All sources are Wikipedia.
Guillaume Morlaye (ca 1510 – 1558) was a French Renaissance era lutenist, composer and music publisher. He was a pupil of Albert de Rippe and lived and worked in Paris. In 1552 he received a ten-year license to publish music from Henry II, and between 1553 and 1558 published four lute collections in cooperation with Michel Fezandat and six lute collections compiled by Albert de Rippe. He also published three books of his own four-course Renaissance guitar compositions during 1552–53, including fantasies and dances, and also lute arrangements of Pierre Certon and Claudin de Sermisy. Besides his music publishing activities, Morlaye was reported to have engaged in the slave trade, although reliable evidence for this is scant.
Notes on the Music in Book 1
Fantasie
A fantasia or fantasie is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. The term was first applied to music during the 16th century, at first to refer to the imaginative musical “idea” rather than to a particular compositional genre. Its form and style consequently ranges from the freely improvisatory to the strictly contrapuntal, and also encompasses more or less standard sectional forms (i.e. it sometimes but doesn’t always follow the “rules”).
The Fantasie presented in this book is the second or shorter of the two fantasies in the original folio. It should be played using varying tempos and styles to fit the mode of the music.
Chansons
Chansons are songs. The earliest chansons were for two, three or four voices, with first three becoming the norm, expanding to four voices by the 16th century. The Parisian Chansons began in 1520 and were lighter and chordal with melodies in the upper most line. Sometimes, the singers were accompanied by instruments, often lutes. The general subject matter was courtly love. Words to these chansons or songs can be found online.
“Je cherche autant amour” is written by French composer Fétis Jean Boyvin (dates unknown). Morlaye as well as Le Roy and Brayssing tabulated versions of this song. The poetic translation is “I’m longing for so much love”.
“Plus le voy de beaucoup estimé” is written by French composer Julien Belin (ca 1530 – after 1584). The poetic translation is “The more I see, the more I appreciate”.
“Il estoit une fillette” is written by French composer Clément Janequin (ca 1485 – 1558). Approximate translation is “There was a girl”.
“Elle a bien ce ris gratieuls” is written by French composer Claudin de Sermisy (ca 1490 – 1562). Approximate translation is “She has this sweet laugh”. If you are searching for the words, the alternate spellings “graticuls” and “gracieux” are both used.
“Ce qui est plus” is written by French composer Pierre Regnault Sandrin (ca 1490 – after 1561). Approximate translation is “What’s more”.
“Plourez nes yeuls” is written by French composer Pierre Regnault Sandrin (ca 1490 – after 1561). The poetic translation is “Shed tears, oh my eyes”.
“Jay veu que j’estoys franc et maistre” is written by French composer Pierre Regnault Sandrin (ca 1490 – after 1561). The poetic translation is “I realized that I was free and in control”.
Almandes
An allemande (almande or other various spellings) is a Renaissance and Baroque dance. The allemande originated in the 16th century as a duple metre dance of moderate tempo, already considered very old. The dance form flourished in the Baroque era as one of the most popular instrumental dance styles and was often part of a suite of dances.
Both Almandes have unusual phrasing. The first has the usual 4-bar phrases in the first half but 3-bar phrases in the second half. The second is more balance with 3-bar phrasing throughout.
Bransles
The name bransle or branle derives from the French verb branler (to shake, wave, sway, wag, wobble) and is a type of French dance popular from the early 16th century to the present. The term also refers to the music and the characteristic step of the dance. The branle was danced by a chain of dancers, usually in couples, with linked arms or holding hands. The dance alternated a number of larger sideways steps to the left (often four) with the same number of smaller steps to the right so that the chain moved gradually to the left.
All the arranged Bransles are in duple time with 8-bar phrasing. The first Bransle ends with the Picardy third or interval (i.e. a major chord ending a piece that is in a minor key).
Pavannes and Gaillardes
The pavanne is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century. The decorous sweep of the pavane suited the new more sober Spanish-influenced courtly manners of 16th century Italy. It appears in dance manuals in England, France, and Italy. It has a slow duple metre with two strains of eight, twelve, or sixteen bars each. The pavane’s popularity was from roughly 1530 to 1676. As a musical form, the pavane survived long after the dance itself was abandoned, and well into the Baroque period.
The gaillarde or galliard was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. It is an athletic dance, characterised by leaps, jumps, hops and other similar figures in a series of choreographed patterns of steps. After the dance fell out of popular use and, in musical compositions, the galliard often filled the role of an after dance written in 6, which followed and mimicked another piece (sometimes a pavane) written in 4.
The Pavanne et Gaillarde pair arranged in this book follow this structure precisely.
The other two Gaillardes are stand-alone pieces. The second one is popular with guitarists and is included in many pedagogies and anthologies (including the Royal Conservatory of Music).
Other Pieces
Buffons is a fun piece to play and enjoy. It’s in the key of C major with the standard F and G chords (the 4th and 5th chords of the key) but there are several bars in Bb which gives it an interesting but delightful twist.
Conte Clare is an “echo” piece where each 4-bar phrase is repeated. To make the piece interesting, each repeat should be varied (e.g. loud, then soft, or harsh, then legato or smooth). It’s an excellent piece to learn or play as a study, although it’s quite an enjoyable piece on its own.
