Poet, Musician. Arguably the most influential of the Provençal (Southern French) troubadors. Ventadour established the "trobar leu" style, in which lyrics of chivalric love were performed in a light, accessible manner. This was the dominant form of troubador song for over a century. He has been directly credited with inspiring the trouvère tradition in Northern France and the Minnesingers of Germany. The son of a baker, he was born in Ventadour, France. According to one of his poems he learned music from his protector, Viscount Eble III, and dedicated his earliest songs to the viscount's wife, Marguerite de Turenne. Expelled from his hometown after falling in love with Marguerite, he travelled through Provence and entered the service of the Queen Consort of France, Eleanor of Aquitaine. There are fanciful tales that their relationship was more than platonic. She brought him to England after marrying future King Henry II in 1152, but by 1155 he was back in France. He may have been present at Eleanor's fabled "Court of Love" in Poitiers (1167 to 1173), the period between her estrangement from Henry and her imprisonment for stirring a revolt against him. Ventadour's last patron was Raimon V, Count of Toulouse. Sometime after 1180 he retired to a monastery in the Dordogne. Unlike other troubadors, who frequently borrowed tunes from other sources, Ventadour composed all his own music; the style is based on Gregorian chant. His work was well-circulated in his time. Manuscript copies of his most famous song, "Quan vei la lauzeta mover" ("When I Hear the Lark Beat His Wings"), have been found throughout Europe, attesting to his popularity. About 45 of his songs survive, 18 with their melodies - more than any other 12th Century secular musician.
Poet, Musician. Arguably the most influential of the Provençal (Southern French) troubadors. Ventadour established the "trobar leu" style, in which lyrics of chivalric love were performed in a light, accessible manner. This was the dominant form of troubador song for over a century. He has been directly credited with inspiring the trouvère tradition in Northern France and the Minnesingers of Germany. The son of a baker, he was born in Ventadour, France. According to one of his poems he learned music from his protector, Viscount Eble III, and dedicated his earliest songs to the viscount's wife, Marguerite de Turenne. Expelled from his hometown after falling in love with Marguerite, he travelled through Provence and entered the service of the Queen Consort of France, Eleanor of Aquitaine. There are fanciful tales that their relationship was more than platonic. She brought him to England after marrying future King Henry II in 1152, but by 1155 he was back in France. He may have been present at Eleanor's fabled "Court of Love" in Poitiers (1167 to 1173), the period between her estrangement from Henry and her imprisonment for stirring a revolt against him. Ventadour's last patron was Raimon V, Count of Toulouse. Sometime after 1180 he retired to a monastery in the Dordogne. Unlike other troubadors, who frequently borrowed tunes from other sources, Ventadour composed all his own music; the style is based on Gregorian chant. His work was well-circulated in his time. Manuscript copies of his most famous song, "Quan vei la lauzeta mover" ("When I Hear the Lark Beat His Wings"), have been found throughout Europe, attesting to his popularity. About 45 of his songs survive, 18 with their melodies - more than any other 12th Century secular musician.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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