Machaut's balades with four voices

Abstract

Based on principles found in fourteenth-century counterpoint treatises, this study divides Machaut's balades with four voices into three groups according to their performance possibilities. The pieces of group 1 (Se quanque amours, Il mest avis, De toutes flours, and Quant theseus/Ne quier) can be performed either in all four parts or in three parts by omitting the triplum. Group 2 (De petit po and De Fortune plus Vg's redaction of Se quanque amours) includes those pieces that can be performed in three parts with either contratenor or triplum but not with all four parts. Pieces in this group are often found with all four parts copied together, thus highlighting the difference between the presentation of a piece in the sources and its performance options. The pieces in group 3 (En amer and Dame de qui) are less clearly delimited in their performance possibilities.