Who Were The Medieval Troubadours?

Description
Ever wondered who were the Medieval Troubadours? Back in the day, nothing was written down but passed from performer to performer as they travelled the countryside. Take a minute to get the scoop!

Fun Fact
One of the epic poems performed by troubadours was Beowulf. Beowulf was spoken by some and sung by others. Beowulf is the story of a hero who fights and defeats a huge monster. Another epic poem is that of the Song of Roland.

About Steven
Steven is a Canadian composer living in Toronto. He creates a range of works, with an emphasis on the short-form genre—his muse being to offer the listener both the darker and more satiric shades of human existence. If you're interested, please check out his website for more.

A Note To Music Students et al.
All recordings and sheet music are available on my site. I encourage you to take a look and play through some. Give me a shout if you have any questions.

Got a topic? Pop me off an email at: TCMMPodcast@Gmail.com 

Transcript

Hi, I’m Steven Hobé

Medieval Troubadours were musicians most popular in southern France and northern Italy during the 11th to the 13th century. 

They might travel from village to village or to the castles to entertain kings, lords, and nobles. In fact, some troubadours were even knights and nobles themselves, the earliest being the Duke of Aquitaine.

Troubadours sang about the ideals of courtly love, courage and chivalric deeds. And many possessed a clerical education that could be a springboard to composition.

Troubadour songs were usually monophonic, consisting of a melody (or "tune"), and it’s estimated that only 300 of these melodies remain today.

The popularity of Troubadours ended after the 13th century; however, their legacy continued to shape the ideas and themes of European literature and music in the following centuries.