Composer

:

Guillaume de Machaut

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Ballade

Average_duration

:

3:50

'Je puis trop bien ma dame comparer' is a chanson composed by Guillaume de Machaut, a French poet and composer of the 14th century. The chanson was composed in the 1350s and is one of Machaut's most famous works. It was premiered in the court of King John II of France, where Machaut was a court musician. The chanson is written in the form of a love poem, with the speaker comparing his lady to various natural and mythological figures. The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with a different rhyme scheme. The first stanza compares the lady to the sun, the moon, and the stars, emphasizing her beauty and radiance. The second stanza compares her to Venus, the goddess of love, and to the mythical figure of Helen of Troy, emphasizing her allure and power over men. The third stanza compares her to a rose, a lily, and a violet, emphasizing her delicacy and fragility. The music of the chanson is written in the form of a rondeau, a popular form of French secular song in the 14th century. The rondeau consists of a refrain, which is repeated throughout the song, and several verses, each with a different melody. The refrain of 'Je puis trop bien ma dame comparer' is a simple melody that emphasizes the repetition of the title phrase. The music of the chanson is characterized by its use of complex harmonies and rhythms, which were innovative for the time. Machaut was known for his experimentation with musical form and his use of polyphonic textures, which allowed for multiple voices to sing different melodies at the same time. The chanson also features a prominent use of the isorhythmic technique, in which a repeating rhythmic pattern is used throughout the song. Overall, 'Je puis trop bien ma dame comparer' is a beautiful and complex work of music and poetry that showcases Machaut's skill as a composer and poet. Its popularity and influence can be seen in the many adaptations and arrangements that have been made of the song over the centuries.

More....