Peire Vidal

Poems by this troubadour demonstrate a sharp mindedness and imaginative personality. He reportedly served a number of different patrons and accompanied Richard the Lion-heart, in part, during the third crusade. There are approximately fifty poems attributed to him and twelve of those poems are extant with the music. The content of his poems reveals a facility of phrase, conventional awareness and technical abilities. Characteristics of Vidal's works include an extensive compass including one example that extends a full octave and a seventh, and strophe patterns of abba ending with a "c" and "d" in rhyming pairs. Vidal also employed a number of different modes but the final note did not provide a tonal center. Symmetry cannot be found in his use of rhythms or motifs. Three works by Vidal, that survive in more than one source, include "Anc no mori," "Be'm pac d'ivern," and "Quant hom." ~ Keith Johnson