A Final Note on the Troubadours

Album: Music of the Middle Ages, Vol. 1: Troubadour and Trouvere Songs
Track: "Ples de tristor, marritz e doloiros" (Track #2)
Composer: Guiraut Riquier
Instruments: 1 voice, 1 viol
Musical Form: Troubadour song
Year: ~1200

Although much romanticized even in modern culture, I believe that the essence of troubadour music is much further from our grasp than we might think. Even if we disregard all of the uncertainties in its arrangement (discussed in detail in Troubadour Shmoubadour), those of us not fluent in Occitan, the language in which troubadour music was written, will still be deprived of the imagery that accompanies good lyric poetry. Fans of the 20th century troubadours, those of us with an appreciation of Bob Dylan and Niel Young, understand that the impact of good folk music is rooted in these images. Although we might have access to translations of 13th century troubadour lyrics, their words will never have the same impact on us that they had on their contemporaries. Even a crash course in Occitan would likely not be sufficient -- words mean much more than what they refer to and without proper context, their spirit is lost.

The track I refer to above shouldn't necessarily be listened to in full -- it's only meant to illustrate my point. At over 12 minutes in length, "Ples de tristor, marritz e doloiros" feels repetitive and drab after around the fifth stanza. The melody is sweet and gentle -- it certainly offers more to the casual listener than the Gregorian Chant -- but we are still left wondering how it might have sounded to a 13th century ear. The troubadours are an important stage in the development of medieval music, but I wouldn't recommend them to a modern listener searching for anything more than ambient music.