Charles Tessier
Charles Tessier (ca. 1550 – after 1604), also known as Carles Tessier, was a French composer and lutenist. The use of the name Carles suggests he was from the southern half of France, although there is uncertainty as to where he was born.[1]
At the end of the 16th century he was in England where he made efforts to obtain a patron. It has been claimed that while in England he set sonnets from Astrophel and Stella dedicated to Lady Penelope Rich[2]. A setting of "In a grove most rich of shade" has been attributed to Tessier. However, the songs in the 1597 collection which he published in London are not in English. The selection suggests that he was mainly looking to the continental market for sales. As printed by Thomas East, the songs are arranged for a vocal ensemble. However, some of them have also survived in manuscript as lute songs.[3] (A comparable flexibility as regards performance options can be found in Dowland´s First Book of Songs which appeared the same year).
Published works
- Le premier livre de chansons & airs de cour (in the French, Italian and Gascon languages for 4 and 5 voices). London 1597.
- Airs et villanelles. Paris 1604.[4]
- Dobbins, Frank (2006) Charles Tessier, Oeuvres completes/Complete Works: Chansons, Airs, Villanelles. Epitome musical . Brepols, Turnhout. ISBN 9782503515946
References
- ^ Frank Dobbins. « The Lute Airs of Charles Tessier », Lute Society Journal, 20 (1978), p. 23–42. Dobbins suggests that he was related to another musician, Guillaume Tessier. He notes that no corroboration has been found for the assertion of François-Joseph Fétis that Charles Tessier was born at Pézenas in the Herault cl550.
- ^ The claim originates with the musicologist François-Joseph Fétis.
- ^ Forty-nine French songs (with one Italian and one Spanish), with music. Oxford, Bodleian Libraries MS
- ^ [1]