Book Review
Nov. 25th, 2018 07:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kenjariGuillaume de Machaut and Reims: Context and Meaning in His Musical Works
by Anne Walters Robertson
This book examines the content and meaning of the motets, David Hocketus and Mass of 14th century French composer Guillaume de Machaut through the lens of his occupation as a canon of Reims cathedral from the 1330s until his death in 1377. Robertson's theses are fully researched and beautifully constructed - everything is explained with clarity and insight. Robertson concentrates on the texts and the derivations of the tenor parts in her analysis, showing how they tie to other musical and literary sources of the time, especially sources Machaut had access to via the cathedral library, and to political events and cultural trends. I especially enjoyed her convincing arguments that motets 21-23 were composed as responses to events in and around Reims during the Hundred Years' War. Not only does Robertson write about Machaut's mujsic in a way that makes one want to listen to it with new ears, she also paints a fascinating and rich picture of musical life in 14th century Reims.
by Anne Walters Robertson
This book examines the content and meaning of the motets, David Hocketus and Mass of 14th century French composer Guillaume de Machaut through the lens of his occupation as a canon of Reims cathedral from the 1330s until his death in 1377. Robertson's theses are fully researched and beautifully constructed - everything is explained with clarity and insight. Robertson concentrates on the texts and the derivations of the tenor parts in her analysis, showing how they tie to other musical and literary sources of the time, especially sources Machaut had access to via the cathedral library, and to political events and cultural trends. I especially enjoyed her convincing arguments that motets 21-23 were composed as responses to events in and around Reims during the Hundred Years' War. Not only does Robertson write about Machaut's mujsic in a way that makes one want to listen to it with new ears, she also paints a fascinating and rich picture of musical life in 14th century Reims.
