Monophonic Song

Abstract Monophony appears in the Catalogue only when it clarifies the history and design of a particular polyphonic song. But it cannot be ignored in this volume. This chapter opens with an account of the two surviving sources of French monophonic song. Relevant here is the matter of Charles d’Orléans and the certainty (contrary to a large body of received literature) that the main manuscripts of his work were intended to include melodies for his rondeaux. The evidence of earlier French monophonic songs is outlined, partly as a context for the Charles d’Orléans songs. The chapter ends with a discussion of the German repertory, particularly in the songs of Oswald von Wolkenstein and Josquin.