Conon [Quennon, Quenes] de Béthune

(b c1160; d 17 Dec 1219 or 1220). French trouvère. He was the fifth son of Robert V (‘le Roux’), seigneur of Béthune, and Alix de Saint-Pol; his birthplace was presumably Béthune. As a young man he is known to have spent time at the French court. His name may be traced in documents from 1180. The chansons Ahi, amours, con dure departie and Bien me deüsse targier, apparently written in 1188, indicate that he prepared for the Third Crusade (1188–92). In Bien me deüsse targier he named Huon d'Oisi as his teacher; Huon, who died at the siege of Acre in 1191, reproached Conon in one of his own songs (R.1030) for having left the crusade prematurely. Two chansons by Blondel de Nesle are dedicated to Conon. Chançon legiere a entendre is dedicated to Noblet (Guillaume V de Garlande), a friend of Gace Brulé. It is likely that Conon also knew the Chastelain de Couci, another trouvère who participated in the Third Crusade. Conon took part in the Fourth Crusade (1202–4) and was at the siege of Constantinople. He was present at the coronation of the Latin emperor, Baldwin IX of Flanders, and remained to participate in the political and military affairs of the empire. In 1217 he became seneschal, and in 1219 bail (regent).

Conon clearly preferred isometric, decasyllabic verses, although heptasyllables are not infrequent; there is also one hexasyllabic poem. Bele douce dame chiere, Mout me semont amors and Tant ai amé c'or me convient häir each follow the structure of a poem by Bertran de Born; these poems are without music, although melodies may survive in conjunction with Conon's poetry. In turn, two of Conon's songs, Ahi, amours and Mout me semont amors, provided models for other trouvères.

The main sources for the music to Conon's poetry are F-Pn fr.844 and 12615. In these manuscripts seven out of eight poems are set to melodies with finals on G. None of the original settings of his poems is ornate or extended in range. The reading of L'autrier avint en cel autre pä is in F-Pn fr.844 is noteworthy; it remains within the ambitus of a 4th, displaying the rather primitive form AA'AA'AAA'A. In other sources the piece begins with the same musical material, but through various changes displays three other repetition patterns. Repetition within the cauda is frequently present, phrases also often being paired: CDCD, CBCB or CDC'E. Ahi, amours, the most famous of Conon's works, presents complex problems with regard to transformation of material. In F-Pn fr.846, Bele douce dame chiere is notated in the 1st mode throughout, whereas portions of Ahi, amours are in the 3rd mode. Occasional hints of modal organization may be found in other melodies.

See also Troubadours, trouvères.

Sources, MS

WORKS

Editions: Trouvères-Melodien, ed. H. van der Werf, MMMA, xi–xii (1977–9), iTrouvère Lyrics with Melodies: Complete and Comparative Edition, ed. H. Tischler, CMM, cvii (1997)

Abbreviations: (R) etc. indicates a MS (using Schwan sigla: see Sources, ms) in which a late setting of a poem occurs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. Wallensköld, ed.: Les chansons de Conon de Béthune (Helsinki, 1891, abridged 2/1921/R)

J. Bédier and P. Aubry: Les chansons de croisade (Paris, 1909/R)

F. Gennrich: ‘Zu den Liedern des Conon de Béthune’, Zeitschrift für romanische Philologie, xlii (1922), 231–41

P.A. Becker: ‘Die Kreuzzugslieder von Conon de Béthune und Huon d'Oisi’, Zeitschrift für französische Sprache und Literatur, lxiv (1942), 305–12

R. Dragonetti: La technique poétique des trouvères dans la chanson courtoise: contribution à l'étude de la rhétorique mediévale (Bruges, 1960/R)

H. van der Werf: The Chansons of the Troubadours and Trouvères: a Study of the Melodies and their Relation to the Poems (Utrecht, 1972)

THEODORE KARP