The Courts Of Burgundy in the Renaissance
Incubators for the Arts
Burgundy: The What, Where, When, and Why
The Duchy of Burgundy was a region under the rule of the French Crown from c. 956-1477. In its beginnings Burgundy was a rather small Duchy, South East of Paris. Through marriage, war, and bargain the duchy's lands grew to surround the French kingdom from northeast Paris near the Oise River forming a semicircle to the original Burgundy. The Map was taken from the Groves Dictionary Volume 3. Page 466.
The Duchy was a very influential court both politically and socially under Valois rule From 1364-1477. Prior to being under Valois rule the area known as Burgundy was many things; a kingdom, a country, and lastly a duchy (Groves, 464-6). Upon the death of the last duke of Burgundy, Duke Philip of Rouvre, the duchy was ceded to the crown for lack of male heirs. King John the Good of France, member of the Valois house, gave the Duchy to his fourth son, Philip the Bold on June 27, 1363. Philip thus became the first of many Valois Dukes of Burgundy(Reese, 4-5)(Groves, 464-5)(PTB,2-3).
Philip the Bold's Rule of Burgundy 1363-1404
Philip the Bold was not only a great statesman for France and Burgundy, but also a very strong supporter of the Arts. The goal of the renaissance court was to encourage the growth and wealth of the community while outdoing the other courts of the area in splendor. One of the greatest ways a noble could achieve that was through patronage of the Arts. Philip created a court that other courts strove to emulate through his patronage to the Arts.
Philip's Court hired and housed many musicians and singers both for sacred worship music and secular gaiety. The extravagance and pomp and circumstance of Philip's court brought the element of romantic chivalry back to the forefront of French culture.
Philip loved beautiful things and surrounded himself with objects of great worth and splendor. Everything Philip did and had exuded wealth and power, from banquets, tournaments, processions, and attire to the architecture of his houses and chapels. Philip's family was always well attended and dotting the latest fashions and customs of the time. (PTB 188-9,197). Philip collected books, and tapestries, both of subjects ranging from the theological to the secular. He had texts from many different time periods and cultures.
The School of the Arts in Burgundy was founded by Philip the Bold. It was at this school that great art was nurtured and created with such high quality that its reputation and works were emulated for years after the duchy passed from the Valois rule.
Dijon was the capitol of Philip the Bold's Burgundy. His reign transformed Dijon from a reasonably small town into a cultural hot spot of the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. The architecture of the buildings he erected were aesthetically beautiful and ornate in their presentation. A direct example of Philip's lasting influence on Dijon lies in his tomb commissioned from the Flemish Sculptor Claus Sluter who also created the Well of Moses and the Prophets which still stands today in Modern Dijon (PTB, 188-9, 197)(Reese, 5)(Calmette, 65-71).
John the Fearless' Rule of Burgundy 1404-1419
After the Death of Philip the Bold in 1404, his son John the Fearless became the next Valois Duke of Burgundy. John was much more interested in French politics than in the culmination of the Arts in his duchy. He moved the center of his court from Dijon to Flanders.
John the Fearless like all noblemen of his time was a patron of the Arts and surrounded himself with beautiful things much like his father had done, but the history books focus more upon John's involvement in politics than his endeavors in the arts, while they focus on his fathers patronism more than his policies.
It is known that John The Fearless housed a group of secular musicians who performed at his court functions and for his pleasure. There is also a record of him hiring Master Nicholas Grenon as chaplain, teacher and caretaker for four young choirboys. John continued his father's collection of tapestries, books and illuminations as well as the acquisition of paintings and sculpture. His main focus during his rule however was power and political affairs. He was assassinated in 1419(JTF, xiii, 233,).
Philip the Good's Rule of Burgundy 1419-1467
After John the Fearless' assassination in 1419, his son Philip the Good succeeded him as the Duke of Burgundy. Philip was more like his grandfather in matters of the Arts than hs father. Philip's interest in music was encouraged from an early age by his father who had him instructed in music and the harp. He moved the center of the court back to Dijon, and focused more upon the unification and maintenance of the Burgundian territories than the French politics and squabbles in which his father was so deeply involved.
The Regal air of Philip's court inspired an infectious desire for the Bourgeoisie's and Ruling classes of other areas to emulate. Philip's display of wealth flowed literally from head to toe. The women of the court wore cone shaped hats with butterfly veils as well as dresses and robes that were lined and edged with fur and flowed to the floor. His court was reffered to as a fairyland.
