Jehan Erart [or Erars] (c.1200/10 – 1258/9) was a
trouvère (minstrel) from Arras, particularly noted for
his favouring the pastourelle genre. He has left behind
eleven pastourelles, ten grand chants, and one
serventois.
Erart's presence at Arras can be deduced from his own
writings. He was patronised by the wealthy middle and
upper classes. In his serventois, a complainte on the
death his patron Gherart Aniel, he asked Pierre and
Wagon Wion to help him obtain the patronage of the
bankers...(+)
Jehan Erart [or Erars] (c.1200/10 – 1258/9) was a
trouvère (minstrel) from Arras, particularly noted for
his favouring the pastourelle genre. He has left behind
eleven pastourelles, ten grand chants, and one
serventois.
Erart's presence at Arras can be deduced from his own
writings. He was patronised by the wealthy middle and
upper classes. In his serventois, a complainte on the
death his patron Gherart Aniel, he asked Pierre and
Wagon Wion to help him obtain the patronage of the
bankers Henri and Robert Crespin. His relationship with
two Arras trouvères is apparent in his lyrics,
Guillaume le Vinier and Jehan Bretel. He is also
mentioned in a work of Guibert Kaukesel, a canon of
Arras.
The chief characteristic of Erart's poetry is his
preference for short lines, mostly penta-, hexa-,
hepta-, and octosyllabic, as opposed to the traditional
decasyllable, which does occur in his chansons "Pré ne
vergier ne boscaige foillu" and "Encoire sui cil ki a
merchi s'atent" and his serventois "Nus chanters".
Musically, Erart is syllabic, with a preference for
major modes and refrains. His chansons are composed
mainly in isometre, but his pastourelles are
predominantly heterometric. His music is conservative
and rarely exceeds a ninth in range.
There are two death notices for Erart in the necrology
of the Confrérie des jongleurs et bourgeois d'Arras.
One records a Jehans Erardi dying in 1258 while another
records Jehan Erart dying in 1259. It is possible, when
considering that his works are preserved in two
different sections of the Chansonnier du Roi, that
there were two Jehan Erarts, but this is not likely.
Three songs attributed to Jehan Erart in one manuscript
probably belong to Raoul de Beauvais.
"The Pascal (Paschal) Time is a period of the Catholic
and Orthodox liturgical calendars which extends from
Easter day to Pentecost Sunday. It lasts fifty
days."
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehan_Erart).
Although originally composed for period instruments
(likely recorders), I created this Interpretation of
"Au Tems Pascor" (in Paschal Time) for Woodwind Trio
(Flute, Oboe & Bassoon) & Percussion (Hand Slap).
