Adam de la Halle & The Rondeau
With a look at “Tant Con Je Vivrai”
I've decided to submit essays from my past studies as writing samples. If you would like receive a list of resources, please reach out to me on twitter (@trevormolag) or elsewhere. This was my first essay from my time at the University of Lethbridge. (2012)
The Formes Fixes were the three French poetic forms of Chanson (French lyric song) that were most prevalent during the 14th and 15th centuries. The three forms — the ballade, the rondeau, and the virelai — had a great impact on music during their period; and there continues to be evidence of their influence through to the 16th century, especially in the case of the rondeau. “Formes Fixes” literally translates in English to mean “fixed forms”. This refers to their set structure, featuring intricate repetition arrangements. History points to four key composers of the Formes Fixes: Philippe de Vitry, Guillame de Machaut, Guillame Dufay, and Adam De La Halle. Philippe de Vitry is noted as one of the very earliest pioneers of 14th century music, innovating the Ars Nova and isorhythm, though few of his musical works have been identified. This is in contrast to the works of Guillame de Machaut, whose repertory is among the earliest known to exist. Guillame Dufay, who was born in the late 14th century, is regarded as perhaps the most influential composer of the 15th century, and his name is synonymous with polyphony during that era. Finally, Adam De La Halle is known not only for his early writings of rondeaux, but for his prior musical endeavours as a trouverè, which certainly influenced him in his very early compositions of the Formes Fixes.
Adam De La Halle’s known works are predominantly rondeaux. Today, fourteen are ascribed to him, whereas the other Formes Fixes are virtually absent from his attributed repertory. However, as a trouverè, he wrote extensively in other forms, and the overall majority of his pieces are trouverè chansons. Born in France in the mid-13th century, De la Halle is one of the earliest composers of the Formes Fixes, and one of the last of the trouverès. He thus occupies a curious point in history for a musician, as his life and works represent the transition between earlier music and the domination of the Formes Fixes. De la Halle most likely studied polyphonic music in Paris, and his rondeaux are very simple –the voices have similar rhythms and lyrics. Today, he is considered by most music historians to be a “man of the past”[1], due to the majority of his work being in the older trouverè tradition. But despite this general characterization, he was an important composer, and his chansons have many progressive features, including the setting of secular texts into polyphony. He is also the first documented composer of the polyphonic rondeaux[2]. His expertise in all manners of late 13th century music, in addition to him leading the way for later creators of the rondeau and other Formes Fixes, has dignified him as one of the great composers of the century.
The form of the rondeau is fairly simple, featuring one semi-repeated stanza, surrounded by the refrains. The rondeau is named for its “round” shape, as a result of its recurring refrain. Indeed, in past history, a poem could still be considered a rondeau even if it did not meet all of the modern expectations. Divisible into five “sections” in total, the first, third, and fifth are the refrains and the second and fourth are the stanzas. Adding complexity, the middle refrain (the third section) is “half” of the first and third refrain (the first and fifth sections). Furthermore, the melody of the stanzas is featured once in the first stanza (the second section) of the rondeau — but then repeats and expands in the second stanza (the fourth section). This led to a form of AB-a-A-ab-AB, where the lower case letters are the melodic features of the stanza, and the uppercase are the lyrical and melodic features of the refrain. Despite there being five sections, the rondeau is often written as four couplets, as the second and third sections (the two “half” sections) combine nicely to form their own couplet. Overall, however, when performed, the rondeau comes across as one entity, with a repeating element — the refrain. With every repetition of the refrain, the words take on more meaning, having a deeper impact on the listener.
Of Adam De La Halle’s rondeaux, one fine example isTant Con Je Vivrai.The lyrics of this piece are definitely those of a trouverè, telling of a strong and powerful love. Despite his somewhat cliché refrain, (Tant con je vivrai/As long as I live), the lyrics remain pure and simple, and the rhyme scheme is unassumingly elegant. The content is typical of a De La Halle rondeau, with identical lyrics and consistent rhythm throughout the three voices. Although the subject of his love isn’t mentioned, the poem was most likely addressed to his wife, Maroie, as the text certainly seems to indicate his feelings towards the loyalty and inviolability of marriage. The most articulate line (Tant con je vivrai)is refrained, and its repetition eloquently emphasizes De La Halle’s message. As humble as the textual features may be, however, the way in which they innovatively work with the musical attributes of the piece very well represent how Adam De La Halle led the way for future musical generations.
