Contre Raison

Source: Tiers livre de chansons composées à trois parties..., Paris: Adrian le Roy & Robert Ballard, 1553, fol. 14 v° - 15 r°

Duration: 1 minute 25 seconds

The form of this piece, written for three identical voices, corresponds to the fashionable criteria of the Parisian chanson: a short poetic text and an ABA musical form. In terms of content, it still meets the criteria of the chanson à trois of the early sixteenth century. In fact, voices 2 and 3, which accompany the melody presented by the upper voice, are very independent and are more like ornamental voices; this is an opportunity to dress up these two voices instrumentally and to highlight the vocality of the upper voice, which carries a supple, ductile melody that is an example of Claudin de Sermisy's gift for melody. In short, a vocal polyphony to be played with...