The following pieces in the original publication, Le premier livre en tabulature de guiterne (1552), are not included in this book. Some of these arrangements are available online.
- Fantasie (the first one is excluded)
- Chanson “La voulonté”
- Bransle (the second one in the group of four is excluded)
- Pavanne et Gaillarde (the second pair is excluded)
- Gaillardes (there are 8 additional pieces, 5 are excluded)
Notes on the Music in Book 2
This book of arrangements contains a selection of pieces from two books published by Morlaye:
Second livre en tabulature de guiterne (1553) and Quatriesme livre en tabulature de guiterne (1552).
Bransles
The name bransle or branle derives from the French verb branler (to shake, wave, sway, wag, wobble) and is a type of French dance popular from the early 16th century to the present. The term also refers to the music and the characteristic step of the dance. The branle was danced by a chain of dancers, usually in couples, with linked arms or holding hands. The dance alternated a number of larger sideways steps to the left (often four) with the same number of smaller steps to the right so that the chain moved gradually to the left.
Almandes
An allemande (almande or other various spellings) is a Renaissance and Baroque dance. The allemande originated in the 16th century as a duple metre dance of moderate tempo, already considered very old. The dance form flourished in the Baroque era as one of the most popular instrumental dance styles and was often part of a suite of dances.
Pavannes and Gaillardes
The pavanne is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century. The decorous sweep of the pavane suited the new more sober Spanish-influenced courtly manners of 16th century Italy. It appears in dance manuals in England, France, and Italy. It has a slow duple metre with two strains of eight, twelve, or sixteen bars each. The pavane’s popularity was from roughly 1530 to 1676. As a musical form, the pavane survived long after the dance itself was abandoned, and well into the Baroque period.
The gaillarde or galliard was a form of Renaissance dance and music popular all over Europe in the 16th century. It is mentioned in dance manuals from England, France, Spain, Germany, and Italy. It is an athletic dance, characterised by leaps, jumps, hops and other similar figures in a series of choreographed patterns of steps. After the dance fell out of popular use and, in musical compositions, the galliard often filled the role of an after dance written in 6, which followed and mimicked another piece (sometimes a pavane) written in 4.
Chansons
Chansons are songs. The earliest chansons were for two, three or four voices, with first three becoming the norm, expanding to four voices by the 16th century. The Parisian Chansons began in 1520 and were lighter and chordal with melodies in the upper most line. Sometimes, the singers were accompanied by instruments, often lutes. The general subject matter was courtly love. Words to these chansons or songs can be found online.
“Ma bouche rit” is written by Johannes Ockeghem (ca 1410/25 – 1497) but is also listed as attributed to Josquin des Prez (ca 1450 – 1521).
“Robin” is written by Pierre Certon (ca 1515 – 1572).
Fantasies
A fantasia or fantasie is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. The term was first applied to music during the 16th century, at first to refer to the imaginative musical “idea” rather than to a particular compositional genre. Its form and style consequently ranges from the freely improvisatory to the strictly contrapuntal, and also encompasses more or less standard sectional forms (i.e. it sometimes but doesn’t always follow the “rules”).
Fantasie d’Albert de Rippe is by Albert de Rippe (1500-54), an Italian lutenist and composer, who was Morlaye’s teacher. It is unclear if this is a transcription or an arrangement of the music.
Other Pieces
Conte Clare is an “echo” piece where each 4-bar phrase is repeated. To make the piece interesting, each repeat should be varied (e.g. loud, then soft, or harsh, then legato or smooth).
Hornpipe d’Angleterre is an English dance based on the round “Wakefield on a greene”.
Tinteclare is a bransle (see above).
Villanesque is a chanson (see above) based on a nineteen-line poetic form.
La Seraphine is a chanson (see above). It has the notation “a chorde auallée” which means to use an alternate tuning where the lowest string is dropped in pitch by a whole tone.
These pieces in Second livre en tabulature de guiterne (1553) are not included in this book.
- Fantasi (2 of them)
- Chanson “Regretz foucy & peine“
- Chanson “Ce qui m’est deu & ordonné“
- Chanson “Au temp heureux“
- Chanson “Je ne sçay pas comment“
- Chanson “Mail pourquoy“
- Chanson “Vous estes la personne“
- Pavanne et Gaillarde (the second pair
- Gaillarde (6 of them)
- Bransles (4 of them)
- Conte Clare (the second one)
These pieces in Quatriesme livre en tabulature de guiterne (1552) are not included in this book.
- Fantasie d’Albert – the first fantasie was not arranged
- Chanson “La Volunté“
- Chanson “Si j’ay du bien“
- Chanson “Si son esperit“
- Villanesque “Non é pieu fedé“
- Villanesque “Chi dira mai“
- Villanesque “Oy mé dolente“
- Conteclare
- Pavane
- Pavane au joly bois
- Pavane
- Pavane chant d’orlande
- Gaillarde (5 of them)
- Branle (2 of them)
- All pieces after the notaiton ”ce qui sensuit, est pour joue sus la cistre” as these are pieces written or arranged for the cittern, a small four-course wire-strung instrument played with a plectrum (pick). It had triple-stringing and different tuning than the Renaissance guitar..
Some of these pieces may be arranged and would be available online.