Capella de Ministrers performs in the cloister of the University of Valencia within Serenates Festival on Friday 28 June at 10 pm. The concert will be settled in the Claustro of La Nau, cultural siege of the University of Valencia and it will include Amors e Cansó, Trovadores de la Corona de Aragón.
With troubadour is meant every artist (from the end of the 11th century and the end of the 13th century) able to create lyrics and music of his songs. Trovar (succeed) in finding sons e motz (sounds and words) was a trend that extends itself through the nobility of a wide geographic area of the south of France. Actually it is none other than a form of sophisticated etiquette, the outcome of a society that began refining its manners, following the improvement of life conditions, thanks to a relative political and economical stability; moreover it was a way to influence critics.
Genres par excellence of courtly poetry were cansó, about love, and sirventés that always contained bitter – or even violent – messages. Even if other genres such as alba, pastorela or tensó were less often cultivated, masterpieces of all these genres survive, proving their creators’ versatility.
The majority of manuscripts with a troubadour’s repertoire dates from 13th century, or even later, when the movement was yet in decline. It is as if the repertoire of 20th century songwriters would be edited nowadays, having collective memory as its only source of information. Aside from exceptions, it is sure that the result is linked to the success that a specific song and its creator achieved in that time: this is what happened with the remained troubadours’ repertoire, where almost everything is characterized by an exceptional quality, given the fact that time has sank all the rest into oblivion.
Possibility of exclusive participation (amadors)