Jacob Senleches

Jacob Senleches (fl. 1382/1383 – 1395) (also Jacob de Senlechos [i.e. Senleches] and Jacopinus Senlesses) was a Franco-Flemish composer and harpist of the late Middle Ages. He composed in a style commonly known as the ars subtilior.

It has been suggested that Jacob Senleches was born in Senleches (or Sanlesches) in Cambrai, today France.^[1] In 1382, Senleches seems to have been present at the court of Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Castile (d. September 1382), possibly in her service. In Fuions de ci, he laments Eleanor's death and resolves to seek his fortune either "en Aragon, en France ou en Bretaingne".

Afterwards, he is found in the service of Pedro de Luna, Cardinal of Aragon (later Antipope Benedict XIII, 1394–1423), as a harpist. There is a treasury document assigning payments to one "Jaquemin de Sanleches, juglar de harpe" from the royal household in Navarra dated August 21, 1383. The payment was made so that Jacquemin could return to "his master", Pedro de Luna.^[2]

Despite the small number of transmitted compositions, Jacob de Senleches is counted among the central personalities of Ars subtilior. He developed many distinctive rhythmic and notational innovations.^[3]

The texts deal mainly with himself and his career.

Works

Ballades:

• En attendant esperance
• Fuions de ci
• Je me merveil/ J'ay pluseurs fois

Virelai

• En ce gracieux tamps
• La harpe de melodie
• Tel me voit

Media

 Ballade Fuions de ci 

Transcriptions

Corpus mensurabilis musicae Vol. 53 - French Secular Compositions I, Ascribed Compositions (1970)

References

1. Tomasello
2. Günther
3. Stoessel

Sources

• Günther, Ursula, and Maricarmen Gomez. "Senleches, Jacquemin De." In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, 87-88. London: Grove, 2001.
• Jacob de Senleches; in: Die Musik in Gegenwart und Geschichte, Personenteil, Ed. L. Finscher, Kassel, London, 2003/2.
• Stoessel, Jason. "Symbolic Innovation: The Notation of Jacob De Senleches." Acta Musicologica 71/2 (1999): 136-64.
• Tomasello, Andrew. Music and Ritual at Papal Avignon 1309-1403. Studies in Musicology 75. Ann Arbor: UMI Research Press, 1983.

External links

• Free scores by Jacob Senleches in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)