Troubadour is ... Serenade of Troubadour

Troubadour is a minstrel, or poet-musician, who lived and worked at a certain time in a certain place. Specifically - in Provence, in the XI-XII centuries. The term itself originated from the verb trobar, which in translation from Provencal (or Occitan) means "compose".

The birthplace of troubadours

Provence (a historical region located in the south-east of the country) is the cradle of French culture, as the work of the minstrels of the Mature Middle Ages laid the foundation of the first literary language - the Romance. It can be argued that the troubadour is the direct predecessor of all the poets of Catalonia and Northern Italy, as well as minnesingers, singing love, truers, medieval epic poets, Dante himself, and everyone who came for him. In the XI-XII centuries, it was Provence that experienced a great economic, and, after it, a cultural upsurge. There arises a special kind of court knight etiquette based on the ability to behave in society, to be interesting and to win the hearts of beautiful ladies, then to worship the chosen one as an icon and for her to perform noble deeds and deeds. Provençal poetry, serving as an unattainable model for all the surrounding nationalities, sang knights who knew how to serve a beautiful lady.

The birth of a new direction in literature

In a concise formulation, the troubadour is a courteous poet whose work was dominated by the cult of a lady. The authors and performers of the works recognized themselves as servants and vassals of a woman, glorified her nobility, beauty, refinement and other virtues, as well as deeds committed in the name of the Queen of the Heart by knights. It should be noted that, unlike the heroic epic glorifying the feat of the people, the poetry of troubadours demonstrates the growth of individual self-awareness. Specific heroes, such as Tristan or the Knights of the Round Table, commit specific actions in the name of their beloved women. It is believed that the first troubadour, who was called, was Guillaume IX, Duke of Aquitaine. In this case, Troubadour is a well-deserved nickname of a talented and successful poet who gave impetus to the development of the whole literature of France.

Representatives of courtly literature

The first poets-musicians of Provence include Goselm Fedi, Peira Vidal, Giraut de Bornel, Giraut Rikyor and some others. It is interesting that the troubadours were also women. The names of 17 are known. The most popular of them is Beatrice de Dia. Moreover, in the 12th century, the administration of several large feuds, headed by counts, patrons of the arts, passed into the hands of women. Naturally, in the Carcassonne county, the Aquitaine duchy, in the Nimes, Narbonne and Beziers vikonstvah art and literature blossomed during the reign of ladies lush color. One of the most famous works of courtly literature is the "Lancelot" by Chrétien de Troyes. The novel in verse sings the love of Queen Ginerwa, the wife of the legendary Arthur, and exploits for her, committed by one of the most famous knights of the Round Table Lancelot.

Distinctive features of creativity troubadours

A minstrel could be a person who has the ability to write impromptu and own a musical instrument. He should have been aware of all the news, especially the courtiers, and to master the art of delicate flattery. Most troubadours sang love, spring, joy of life. And although the Albigensian crusade (a series of campaigns of 1209-1229, undertaken to eradicate heresy) completely ceased their existence, these singers, poets, songwriters left a great cultural heritage and a beautiful memory of themselves. To their creativity, revived by romantics, interest does not fade in our time. The very name of the singer and poet "troubadour" sounds beautiful, although there were a lot of names in those days: the truer, minstrel, minnesinger and bard. The genres, especially revered by the troubadours, include primarily the canzone and the syrvent, crying and alba, pastorel, tenson and ballad. All this is different in form and theme of the song, but they are united by the refinement of form and the obligatory accuracy of rhyme. In manuscripts that have survived to this day, there are up to 500 names of troubadours, 40 of which are known to amateurs and connoisseurs of poetry. Starting with the XIV century, the concept of "troubadour" was forgotten, but poets-romantics in their work turned to the legacy of the minstrels of the Middle Ages, and interest in them broke out with renewed vigor. So the great Italian composer called one of his masterpieces this word.

The Greatest Opera

"Troubadour", the opera of the great Giuseppe Verdi, written on the libretto of his friend Salvatore Cammarano and was published in 1853, after the death of the librettist became one of the largest works of G. Verdi. And although the events described in it belong to the XV century, the court poet-musician Manrico, the protagonist of the work is called a troubadour. This work of the genius composer has become one with his operas such as Rigoletto and La Traviata. The composer was so captivated by the idea of the play by A. G. Gutierrez, the Spanish playwright, that he wrote all the music for the immortal opera in 29 days. "Troubadour" - the opera, which premiered in Rome on January 19, 1853, immediately became incredibly popular and won almost all of Europe. Wonderful music, beautiful solo parts overshadowed the famously intrigued plot of the plot, in which were present gypsies, pilfering count's children, the love of two brothers for one woman, a duel between them, the death of almost all the heroes. Such subjects were many at all times. The immortal opera is made only by the music of the incomparable Giuseppe Verdi.

The revival of interest in this word in Soviet times

In our country, the name "troubadour" was glorified by the famous cartoon, the first part of which was published in 1969, and the second part in 1973. Troubadour from "The Bremen Musicians" became one of the most famous cartoon characters. The incredible success of the first part, created on the motives of the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, prompted the authors of Yuri Entin, Vasily Livanov, composer Gennady Gladkov to create a sequel, which was named "Following the Traces of the Bremen Musicians". And although the second part had nothing to do with the great German storytellers, it turned out to be entertaining, interesting and no less beloved by Soviet spectators than the first.

The same characters: Princess and Troubadour, Cat and Dog, Donkey and Rooster - continue their adventures. The undoubted advantage of both parts is music.

The remarkable Soviet Troubadour

Several generations have grown up on these songs, they are incredibly popular and recognizable. Serenade of Troubadour "The Ray of the Golden Sun ..." from the cartoon sequel, performed by Muslim Magomaev, became a musical masterpiece. In addition, the singer in this part voiced even the Genial Detective and Atamanshu. Their songs are also recognizable and loved by the audience. Perhaps, thanks to the cartoon, this is the most frequently performed thing from the repertoire of a wonderful vocalist, who has neither a song but a hit. Serenade of Troubadour, along with "Melody", "Wedding", "Nocturne", entered the treasury of the domestic stage. The song "The Ray of the Golden Sun ..." brought to M. Magomaev the "Best Movie" award of 2008.