Jacques de Cambrai
Jaque de Cambrai (fl. c. 1260–80), sometimes Jacques, was a trouvère from Cambrai. He composed four chansons courtoises, one pastourelle, six devotional chansons, and one Marian rotrouenge. The Berne manuscript, in which most of his works are uniquely preserved, notes that his Haute dame, com rose et lis was modelled on (i.e. a contrafactum of) Ausi com l'unicorne sui by Theobald I of Navarre and Mere, douce creature on Quant voi la glaie meure by Raoul de Soissons. Otherwise none of his music survives, though staves for its transcription were prepared. Of all Jaque's works, only his rotrouenge, the Retrowange novelle, has no model mentioned in the manuscripts; its rubric reads only "Jaikes de Cambrai—De Notre Dame" (Jaque of Cambrai—On Our Lady).
Jaque's devotional songs emphasise Jesus' humanity and his Passion. These may be directed at the Cathars, who denied Christ's humanity. Jaque was one of the last medieval French poets to express his devotion to Mary primarily through chansons, that is, modelled on the chansons courtoises or love songs. After him the tendency was to use the serventois and even later the chant royal.
Table of Marian poems and their models
The following table is derived from O'Sullivan.
| Incipit | Genre | Model (contrafactum of:) | Composer of model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant talen ai k'a chanteir me retraie, Marian chanson | chanson | Loaus amors et desiriés de joie | Colart le Boutellier |
| Haute dame, com rose et lis | chanson | Ausi conme unicorne sui | Theobald I of Navarre |
| Kant je plus pens a commencier chanson | chanson | Tuit mi desir et tuit mi grief torment | Theobald I of Navarre |
| Loeir m'estuet la roïne | chanson | De bone amor et de loial amie (me vient) | Gace Brulé |
| Meire, douce creature | chanson | Quant voi la glaie meüre | Raoul de Soissons |
| O Dame, ke Deu portais | chanson | Aïmans fins et verais | Gauthier d'Espinal |
| Retrowange novelle | rotrouenge | probably none, possibly pastourelle or ballette |
See also
References
- Karp, Theodore. "Jaque de Cambrai." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Accessed 20 September 2008.
- O'Sullivan, Daniel E. (2005). Marian devotion in thirteenth-century French lyric. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0 802 03885 9.