French Renaissance music in the age of François I (c.1525-1545)

Pierre Attaingnant had exclusive rights to publish music in Renaissance Paris by Imperial decree. He was responsible not only for creating countless arrangements of well known chansons and dances, but he also published an unprecedented volume of music by the greatest composers of his (and previous) generation(s). This video is a tiny selection of that enormous amount of printed material that he and his prolific print shop disseminated across Europe and down through the centuries. All the "songs" are Renaissance chansons that I arranged for instrumental performance, a practice about which the publisher Attaingnant himself would have been familiar.
This repertoire was ubiquitous in the king's court and in the aristocratic households where live chamber music was part of daily life. The spaces in which the performances took place are also represented in this video. I included photos of the grand palace of Château de Fontainebleau, the formal residence of the Valois monarchs. Many secular songs, by virtue of their regular and predictable rhythm, were well suited to be converted into dance music.
Below, I have listed and described the photos in the video. To skip to another musical selection in the video, click on the time stamp to the left of the song title.
0:10 Amour me poinct
original upload: Eric Haas, IMSLP.org
a. Amour me poinct, Claudin de Sermisy, 1533
b. Title and index page, Pierre Attaingnant, 1533
c. King Francis I (François I), Jean Clouet, c1530
d. Château de Fontainebleau, Palace of François I
e. Château de Fontainebleau, Galerie de François I
f. Château de Fontainebleau, Initial "F" for François I
3:20 Tourdion Quand je bois
original upload: André van Ryckeghem, IMSLP.org
a. Tourdion, Attaingnant, 1530
b. Viols & lute, Nicolò dell'Abate (resident artist at Fontainbleau)
c. Wedding Feast at Cana (detail), Paolo Veronese, c1562
d. Dancers at the Valois Court
5:30 En esperant
original upload: Alain Naigeon, anaigeon.free.fr
a. François Dauphin, son of François I, Jean Clouet, c1525
b. Château de Fontainebleau, Galerie de François I
6:36 Helas ne fringuerons
original upload: Benoît Huwart, CPDL.org
a. Château de Fontainebleau, view of the grounds
b. Château de Fontainebleau, panoramic view
7:49 En entrant
original upload: James Gibb, CPDL.org
a. En entrant, Claudin de Sermisy, 1529
b. Young man with recorder, Giovanni Girolamo Savoldo, c1548
8:35 Basse dance "La brosse"
original upload: Jaap J. Mulder, classicalarchives.com
a. Basse danse, Anonymous Burgundian, late 15th cent
b. Renaissance harp, Northern Italian, c1550
c. Harpist, Hans Holbein the Younger, c1520
d. Musicians, Nicolò dell'Abate, c1550
10:42 Je ne veulx poinct
original upload: Marc Lanoiselée, IMSLP.org
a. Je ne veulx point, Pierre Certon, 1546
b. Dance in the garden, Harley MS 4425, Toulouse, c1510
c. The Ambassadors (detail), Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533
12:22 Allons ung peu avant
original upload: Allen Garvin, CPDL.org
a. Allons ung peu avant, Guillaume Le Heurteur, 1533
b. Allegory of Music, Anonymous, Franco-Flemish, mid-16th cent
c. Apollo with viola da braccio, Dosso Dossi, 1524
d. Entertainment with dancers, Bonifazio Veronese, 1540
e. Woman with music book (detail), Francesco Ubertini, c1540
0:00 Introduction
0:01 French secular music
0:12 Amour me poingt
3:21 Tourdion
5:32 En esperant
6:38 Helas ne fringuerons
8:34 Basse danse "La brosse"
10:44 Je ne veulx poinct
12:24 Allons un peu avant

[@danielkeach9676]

Beautiful!

[@earlymusicmidi]

Thanks 😊

[@user-qq3qp3kc8t]

Love this!

[@earlymusicmidi]

Thanks. Hope you see my playlist of mid-16th century French repertoire!

[@glitzyglam7827]

Approved by Francois de vailous the 2nd

[@edwardweaver1467]

Cornet flourish please.

[@saabsut1994]

h