Amour et Mars

Program: #23-20 Air Date: May 15, 2023

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The young ensemble Thélème has a recent recording of secular works from 16th century France, including Claude le Jeune and Clement Janequin.

NOTE: All of the music on this program comes from recording Amour et Mars featuring the Ensemble Thélème directed by Jean-Christophe Groffe. It is in the Coviello label and is CD COV 91908.

Already in ancient times people played with the proximity of love and war. Thus the goddess of love Venus deceives her husband Vulcanus with the god of war Mars, and the Roman poet Ovid writes in his Amores the winged word: "Militat omnis amans" (Every lover is a soldier in war). These conditions were also reflected musically in modern times, when the masters of the 16th century emphasized sometimes more the warlike, sometimes more the amorous playfulness of love in their works. In it's latest album for COVIELLO, the Ensemble thélème also unfolds a fascinating panorama of musical states of mind of past times. The ensemble thélème specializes in the performance of early music. thélème, founded in 2013 by Artistic Director, Jean-Christophe Groffe, is largely made up of musicians who graduated from the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The name of the ensemble refers to the utopia described by François Rabelais at the end of his novel Gargantua. Thélème is a hexagonal five-story Renaissance chateau built with precious materials. At Thélème, there is no outer wall, no clock. What is the point of worrying what time it is when we are not dependent on time, when we decide ourselves when we will get up, eat, work, or dedicate ourselves to the pleasure of conversation? The name alone says it all: the Greek "thelo" means "I want", so thélème can be translated as "free will".

"Amour et Mars" highlights the many links between two major composers of the Renaissance: Clément Janequin opens the 16th century, Claude Le Jeune closes it, opening the way to the beginnings of the Baroque. As if passing the relay, Clément Janequin was inspired by an earlier work to compose "le chant de l'alouette" for three and then four voices. Claude Le Jeune re-used this song by adding an extra voice and composing new parts. This is how the lark circulated from the 14th to the 17th century. Many works link the two composers.

1	Le Chant de L'Alouette, Composed By – Claude Le Jeune, Clément Janequin	3:59
2	J'ay Dict, J'ay Faict, Composed By – Clément Janequin	1:23
3	Au Joly Jeu Du Pousse Avant, Composed By – Clément Janequin	2:22
4	Fuyons Tous D'amour Le Jeu, Composed By – Claude Le Jeune	1:35
5	Est-cs Mars Et Courante de Mar,Composed By – Nicolas Vallet	2:11
6	Le Chant Du Rossignol, Composed By – Claude Le Jeune, Clément Janequin	9:00
7	Premiere Fantasie, Composed By – Claude Le Jeune	6:27
8	Ô Voix, ô de Nos Voix, Composed By – Claude Le Jeune	5:10
9	Prelude, Composed By – Pierre Attaignant	1:05
10	Ô Mal D’aymer, Composed By – Clément Janequin	3:08
11	Pavane Le Baraille, Composed By – Anon.*	2:00
12	« Arm’, Arm’ » – la Guerre, Composed By – Claude Le Jeune	18:37
13	Puisque Les Ans N’ont Qu’un Printemps, Composed By – Pierre Guédron

Composer Info

Claude le Jeune, Clement Janequin, Nicolas Vallet, Pierre Attaignant, Pierre Guédron

CD Info

Coviello label CD COV 91908