Equilibrium in

Whether desired or not, while playing polyphony we deal with harmony all the time. We are constantly experiencing its fragility and power. It is desired to establish a bigger frame in which all individualities can coexist. Seeking for balance is a process that cannot happen without struggling, suffering, letting go and lamenting. They are natural parts of the pursuit and somehow need to be embraced. It is also almost natural to express this in the form of a secular or sacred polyphonic piece.

We chose a variety of pieces referring to „Adieu mes amours“, a famous chanson dealing with personal and material loss. In each version the melody is used in one of the parts as cantus firmus; in another chanson with another text („Vous seulement“) or in a sacred context („Salve regina“). In both pieces two texts coexist, a popular but also technically challenging composition technique around 1500, creating interaction among all pieces in question yet preserving its uniqueness.

All these might seem very much like vocal music, but some of the sources such as Lerma Codex and Copenhagen DK-Kk MS 1872 Codex were owned by instrumentalists, and also Odhecaton and the A-Wn Mus.Hs. 18746 Manuscript have only text incipits and are very likely to have been performed on instruments. Nevertheless a coexisting opinion on missing text is that these chansons were so popular that only the title and no further lyrics would be written.

The two Cantionals by Schein are balancing this very orthodox choice of pieces. Early 17th century Germany, protestant church songs and newly established approaches from Italy to set text into music altogether form a drastic contrast.