
Ars subtilior
Ars subtilior is a musical style characterized by rhythmic and notational complexity, centered around Paris, Avignon in southern France, also in northern Spain at the end of the fourteenth century. The style also is found in the French Cypriot repertory...
style, highly complex and mannered (Reaney 2001). Both are three-voice compositions, though there are two (incompatible) alternatives for the third voice in Or se depart—a triplum and a contratenor (Reaney 2001). The other two ballades are in Dutch (Eer ende lof heb d'aventuer and Een cleyn parabel), with a simpler syllabic style of setting (Reaney 2001). The Leiden manuscript in which all of Fabri's works are found also contains an incomplete ballade, Een cleyn parabel, the text of which describes a dilemma: the poet loves his lady and would like to marry her, but finds it difficult to accept her recently born child. This may be an autobiographical reference: Martinus Fabri had a son baptized in April 1396, and the godmother was Margaret of Cleves, Countess of Holland
Margaret of Cleves (c.1375-1411)
Margaret of Cleves was a German noblewoman. A daughter of Adolph III, Count of Mark and Margaret of Jülich , in 1394 she became the second wife of Albert I, Duke of Bavaria, though the marriage remained childless. The couple held court in The Hague....
(Wegman 1992, 194).
Sources
- Reaney, Gilbert. 2001. "Fabri, Martinus". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley SadieStanley SadieStanley Sadie CBE was a leading British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , which was published as the first edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.Sadie was educated at St Paul's School,...
and John TyrrellJohn Tyrrell (professor of music)John Tyrrell was born in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia in 1942. He studied at the universities of Cape Town, Oxford and Brno. In 2000 he was appointed Research Professor at Cardiff University....
. London: Macmillan Publishers. - Wegman, Rob C. 1992. "New Light on Secular Polyphony at the Court of Holland in the Early Fifteenth Century". Journal of the Royal Musical Association 117, no. 2:181–207.
Recordings
2009 - En un gardin. Les quatre saisons de l'Ars Nova. Manuscrits de Stavelot, Mons, Utrecht, Leiden. Capilla FlamencaCapilla Flamenca
Capilla Flamenca is a vocal and instrumental early music consort based in Leuven, Belgium. The group specialises in 14th to 16th Century music from Flanders and takes its name from the choir of the court chapel of Emperor Charles V...
. MEW 0852. Contains a recording of "Eer ende lof" by Martinus Fabri.