A Woman’s Voice: Musical Settings of Poetry by Christine de Pizan and an Anonymous Poet
The poem Dueil angoisseus (“Anguished grief”) by Christine de Pizan and the anonymous Comme femme desconfortée (“Like a woman inconsolable”), set the text in the voice of a woman whose lover has been taken by Death. Gilles Binchois’ popular rondeau Comme femme desconfortée, is one of the most famous 15th-century chansons, and was given an elaborate setting by Alexander Agricola and a Mass by Henrich Isaac. In this session we will explore these stunning musical settings by joining me on recorder and by taking a closer look at the original manuscripts they come from.