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Bernart de Ventadorn was a
troubadour from southern France.
terms:
troubadours vs. trouvres vs. minnesingers
jongleurs and minstrels
12th Century secular music created by courtly men (and women) who were members of poet-composer societies. this is music for aristocrats by aristocarats.
Bernart de Ventadorn was a troubadour living in a provencal society (a mix of spanish and french). His La Dousa Votz is typical of 12th courtly secular songs with its sense of strong and steady duple rhythm, even in the vocal line. Which by the way is all that Bernie composed, i.e., the instrumental accompaniment by the lute is simply a modern guess at what might have been, and note that it is no more than several notes which although very rhythmic, are no more than 3-4 unchanging drones. So we have to say that theoretically this music is also monophonic and does not contain any harmony.
Listening Hints for the Troubadour Song:
Note the translation and meaning of the words both in title and overall poem about chivalrous love. The melody is modal and has a little form or pattern to itself, i.e., the first pairs of phrases are similar, thus: aa' , followed by a different, higher and more active b phrase, giving the melody an overall aab form. But the form or formula for the entire song is the good ole strophic idea of same music for each verse, i.e., AAA