Jehan Bretel (''c''.1210 – 1272) was a

trouvère ''Trouvère'' (, ), sometimes spelled ''trouveur'' (, ), is the Northern French (''langue d'oïl'') form of the ''langue d'oc'' (Occitan) word ''trobador'', the precursor of the modern French word ''troubadour''. ''Trouvère'' refers to poet- ...

. Of his known oeuvre of probably 97 songs, 96 have survived. Judging by his contacts with other trouvères he was famous and popular. Seven works by other trouvères (

Jehan de Grieviler Jehan de Grieviler (''Floruit, fl.'' mid- to late 13th century) was an Arras, Artesian cleric and trouvère. Jehan was probably born at Grévillers near Arras. A certain "Grieviler" is mentioned in the necrology (''registre'') of the Confrérie de ...

Jehan Erart Jehan Erart (or Erars) (''c''.1200/10–1258/9) was a trouvère from Arras, particularly noted for his favouring the ''pastourelle'' genre. He has left behind eleven ''pastourelles'', ten ''grand chants'', and one '' serventois''. Erart's pres ...

Jaques le Vinier Jaques le Vinier ( fl. 1240–60)L. A. Vigneras (1934), "Note sur Andrieu Contredit," ''Romanic Review'', 25, 380, states that the register of the Puy records his death in 1245. was a trouvère probably from the region around Arras and associate ...

Colart le Boutellier Colart le Boutellier (''Floruit, fl.'' 1240–60) was a well-connected trouvère from Arras. There are no references to him independent of his own and others' songs, found in the chansonniers. One of these depicts the known coat-of-arms used by the ...

, and

Mahieu de Gant Mahieu de Gant ('' fl.'' mid–late 13th century) was a Flemish trouvère (poet- composer) from Ghent associated with the so-called "school of Arras". He has been conflated with Mahieu le Juif, but the same manuscript containing both their works ...

) are dedicated to Bretel and he was for a time the "Prince" of the

Puy d'Arras The Puy d'Arras, called in its own day the Puy Notre-Dame, was a medieval poetical society formed in Arras for holding contests between trouvères and ''pour maintenir amour et joie'' (for maintaining love and joy, i.e. the courtly love lyric). ...

. Bretel held the hereditary post of

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

at the Abbey of Saint Vaast in

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

, in which capacity he oversaw the rights of the abbacy on the river Scarpe. He is referred to as ''sergens iretavles de la riviere Saint-Vaast'' in a document of 1256. His father, Jehan, had held this same post from 1241 (at the latest) until his death in 1244. His grandfather, Jacques, was described as ''sergent héréditaire'' around the turn of the century, when there were eight such officials associated with the abbey. The trouvère and his brother were modestly wealthy property owners near Arras, where Jehan died in 1272. Bretel wrote eight known '' chansons courtoises'',Preserved in the

Vatican Library The Vatican Apostolic Library ( la, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, it, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana), more commonly known as the Vatican Library or informally as the Vat, is the library of the Holy See, located in Vatican City. Formally es ...

(V-CVbav Reg.lat.1490). of which seven survive. Bretel dedicated the ''chanson'' ''Li miens chanters'' to the countess Beatrice, wife of

William III of Dampierre William III (1224 – 6 June 1251) was the lord of Dampierre from 1231 and count of Flanders from 1247 until his death. He was the son of William II of Dampierre and Margaret II of Flanders. Margaret inherited Flanders and Hainault in 1244 ...

and sister of Henry III,

Duke of Brabant The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Leuven (who was duke of Low ...

. Bretel also participated in eighty-nine '' jeux partis'', nearly half of all recorded ''jeux partis''. Many of these are assigned on the basis of internal evidence (the poets are often named) since they lack

rubric A rubric is a word or section of text that is traditionally written or printed in red ink for emphasis. The word derives from the la, rubrica, meaning red ochre or red chalk, and originates in Medieval illuminated manuscripts from the 13th cent ...

s. A few of these are addressed only to a ''Sire Jehan'' or just ''Sire'' and their ascription to Bretel, though likely, is not certain. About forty different poets from the region around Arras participated in these ''jeux partis'', either as judges or correspondents. Generally these poems are grouped with others by Bretel in the

chansonnier A chansonnier ( ca, cançoner, oc, cançonièr, Galician and pt, cancioneiro, it, canzoniere or ''canzoniéro'', es, cancionero) is a manuscript or printed book which contains a collection of chansons, or polyphonic and monophonic settings o ...

s, even if he did not initiate them, though those he initiated with the famous trouvère

Adam de la Halle Adam de la Halle (1245–50 – 1285–8/after 1306) was a French poet-composer ''trouvère''. Among the few medieval composers to write both monophonic and polyphonic music, in this respect he has been considered both a conservative and progr ...

are usually grouped with Adam's works.

