Perrin d'Angicourt

(fl 1245–70). French trouvère. The fact that his name appears twice as a partner of Jehan Bretel in the jeux-partis Perrin d'Angicourt, respondés and Prince del pui, and (probably as judge) in other jeux-partis involving Bretel, Gaidifer d’Avion, Lambert Ferri, Jehan de Grieviler and Audefroi (?Louchart) – R.295, 546, 664, 978, 1121, 1838 and 1925 – indicates a close association with Arras. Moreover, J'ai un joli souvenir, Quant partis sui and perhaps Quant li cincenis s'escrie are designated as chansons couronnées, presumably by the Arras puy. Among the nine towns that might be considered as Perrin's possible birthplace, the most likely is Achicourt, less than 5 km to the south of Arras. Gillebert de Berneville sent a song (R.138) to Perrin, while the latter dedicated Quant voi en la fin to Henri III, Duke of Brabant, and Lors quant je voi to Gui de Dampierre, Count of Flanders. Of greater importance is the dedication of Quant li biaus estés repaire to Charles of France, the youngest brother of Louis IX (St Louis). Charles, who became Count of Anjou in 1246 and King of Sicily in 1266, is known as the patron of Adam de la Halle and Rutebeuf. He was a partner of Perrin in the jeu-parti Quens d'Anjou, a judge with Perrin in Encor sui cil (R.644), and in Perrin d'Angicourt, respondés, in which Perrin appears as respondent. The Petrus de Angicuria who appears as rector capellae in the service of Charles in a Naples document of 1269 may be identifiable with the trouvère.

Perrin was one of the more prolific trouvères, and some of his 35 songs survive in as many as 11 sources. Strophes employing different line lengths are in the majority, a peak of complexity being reached with Quant partis sui (five different line lengths), Quant voi en la fin and Helas, or ai je trop duré (four each). There are five isometric decasyllabic strophes, and decasyllables appear in two heterometric strophes, but Perrin clearly preferred shorter verses, particularly those of seven syllables. Six poems employ fixed refrains and another six have variable refrains. Five, or possibly six, served as models for later contrafacta.

The chansons couronnées J'ai un joli souvenir and Quant partis sui are in an authentic C mode, with a clear sense of tonal direction. The former leaps vigorously from the final to the 5th at the opening, while the latter begins at the octave and descends gradually over the first two phrases. Perrin clearly had a preference for modes with a major 3rd above the final. (In eight of his works, the modal structures vary among different manuscript readings.) All of the original melodies are in bar form except that for Il convient qu'en la chandele, which ends an otherwise non-repetitive structure with variants of the first and third phrases. J'ai un joli souvenir and Quant partis sui show the composer's ability at employing techniques of development in the cauda; both also display heightened rhythmic activity at cadential areas, a trait to be found in several other chansons by Perrin. Only three works (Onques por esloignement, Quant li biaus estés repaire and the doubtful Je ne sui pas esbahis) survive in mensural notation (in F-Pn fr.846), all three being in the 2nd mode. The very regular disposition of ligatures in Haute esperance also seems to hint at the 2nd mode, but in most chansons ligature patterns are more irregular. Au tens novel and Il ne me chaut are among the plainer of the melodies, while Il convient qu'en la chandele, J'ai un joli souvenir, Lors quant je voi and On voit souvent are among the more florid.

WORKS

Edition: Trouvère Lyrics with Melodies: Complete Comparative Edition, ed. H. Tischler, CMM, cvii (1997)

(V) etc. indicates a MS (using Schwan sigla: see Sources, MS) containing a late setting of a poem

works of probable joint authorship

doubtful works

BIBLIOGRAPHY

F.-J. Fétis: Histoire générale de la musique, v (Paris, 1876/R), 41 [edn of Au tens novel]

G. Steffens: Die Lieder des Troveors Perrin von Angicourt (Halle, 1905)

A. Långfors, A. Jeanroy and L. Brandin, eds.: Recueil général des jeux-partis français (Paris, 1926)

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

For further bibliography see Troubadours, trouvères.

THEODORE KARP