Music was an essential element of the court life during Philip's reign. He was entertained by the best musicians of the day while he dined and on other court occasions. The Ducal Chaplains who formed the choir in the Duke's church were used chiefly for liturgical purposes.
Philip was so concerned with the unity in Burgundy and it's allies that he founded the Order of the Golden Fleece. This chivalric order was centered around a pledge of loyalty, faithful service, and the putting of the duchy before individual gain. The members of the Golden Fleece had to give up memberships to other chivalric orders. This organization was to bind those of the higher nobility directly to the Burgundian Dynasty. The order included not only the knights and nobles of the surrounding territories, but also included knights from other parts of Europe who wanted to be a part of the splendor and chivalry of Burgundy(PTG, 54,150-1,160)(Reese, 5-6)(Armstrong,229-231).
Charles the Bold's Rule of Burgundy 1467-1477
Following the death of his Father, Philip the Good, Charles the Bold became the final Valois Duke of Burgundy. Charles was known to be skilled in music. He was taught the arts of the harp and music as a young boy. Though he did not have a good singing voice he liked to sing and hear music wherever he was. He was known to take musicians and his Papal choir with him to the battlefield and had something sung in his tent every night. Charles was also known as a composer. His chapel was well staffed with the most apt musicians. He did not have some of the best from the area however, for Josquin des Prez worked in Milan and Jan Okehem worked in Paris.
Charles was a renaissance man, he spoke and at least comprehended many languages, he enjoyed reading, and was known to have a taste for classic literature. Charles added to his father's library during his reign. Though Charles may have had a soft spot for literature and the Arts, he was a hard man. He was known to be moody, temperamental and hot headed.
Charles modified the governing bodies of the Burgundian court. He organized the officials roles into definitive sections within the court. These sections could be compared to infantries within an army unit. Charles implemented strict rules and regulations causing what some called a militurization of the court. This organization went through all aspects of court behavior and life, including the discipline of the church leaders and musicians.
Ultimately Charles was a military man who wanted to increase the size and power of Burgundy. His appreciation of Art and support of music though important, were not his main focus(CTB, 53,146,161-2,193)(Reese, 7).
Important Composers of the Burgundian Courts
The courts of Burgundy attracted musicians not only from the areas surrounding Burgundy, but also from foreign nations. The flow of musical knowledge in these courts can be classified as nothing if not international. The Dukes of Burgundy would take their musicians with them on trips to other areas. There the musicians would be exposed to different styles and techniques of composition and performance. Likewise the knowledge and skill of the Burgundian musicians would be shared with the musicians of the other courts. The sharing of musical ideas among composers of the time creates a problem for historians of today. There is no concrete way to identify styles, and discuss precisely the works of the composers of the renaissance because there is no set terminology among historians to classify the renaissance composer. A lack of definitive understanding of which composer was where when, and with whom they conversed also adds to the problem. Therefore all that can be said is that Dufay and Binchois were both members of the Burgundian Court at one time and were trained in the style most acceptable to the Burgundian Dukes. There spreading of this style of music to other lands is evident in the works from composers of their time following The Burgundian court's direct contact with these areas(Perkins, 424-5).
Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay was employed as a singer in the Burgundian court. The circumstances surrounding the beginning of his employment along with the beginnings of his life are not concerete. All that is known regarding his birth is that it probably happened slightly before the turn of the fifteenth century and near the Franco-Belgian boarder. Dufay was first mentioned in records in 1409 when he was selected by Nicolas Malin, the master of the choirboys at the Cambri Cathedral, to be instructed and participate in the church services. The composers which may have influenced Dufay in his early years include Grenon and Loqueville. Of the two composers, Loqueville had a larger opportunity to influence Dufay than Grenon. Dufay spent time in Italy after his years at the Cambri Cathedral, traveling throughout Italy, into Rome and back in France. His training was mainly Burgundian and by traveling beyond the realm of that sovereign he brought its style to other countries and then introduced the other countries styles back into France on his visits home. Somewhere in the time period of c. 1438-1454 Dufay was noted as a cantor illustrissimi domini Ducis Burgundie, giving the possibility that a portion of that time in his later life he went back to employment with the Burgundian Duchy. These dates would place Dufy in the house of both Duke John the Fearless, and Duke Philip the Good(Reese, 48-51).
