Composer

:

Jacopo da Bologna

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Publication Date

:

1940

Average_duration

:

2:22

"Di novo è giunto un chavalier errante" is a ballata composed by Jacopo da Bologna, a prominent Italian composer and poet of the 14th century. The ballata was likely composed in the early 1350s, during the height of Jacopo's career. The ballata is in three movements, with each movement featuring a different melody and text. The first movement begins with the line "Di novo è giunto un chavalier errante" ("A wandering knight has arrived anew"), and tells the story of a knight who has come to court to seek the love of a lady. The second movement begins with the line "Oimè, che dolce cosa è lo diletto" ("Alas, how sweet is pleasure"), and describes the joy and happiness that the knight and lady experience in each other's company. The third movement begins with the line "Oimè, che mal si conviene a lo stato" ("Alas, how ill-suited it is to the state"), and laments the fact that the knight and lady cannot be together due to their different social statuses. The ballata is characterized by its use of the ballata form, which was a popular musical and poetic form in Italy during the 14th century. The ballata typically consisted of three stanzas, each with the same rhyme scheme and a refrain that was repeated at the end of each stanza. Jacopo's ballata follows this form closely, with each movement consisting of three stanzas and a refrain that is repeated at the end of each stanza. The ballata is also characterized by its use of polyphony, which was a common technique in Italian music during the 14th century. The ballata features two or three voices singing different melodies at the same time, creating a rich and complex texture. Jacopo's ballata is particularly notable for its use of dissonance, which was a controversial technique at the time. The ballata features several moments where the voices clash in dissonance, creating a sense of tension and drama. "Di novo è giunto un chavalier errante" premiered in the courts of Italy in the mid-14th century, and quickly became a popular piece of music. The ballata was performed by both amateur and professional musicians, and was often used as a model for other composers. Today, the ballata is still performed and studied by musicians and scholars interested in the music of the 14th century.

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