Marcabru

Among the earliest surviving compositions by any troubadour are those of Marcabru, placing them likewise among the oldest extant examples of Western music. He appears to have been active at the same time as Cercamon, with nearly all biographical details deriving directly from the language of his own lyrics. While attached to the court of Guillaume X of Aquitaine he produced a substantial body of work. Following Guillaume’s death, Marcabru voiced his grief inside the chanson du gest “Pax! in nomine Domine” (Peace! in the name of the Lord). Because Eleanor of Aquitaine, Guillaume’s heir, extended no welcome to troubadours, Marcabru pursued patronage at other centers, among them the court of Alfonso VII of Castille. By 1144 he had returned to France while preparations for the second crusade were under way. The final piece credited to him, “Cortezamen voill comsensar,” dates from these months. The forty-three chansons ascribed to Marcabru display considerable variety of subject. He supplied texts for crusades, pastorelles, romances, and love songs alike. Within these pieces he examined the contrast between the contrived affections of court life and authentic love. Imagery, metaphors, and illusions recur throughout his writing, rendering many of the texts difficult to interpret. Notation survives for four of the chansons; the melodies attached to them are markedly simple.