Jacob Senleches
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Jacob Senleches (fl. 1382/1383 – 1395) (also Jacob Senlechos and Jacopinus Selesses) was a Franco-Flemish composer and harpist of the late Medieval era. He was one of the composers who worked in a style commonly known as the ars subtilior.
It has been suggested that Jacob Senleches has been born in St. Luc near Evreux, France (U. Günther) or in Senleches (or Sanlesches) in Cambrai, today France (A. Tomasello). In 1382 he seems to have been present at the court of Eleanor of Castile (d. September 1382), possibly in her service. In Fuions de ci he laments the death of her and proclaims to seek his fortune either "en Aragon, en France ou en Bretaingne".
Afterwards he is found in service of Pedro de Luna, Cardinal of Aragon (later Pope Benedict XIII, 1394-1423), as a harpist. There is a treasury document assigning payments to one "Jaquemin de Sanleches, juglar de harpe" from the royal household in Navarra dated August 21, 1383. The payment is made so that Jacquemin may return to "his master", Pedro de Luna.
A supplication to Benedict XIII in 1395 consists of a Jacob de Selesses asking for the benefice attached to a parish church in the diocese of Cambrai.
Despite the small number of transmitted compositions Jacob de Senleches is counted among the central personalities of Ars subtilior. He developed mainly the rhythmic possibilities of the era.
The texts deal mainly with himself and his career.
Contents |
[edit] Works
- En attendant esperance
- Fuions de ci
- Je me merveil/ J'ay pluseurs fois
- En ce gracieux tamps
- La harpe de melodie
- Tel me voit
[edit] Media
[edit] Transcriptions
Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae Vol. 53 - French Secular Compositions I, Ascribed Compositions (1970)
[edit] References
- U. Günther - Jacob de Senleches; in: New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Ed. Stanley Sadie, London, New York, Hong Kong, 1980.
- Jacob de Senleches; in: Die Musik in Gegenwart und Geschichte, Personenteil, Ed. L. Finscher, Kassel, London, 2003/2.
