Andrieu Contredit d'Arras

Andrieu Contredit d'Arras ("c."1200–1248) was a trouvère from Arras and active in the Puy d'Arras. "Contredit" is probably a nickname. He wrote mostly "grand chants", but also a "pastourelle", a "lai", and a "jeu-parti" with Guillaume li Vinier.

Andrieu is probably the "Andreas Contredit, miles ministerellus, crucesignatus" who in 1239, according to French royal documents, joined the Crusade of Theobald I of Navarre as a knight and minstrel. [L. A. Vigneras (1934), "Note sur Andrieu Contredit," "Romanic Review", 25, 380–81.] His appearance in royal documents may indicate his service (probably as a minstrel) to Louis IX, and he addressed his song "Au mois d'avril" to Louis.

His song "Ja pour nul mal" was addressed to the Puy. One of the most important sources on his life is the register of the Puy. It records his death at Arras in 1248 and the death of his wife in 1225. [She is referred to as "Contredite femme Andrieu", while Andrieu himself is referred to as "Contredis Andrius". Another member of the Puy named Contredit died in 1207. Contredit may therefore be a surname, c.f. Vigneras (1934).] Besides the register of the Puy are Andrieu's poems themselves, since he wrote twenty and named himself as author in fourteen. He addressed "Bone, bele et avenans" to a "Marote", probably fellow trouvère Maroie de Diergnau de Lille. He praised the city of Arras in "L'autrier quant je chevauchoie". Andrieu twice refers to himself as "messire" (mister), a title reserved for nobility. His blason had once decorated chansonnier known as MS 844 in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, but it has now been lost.

Andrieu's verses show little variation of form. They all begin with the same rhyme scheme (ABAB), all are in regular metre, and all use the same few lengths of line. Andrieu's music is more varied, though it is all in bar form. The melodies are frequently non-repetitive and sometimes motivic.

List of works

*"Amours m'a si del tout a son voloir
*"Au mois d'avril que l'on dit en Pascour
*"Au tens que je voi averdir
*"Bone, bele et avenans
*"Dame, pour vous m'esjoïs benement
*"De bele Yzabel ferai", survives without music
*" [De] bone amour ki le set maintenir", survives without music and incipit
*"Del guerredon ke j'atenc a avoir", survives without music and incipit
*"Guillaume le Viniers, amis", his part of a "jeu-parti", survives without music
*"Iriez, pensis chanterai
*"Ja pour nul mal ne peur nesun tourment
*"Ja pour nul mal ne peur nule pensee
*"Je ne me doi d'Amours de riens loer
*"L'autrier quant je chevauchoie
*"Mout m'est bel quant voi repairier
*"Pré ne vert bois, rose ne flour de lis
*"Quant voi partir foille et flour et rosee
*"Tout tens est mes cuers en joie
*"Tres haute Amours me semont que je chant
*"Vivre m'estuet en tristror, en pesance

References

*Karp, Theodore. [http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/00905 "Andrieu Contredit d'Arras."] "Grove Music Online". "Oxford Music Online". Accessed 20 September 2008.

Notes