Gilles de Binche
Gilles De Binche, known as Binchois had a long and productive career in the Burgundian Court. Son of Jean de Binche, counselor to rulers of Hainaut, Gilles was born at Mons in Hainaut. In 1424 he was in Paris, in the service of William de la Pole at that time Earl of Suffolk. Binchois served the Burgundian court for thirty years during the reign of Duke Philip the Good. During his time there he advanced through the Papal ranks from the fifth to the second chaplain. He was well known for his composition of Chansons and composed approximately 54 for the Duke. He was also skilled in the composition of sacred music, known to have adapted similar melodic pieces for both secular and liturgical use. After his stay at Burgundy, Binchois was employed at Naples and brought the Burgundian style of composition with him spreading his fame and the musical influence of the Burgundian court beyond its boundaries. Binchois was praised in his time and imitated by those that came after him. Binchois and Dufay influenced the entire time period of music by leaving lasting musical impressions among the courts and countries of the Renaissance period(PTG, 160)(Reese, 86-92).
Conclusions
There is much more evidence supporting the influence of the Burgundian Court societies upon the rest of Europe. The musicians, artists, painters, sculptors and writers of the time period were constantly sharing ideas with other courts as they traveled with their lords and cared for their needs. The period of the Renaissance was a wonderful time overall for the sharing of ideas. The language of the era was not a spoken dialect, but visual and ethereal. The language of wealth, art, music, and a universal code of chivalry made the communication between peoples go beyond language barriers and created a giant melting pot for the arts.
Thanks, Sources, and Suggestions for Further Study
I would like to thank Dr. James Meis for his guidance through the new language of HTML, and Mrs. Irene Meis for aiding in the conquering of my nemisis... spelling.
The pictures of the Dukes were taken from two separate sources. The pictures of Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, and Charles the Bold were all taken from Joseph Calmete's book The Golden Age of Burgundy. The Picture of Philip the Good was taken from Richard Vaughan's book Philip the Good.
As previously stated the map of Burgundy was taken from an article written by Craig Wright in the Groves Dictionary of Music and Musician, Volume III, pg 466.
List of Sources
Armstrong, C.A.J. England, France and Burgundy in the Fifteenth Century. The Hambledon Press, London: 1983
Calmette, Joseph. The Golden Age of Burgundy The Magnificent Dukes and their Courts. Trans. Doreen Weightman, W.W. Norton & Company Inc., New York: 1963.
Perkins, Leeman L. "Toward the Topology of 'Renaissance' Chanson," Journal of Musicology. Ed. Marian Green. Volume VI, #4: Fall 1998 pp. 421-447.
Reese, Gustave. Music in the Renaissance. Revised Edition. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. New York: 1959.
The Renaissance: From the 1470's to the end of the 16th century. Ed. Iain Fenlon, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: 1989.
Thompson, Guy Llewelyn. Paris and its People under English Rule. The Anglo-Burgundian Regime 1420-1436. Clarendon Press, Oxford: 1991.
Vaughan, Richard. Charles the Bold. Longman, London: 1973.
Vaughan, Richard. John the Fearless. Barnes and Noble, Inc., New York: 1966.
Vaughan, Richard. Philip the Bold. Harvard University Press, Cambridge Massachusetts: 1962.
Vaughan, Richard. Philip the Good. Barnes and Noble, Inc. New York: 1970.
Wright, Craig. "Burgundy" The New Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians. p 464-8 Vol. III. ____, _____: 1980.
The above Bibliography contains works which were used in the research of this web-project. They all provide information on the Burgundian empire and the Renaissance period as a whole. If you are looking for more information regarding music in the Renaissance period I would head for those with Music in their title. They all overview the culture of the times and go into specific musicians and composers, so selecting one would limit not broaden the reader's horizons. For specific Burgundian information I recommend the Golden Age of Burgundy by Joseph Calmette as a great starting place followed by the rest naming specific rulers and countries of interest in their titles.
Goodies
If you are looking on the net for more information a possible starting place would be:
http://www.renstore.com/toc.shtml
This cite contains information on the costumes of the area and modern day enactments of the renaissance!!
The more scholarly approach would be this site:
http://history.evansville.net/renaissa.html
It contains vaults of information on lots of different topics about the renaissance. The authors range from Scholars with Phd's to the weekend peasant.
This Page was written by Allegra Meis in partial fulfillment for MUSL 242 and was presented to Dr. Cynthia Cyrus on October 12, 1998.
All images used on this page are to the best of my knowlede in the public domain. COncerns should be addressed to Dr. Cynthia Cyrus at cynthia.cyrus@vanderbilt.edu