Jane Alden, Ph.D. 1999

Advisor: John Nádas

Dissertation Title: Makers of a Songbook: The Scribes of the Laborde Chansonnier

Find it in the library here.

Dissertation Abstract:

The Laborde Chansonnier (Washington, Library of Congress, Music Division, MS M2.1.L25 ‘Case’) is one of the central sources for French songs from the second half of the fifteenth century. That there are close relationships between it and other manuscripts (the ‘Copenhagen’, ‘Dijon’, ‘Nivelle’ and ‘Wolfenbüttel’ chansonniers) has long been known, but previous interpretations have engendered assumptions which are not supported by the evidence of the manuscripts themselves. Of the five, Laborde has the most intriguing history of copying, with implications that the plan for the manuscript changed on more than one occasion. While Laborde is at the centre of this investigation, the discussion frequently addresses its relationship to the other manuscripts in the group. To understand the cultural conditions that led to the copying of chansonniers, chapter 1 addresses the function of small decorative books within the context of fifteenth-century society. Of particular relevance is the status of manuscripts and the role of the scribe in the early years of printed books. Problems are identified in scholarly approaches which do not adequately consider scribal methods of compilation and organization of repertory. Chapter 2 focuses on the physical aspects of Laborde, identifying and numbering its scribes. The chapter also reconstructs a relative chronology for Laborde’s compilation, and outlines the various stages of completion. Chapter 3 tests the application of ordinary scribal practices to the specialized copying of music manuscripts. Through a close examination of script, an evolution is traced in the work of the scribe responsible for the Dijon and Copenhagen Chansonniers. Since this scribe also worked on Laborde, the identification of an earlier and later style has important chronological implications. Chapter 4 calls into question the chronology which has come to be accepted for the five manuscripts. It argues that the assumptions which led to the Nivelle Chansonnier being considered the earliest of the group were based on a flawed methodology. In the light of a revised chronology, chapter 5 reconsiders the repertories contained in these manuscripts, and their changing patterns of transmission. The popularity of certain pieces is viewed from a local rather than an international perspective.

Recipient of the Glen Haydon Dissertation Award

Jane Alden is currently a Professor of Music and the Chair of Medieval Studies at Wesleyan University. Her research interests include musical notation and visual culture in the medieval and modern eras, experimental music, performance practices, and social networks. You can access her Wesleyan faculty page here.