Philippe de Vitry: Douce playsence Ensemble Arborescence & David Chappuis

• David Chappuis (b. 1966): Adesto:
• 1 Chappuis: Adesto 03:33
• Decens:
• 2 Chappuis: Decens 03:13
• Philippe de Vitry (1291 - 1361): Rex quem metrorum:
• 3 Vitry: Rex quem metrorum 07:04
• Adesto sancta Trinitas:
• 4 Vitry: Adesto sancta Trinitas 04:51
• Quoniam secta latronum:
• 5 Vitry: Quoniam secta latronum 03:29
• David Chappuis: Orbis:
• 6 Chappuis: Orbis 02:02
• Philippe de Vitry: Vos pastores:
• 7 Vitry: Vos pastores 03:24
• Douce playsence (poem):
• 8 Vitry: Douce playsence (poem) 02:08
• Gratissima:
• 9 Vitry: Gratissima 05:07
• In arboris:
• 10 Vitry: In arboris 03:06
• Hugo princeps:
• 11 Vitry: Hugo princeps 02:53
• David Chappuis: Douce playsence:
• 12 Chappuis: Douce playsence 01:35
• Philippe de Vitry: Garison:
• 13 Vitry: Garison 03:50
• Lugentium:
• 14 Vitry: Lugentium 09:31
• Total Runtime 55:46

Info zu Philippe de Vitry: Douce playsence

Poet, friend of Petrarch, and ecclesiastic, Philippe de Vitry was also one of the leading figures of the Ars Nova, a movement that brought polyphonic and poetic refinement to its peak. This album, the debut recording of Ensemble Arborescence, is the result of extensive research by David Chappuis, following a meticulous study of the sources. It seeks to place the singers in the performance conditions of the 14th century, including historically informed Latin pronunciation. Recorded at Royaumont, the programme weaves together motets by Philippe de Vitry—from early works to those of his maturity—with interludes composed by David Chappuis on Vitry’s own poetry. This carefully crafted perspective invites us to rediscover the work of one of the most fascinating musical figures of the Middle Ages.

The term "concert", in the sense in which the word has come to be used today, did not correspond to anything known in the Middle Ages. At the time, it would never have occurred to anyone to perform a series of motets for a paying audience. Even when sung in the most respectful way, this six-century-old music still gives rise to a contemporary creation today. The one presented by Arborescence is the fruit of several years' work on the motets of Philippe de Vitry. All that remains of this bishop of Meaux (1291-1361) today is a great name and a rather limited collection of musical and poetic compositions (of disputed attribution). Philippe de Vitry was an academic and a close associate of the French court, and epitomised all the medieval figures of the scholar. The man to whom Petrarch addressed himself as "a poet without equal in France" remains associated with the musical movement known as "Ars nova", of which he is a major theorist, poet and composer. David Chappuis has been working on these motets for over six years under the aegis of the Haute école de musique de Genève. He has prepared a new edition and trained young singers at Royaumont in their interpretation. Their a capella singing brings out as fully as possible the interplay of consonances and dissonances that are the lifeblood of polyphony. The multiple facets of the ensemble are highlighted in turn, from solo to tutti, through various combinations of voices, from the most suave to the most grating. The eight motets are linked by musical interludes composed by David Chappuis to verses by the Master of Meaux. The final piece of the concert, Lugentium siccentur oculi, dedicated to Pope Clement VI, is grandiose in its exceptional scope and the complexity of its architecture. A wonderful celebration of the culmination of a great musicological adventure, coinciding with the release of Arborescence's first album on the Swiss label Claves Records, recorded in the refectory of the monks of Royaumont!

Ensemble Arborescence
David Chappuis, conductor

Ensemble Arborescence
Formed by professional singers, the Arborescence ensemble proposes to illuminate the music of the past in the light of historical practices (declamation, solmization, counterpoint, ornamentation) such as they can be rediscovered today thanks to digital humanities.

It all begins with Philippe de Vitry...

More precisely, with the motets of this great poet and musician of the 14th century. Fascination for the complexity, for the formal perfection of these pieces and, through attempts of transcription, deciphering, pronunciation, discovery of their intense beauty. First research project, at the beginning of the year 2000, within the framework of the Haute école de musique (HEM) of Geneva. Concerts, reflections, maturation...

In 2018, the conditions are met to launch, still under the aegis of the HEM, a much more ambitious project: "Chanter les motets de Philippe de Vitry" (CMPV). But, before singing, it is necessary to publish: CMPV becomes Corpus Motetorum Philippi de Vitriaco. A new edition will only make sense if it is resolutely modern, using digital humanities, a vast field of research located at the crossroads of computer science, arts, humanities and social sciences. Based on the totality of the known manuscript sources, the CMPV edition makes it possible to get closer to the letter of the sources, to confront them in order to induce a critical version, to analyze and visualize the poetic and musical architecture, and to provide singers with parts that guide them in their learning of solmization, simple counterpoint and ornamentation (flowers).

The crowning achievement of several years of research, the Arborescence ensemble was formed in 2021, following a professional training given within the framework of the Pôle voix et répertoire of the Fondation Royaumont in October 2020.

Booklet für Philippe de Vitry: Douce playsence