Brepols Le Jeune Claude - Pseaumes En Vers Mesurez 1606

Summary of This Score

These psalms constitute a unique set in the history of French vocal music: although published posthumously, they very likely reflect part of the repertoire heard during the Sunday concerts of the Académie de poésie et de musique, founded in 1570 by Jean Antoine de Baïf. In a kingdom marked by deep religious tensions, these pages embody both an artistic quest (prosody, meter, declamation) and the hope for beneficial effects attributed to music.

Recent discoveries around this corpus highlight a particularly revealing context: several measured psalms are based on cantus firmus (including the tonus peregrinus and a sixth tone called "royal"), emphasizing an ecumenical intent. The balance is striking: psalms intended for a Catholic king, penned by both Catholic (Jean Antoine de Baïf) and Protestant (Agrippa d'Aubigné) authors, and set to music by a declared Huguenot composer, Claude Le Jeune.

The collection brings together 27 French and Latin pieces for varied vocal forces, including a notable exception: a French Te Deum for 6 voices. The edition also stands out for its approach to the texts: while those by Agrippa d'Aubigné are probably original, Baïf's texts appear to have been revised late by Odet de La Noue for publication. In collaboration with Professor Jean Vignes, a specialist on the poet, this edition offers, when alternatives are possible, the original poetry drawn from manuscript BNF Ms. Fr. 19140, providing a more faithful and nuanced musical and literary reading.

Technical specifications

Musical Genre

Classical

Publication

Sheet music

Composer	Claude Le Jeune	Language	French and Latin
Collection	Epitome musical	Instrumentation	voices (varied ensembles, up to 6 voices)
Genre	Renaissance score, sacred vocal music (psaumes mesurés, Te Deum)