Style brisé
Encyclopedia
Style brisé is a term for broken, arpeggiated
texture in instrumental music. It usually refers to French
Baroque
music for lute, keyboard instruments or the viol
. French Baroque musicians referred to this type of texture as style luthé ("lute style"), since it originated in lute music. The earliest instance of the term style brisé is found in scholar Lionel de La Laurencie's 1928 book on lute music, Les luthistes. La Laurencie may have simply translated the German equivalent (which was in use since at least the early 18th century) into French.
The defining feature of style brisé is the use of diverse, unpredictable ways of breaking up chordal progressions and melodies. This technique was first used by early French lutenists, and quickly gained popularity in France; La Laurencie speaks of "style brisé of the Gaultiers", referring to Ennemond Gaultier
(c.1575–1651) and Denis Gaultier
(1603–1672). The first harpsichord
ists to adopt style brisé textures were Jacques Champion de Chambonnières
(c.1601–1672) and Johann Jakob Froberger
(1616–1667); after them, virtually all French harpsichordists employed style brisé and it became a defining feature of the lute and harpsichord schools of France.
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
texture in instrumental music. It usually refers to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
music for lute, keyboard instruments or the viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
. French Baroque musicians referred to this type of texture as style luthé ("lute style"), since it originated in lute music. The earliest instance of the term style brisé is found in scholar Lionel de La Laurencie's 1928 book on lute music, Les luthistes. La Laurencie may have simply translated the German equivalent (which was in use since at least the early 18th century) into French.
The defining feature of style brisé is the use of diverse, unpredictable ways of breaking up chordal progressions and melodies. This technique was first used by early French lutenists, and quickly gained popularity in France; La Laurencie speaks of "style brisé of the Gaultiers", referring to Ennemond Gaultier
Ennemond Gaultier
Ennemond Gaultier was a French lutenist and composer. He was one of the masters of the 17th century French lute school....
(c.1575–1651) and Denis Gaultier
Denis Gaultier
Denis Gaultier was a French lutenist and composer. He was a cousin of Ennemond Gaultier.-Life:...
(1603–1672). The first harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
ists to adopt style brisé textures were Jacques Champion de Chambonnières
Jacques Champion de Chambonnières
Jacques Champion de Chambonnières was a French harpsichordist, dancer and composer. Born into a musical family, Chambonnières made an illustrious career as court harpsichordist in Paris and was considered by many of his contemporaries to be one of the greatest musicians in Europe...
(c.1601–1672) and Johann Jakob Froberger
Johann Jakob Froberger
Johann Jakob Froberger was a German Baroque composer, keyboard virtuoso, and organist. He was among the most famous composers of the era and influenced practically every major composer in Europe by developing the genre of keyboard suite and contributing greatly to the exchange of musical...
(1616–1667); after them, virtually all French harpsichordists employed style brisé and it became a defining feature of the lute and harpsichord schools of France.