> From the booklet of Lislevand's CD "La belle homicide": > > The homicide in question is indeed a very sweet one. We recall the words from a > Dowland song: to see/to touch/to kiss/to die. > This Grace procures the metaphorical death of the late Renaissance: > the sublime ecstasy of physical love. In Gaultier's Rhetorique des Dieux, he adds > the following text under the tablature of the > L'homicide: > > (just english translation) > This Fair Lady, by her charms, brings death to all that see or hear her. But that > Death is unlike ordinary deaths in that it is the beginning of life, instead of > marking its end.
Thank you for the quotes. But let's put things straight. Rolf Lislevand's, erm, gallant explanation is based on the text in the Rhétorique. And the note in the Rhétorique is not Ennemond Gaultier's, who most likely was the composer of the music, but was penned by one of the compilers of the manuscript. It's true, many concordances bear the title, but some don't, and some have a different label, e. g. Label Homoïse (Stockholm MAB No. 3) or La bella haut musie. (Erik. Ark. 52c). I do not suggest that one these variae lectiones is the true name. What I mean to suggest, though, is that possibly none of all of them is the true one. We won't know for sure because Vieux Gaultier wouldn't have his music published. As for the connotation, I'm not so sure if the name indicates the very object of connotation. It might just as well suggest memories of a certain situation or moment of history in Paris that everybody during, say, the 1620ies would know. Apart from "galant" connotations, there are e. g. three biblical women who could be considered beautiful murderers: Yaël (Judges 4:17-24), Judith (Judith 13), Herodias's daughter Salome (Matthew 14). Painters have oftentimes depicted these women. If you take into account that Vieux Gaultier was given a benefice when he retired, although he hadn't studied, why not think of biblical connotations? BTW there's a courante plus double by Jeune Gallot that goes by a similar name, viz. La meurtrière (literally, the murderer). Mathias > Am Samstag, 10. März 2012, 08:04:17 schrieb William Samson: > > It's a great piece of music. Do you know the date of the earliest > > version? > > > > Does that translate as "The Beautiful Murder"? I wonder why? > > > > Bill > > From: Arto Wikla <wi...@cs.helsinki.fi> > > To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > > Sent: Friday, 9 March 2012, 20:31 > > Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] La belle homicide > > Dear baroque lutenists, > > "La belle homicide" is really very strange, very special and > > especially very great piece! The music and also the name! And they > > knew that - of course - already in the 17th century: There are at > > least about 40 versions/copies of this piece in different manuscripts! > > I just made my first try using the ms. Barbe version: > > [1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX4riaTkTP4&feature=youtu.be > > Perhaps more versions to come? > > And yes, I really do know that my playing is not perfect at all... > > But the piece is great! I love it! :) > > Best, > > Arto > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > -- > > > > References > > > > 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX4riaTkTP4&feature=youtu.be > > 2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
