New-York tribune., 1921-04-17
By Katharine Wright

Dy NdtAldIlnC w T1Qnt
Songs of the Church, Fifteen An
thems for Mixed Chorus, Op. 81, by
Sergei Rachmaninoff. edited with Eng
lish text by Winifred Douglas, and
,roubadour Songs, compiled and ar
ranged by Clarence Dickinson, with his
torical introduction, biographical notes
and English texts by Helen A. Dickin-
son. have lately been published by the
H. W. Gray Company.
The Russian collection, the work Of
The finest living representative of Rus
sian music, is particularly welcome.
These superb settings Of portions of the
Russian Church liturgy represent an
other phase of creative versatility by
the distinguished Russian who has
given to the world so much that is
noble and beautiful in music. They
include 20 Come Let Us Worship"
BLESS. the Lord" "Nunc Dimittis," /"
"Laud Ye the Name Of the Lord"
"Magnihcat," "Gloria in Excelsis," a
hymn, To-day Hath Salvation Come"
and "To the Mother of God"
Songs of the Troubadours
In her introduction to Troudabour
Songs Miss Dickinson reviews the
history of the troubadours from the
beginning of their activities, which, ac-
cording to historians of literature,
opened with the closing years of the
eleventh century, but in Miss Dickin-
sons opinion really had their founda-
tions in the much earlier art of the
wandering minstrel, from time imme-
mortal so popular figure in the south
of France.
The name "troubadour" is derived
from the Provencal verb trobar (tro-
haire), to find. 1t is supposed to have
been adopted as a new word in the
language during the crusades, and, in
fuenced in it's formation by the Arabic,
implies that both poetry and music
we're invented by each poet-musician
In the north the name became "trou
vere," from the French "trouver," to
find The troubadour's instrument was
the viellc, the ancestor of the violin,
or the mandorla, lutte or small harp,
and the theme of his song, for the
most part, was love Of the most eX
allied kind. But there was one trou-
badour woman-hater, Marcabru, of Gas
cony, who wrote only Sirventes or
political poems Other troubadours in
cluded Sirventes in their repertoires,
also the Planh, funeral dirge or
plant, and the Tense, poem in the
form of a debate on questions of gall
lantry, love, politics or morals.
There were also less personal songs,
narrative or dramatic in character, as
"L'Alba," song of dawn; the Toile, or
"Chanson dHistoire,' which told a
story; the Romance, which resembled
the Toile, but was gayer in tone; the
Pastourelle and music of the dance.
Perhaps the most famous represent
ative of the age of the troubadours,
which closed with Guiraut Riquier, of
Toulouse, in 1892, was Bertran de
Born, described by a contemporary IS
"a good knight, good warrior, a
good wooer, and good troubadour."
Dante considered him sower of dis
cord, responsible for setting the sons
of Henry II against their father and
involving France in war. In the In
ferno, Canto XXXVIII, he is pictured
carrying his severed head in his hand
and saying: "In severe punishment
for having parted persons who should
have been Joined I carry my brain,
alas parted from its beginning, which
is in my body"
The first song in this collection of
SIX, GAIL Thoughts Within My Heart
That Dwell" is not French song at
all, but German minnelied found in
the Kocheimar Liederbuch of 1850 un-
der the title, "All' Mein Gedanken."
No. 2, "Lo! Now I Bid Farewell to
Nentadorn," is by Bernard de Venta-
dour, or Ventadorn, who left Ventadorn,
as the song relates, driven by the cold
ness of the beloved one. The song
vas transcribed by Otto Kinkeldey.
The accompaniment is by Mr.. Dickin-
son.
No. is "Mercy I Cry Who All Be
wldered Stand" by the Chatelain de
Coucy, who took his name from the
Chateau de Coucy, a picturesque me-
dieval ruin, now wholly destroyed by
the Germans. In the thirteenth CEN
tury romance "The Lady of Fayel" the
Chatelain de Coucy is represented as
one of the most distinguished poets
and courtiers of the age. According
to legend, the husband of the lady OF
his devotion was a rough man, who
lacked any appreciation Of the code Of
ohivalry or the cult of the trouba-
dours. Consumed with jealousy Of the
poet, he caused him to be killed and
served his heart to his lady as new
and succulent morsel. When she
learned what meat she had eaten she
threw herself from window in the
castle tower. This story served as
theme for William Lindsey's drama,
"Seremonda," which was played some
Years ago with Miss Julia Arthur as
the heroine. The harmonization in the
present volume is that of J. B. Wecker-
I'm, In whose Echos du Temps Passe,
Vol. l, the song appears as "Merci
CLAIMANT" The only change in the
present setting is the raising Of the