The melody and rhythm ofTant Con Je Vivraidefinitely exhibit De La Halle’s early polyphonic style. The melody is composed with chordal uniformity throughout the piece; cadencing and arriving many times on consonant chords. Additionally, as the two lower voices interact melodically through parallel and oblique motion, they set a solid base for the top voice, which is far more ornamented and free flowing. This, combined with the manner in which all three voices move at the same speed with similar rhythmic structure, likensTant Con je Vivraistrongly to the form of the Latin Conductus. This piece was also likely influenced by Adam De La Halle’s vast experience in writing rondels, a “round” dancing song. This inspiration is evidenced by the regular phrases inTant Con Je Vivrai, as well as its lively rhythm and melody. The phrases are made very clear by the way in which all three voices pause at every cadence, and the lively rhythm is achieved through a solid, three beat pulse accentuated by the lowest voice. While the two lower voices emphasize the piece’s meter, the flow of the upper voice certainly gives the piece a “circular” sort of rhythm, always restarting at the beginning of each bar. WhileTant Con Je Vivraimay not be the most intricate example rhythmically, it features much innovation melodically. In fact, the piece’s melody contains an instance in which it has pushed boundaries with the insertion of a B natural. The B natural would typically have been avoided, as it usually results in the historically reviled tritone — an augmented fourth (especially in this case, since the mode ofTant Con Je Vivraiis F). This is definitely a good example of how Adam De La Halle exploring the next era of music, perhaps being one of the first to formally employ musica ficta. In order to color the melody, De La Halle’s B natural can be found in the middle voice on three occasions: when the refrain is in its complete form, (twice), and once when the stanza is in its expanded form. However, he avoids the harsh dissonance of the tritone by raising most of the “F”s that are in the phrase prior to the B natural. However, despite raising these “F”s a half tone to F sharps, he does not raise those in the phrase that are after the B natural, opting to cadence on the F natural chord. This combination of the F sharp and B natural serves to add subtle variation and color to the melody, without sounding too dissonant in contrast with the rest of the piece. The combination also results in the creation of a leading tone, as the middle voice cadences on C, as the fifth of the F chord.
The cadential features ofTant Con Je Vivraiare simple yet elegant in the way in which they interact with the rest of the piece. Melodically, all cadences feature the tonic, the dominant, and some extension of the octave of a chord, resulting in a very definitive sound. Additionally, the way in which the melody and cadences imitate the rhyme scheme is quite thoughtful. For example, when the refrain is present in its full form, its phrase ends on the chord of the modal final: (F — C — F). This chord is also present when the melody of the stanza is expanded, in what is the fourth “section” of the piece. These lines — the two refrains and the expanded stanza melody — all rhyme, in similarity to how their cadences match melodically. Conjunctively, they are also the three phrases in which the aforementioned B natural is present. The remaining lines ofTant Con Je Vivraifollow the pattern as well; though they do not end on the chord of the modal final, these lines end on the chord of the modal second: (G — D — G). This modal second was a characteristic found often in the songs of the troubadors and trouverès, and it is very evident of Adam De La Halle’s time as a trouverè. Of course, these lines rhyme as well, all ending in the French –rai.There are also two more cadences that occur in mid-phrase, when the refrain is expanded. Outlining the A chord, these offer a slight, pleasant deviation from what would otherwise be an extremely repetitional piece.
Drawing from influences such as trouverè song, the conductus, and rondels, De La Halle has shown that he was not only a man of the past, but a skilled composer of the new polyphonic rondeau. His influences are evident in the melody, the lyrics, and even the rhythm as he combines them to create a beautiful piece of music. Writing of his commitment in joyful melody and meter, he succeeds in imparting his solemn promise to the listener while retaining a somewhat festive atmosphere, one suitable for dancing and celebrating his love. Overall,Tant Con Je Vivraistells of much more than a man who has wilfully committed himself to his adoration: this piece is wholly representative of its composer, Adam De La Halle, and his place in music history.