List of works

''Chansons courtoises''

*' *' *' *' *' *' *'

''Jeux partis''

*With

**' **' **' **' **',Attributed by scholarship, but not in the manuscripts. no music **' **' **' **' **' **' **' **' **' **' **', proposed by Adam, no music **', proposed by Adam *With Audefroi **', proposed by Audefroi **' *With

Jehan le Cuvelier d'Arras Jehan le Cuvelier d'Arras (''fl''. ''c''. 1240–70) was a trouvère associated with the so-called "school of Arras". He may be the same person as Johannes Cuvellarius from Bapaume, a suburb of Arras, who is mentioned in documents of 1258. He was t ...

**', no music **' **', two melodies **' **', no music *With

Gaidifer d'Avion Gaidifer (Gadifer) d'Avion ( fl. 1230–50) was an Artesian trouvère from Avion. He entered the Church and was associated with the poets of the so-called "School of Arras". Gaidifer was well-connected to contemporary poets. He was a respondent ...

**' **' *With Gerart de Boulogne **', proposed by Gerart, no music *With

**' **', no music **' **' **' **', no music **' **', no music **' **', no music **' **' **' **', no music **' **', two melodies **' **', proposed by Grieviler **', proposed by Grieviler **', no music **' **', no music **' **', no music **', proposed by Grieviler **', two melodies **', proposed by Grieviler, no music **', proposed by Grieviler, no music *With

Jehan de Marli Jehan is a male given name. It is the old orthography of Jean in Old French, and is rarely given anymore. It is also a variant of the Persian name Jahan in some South Asian languages. People with the given name Jehan * Jehan Adam (15th century) ...

**' *With

Jehan de Renti Jehan is a male given name. It is the old orthography of Jean in Old French, and is rarely given anymore. It is also a variant of the Persian name Jahan in some South Asian languages. People with the given name Jehan * Jehan Adam (15th century) ...

**', proposed by Jehan de Renti, no music *With

Jehan Simon Jehan is a male given name. It is the old orthography of Jean in Old French, and is rarely given anymore. It is also a variant of the Persian name Jahan in some South Asian languages. People with the given name Jehan * Jehan Adam (15th century) ...

**', two melodies *With

Jehan de Vergelai Jehan is a male given name. It is the old orthography of Jean in Old French, and is rarely given anymore. It is also a variant of the Persian name Jahan in some South Asian languages. People with the given name Jehan * Jehan Adam (15th century) ...

**' *With

Lambert Ferri Lambert Ferri (fl. c. 1250–1300) was a trouvère and cleric at the Benedictine monastery at Saint-Léonard, Pas-de-Calais. By 1268 he was a canon and a deacon of the monastery; he is last associated with the monastery in 1282. He was a popula ...

: **' **' **' **' **', no music **' **' **', proposed by Lambert, two melodies **', no music **' **' **' **' **' **' **', proposed by Lambert **', proposed by Lambert **', proposed by Lambert, no music *With

Mahieu li Taillere Mahieu is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Albert Mahieu (1860-1926), French politician. *Jacques de Mahieu (1915–1990), French Argentine anthropologist and Peronist *Jesse Mahieu (born 1978), Dutch ...

**' *With

Perrin d'Angicourt Perrin d'Angicourt (''floruit'' 1245–70) was a trouvère associated with the group of poets active in and around Arras. His birthplace was most likely Achicourt, just south of Arras. His surviving oeuvre is large by the standards of the trouvère ...

**' **', proposed by Perrin *With Perrot de Neele **' **', proposed by Perrot **', no music **' *With Prieus de Boulogne **', no music *With Robert de Castel **' *With Robin de Compiegne **', proposed by Robin, no music *With

Robert de la Piere Robert de la Piere (died 1258) was a trouvère of the so-called "school" of Arras. In his time Robert's bourgeois family was prominent in Arras, though the earliest known member is only recorded in 1212. Robert served as a magistrate in 1255, as a ...

**' *With more than two **', proposed jointly by Bretel and

and the Tresorier d'Aire **', proposed by Bretel to

, and

Notes

Sources

* Karp, Theodore
"Bretel, Jehan."
''Grove Music Online''. ''Oxford Music Online''. Accessed 12 November 2008. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bretel, Jehan Trouvères 1272 deaths Year of birth uncertain Male classical composers