- Composer: Clément Janequin
- Period: Renaissance (1450-1599)
Review
Though Clément Janequin apparently did not settle in Paris until 1549, his chansons were already beginning to flood the Parisian market in the 1520s. Janequin, of course, is best known for his "programmatic" chansons, which wittily use onomotopoeia to evoke the sounds of a battle, or a hunt, or the cries of Parisian street vendors. But he also made numerous fine contributions to the simpler, more lyrical style of Parisian chansons. In this vein, Janequin (with his Parisian contemporary Claudin de Sermisy) wrote simple, homophonic settings of French lyrics, which breathe charm, elegance, and restraint. The emerging bourgeoisie and petty nobles of Paris consumed printed collection after printed collection from the Parisian musical press; Janequin and Sermisy in the hands of printers such as Attaignant thus fed the cultural "radiance" of François I's society.In Ce moys de may, Janequin takes an unassuming little French verse and vests it in an elegant musical setting. The anonymous female speaker of the poem is dressing herself in a lovely green coat in this month of May, and the composer crafts a compelling little dance tune as its garment. Almost all of the melody skips along in dance-like iambic rhythms, even as the poetess will "skip out into the street"; Janequin furthermore clads the central melody in a clear and effective harmonic progression and a series of clear-cut phrases that alternate between four voices and the upper trio. The second phrase adapts the same melody and phrase structure, extending it infitessimally as the speaker anticipates seeking her lover out in the street. The simple climax of the poem arrives as she envisions how her face will brighten as he kisses her, and Janequin highlights this text by breaking the rhythm twice with hemiolas and by extending the upper trio texture. However, her fulfillment remains in the future, as the chanson concludes with a repeat of the opening dressing music. Singers and listeners alike are left with the still-chaste, yet delicious anticipation of her kisses. ~ All Music Guide
