Title
Las je n’eusse jamais pensé
Composer
Nicolas de la Grotte (1530-c.1600)
Source
Chansons de P. de Ronsard, Ph. Desportes et autres, Le Roy & Ballard 1569 (I’ve used the 1580 re-print)
(text on Lieder.net here)
(blog entry here)
(recording unavailable)
Continuing with La Grotte’s settings, this one offers a small frisson of excitement as the print writes out the repeat (as usual) but, in the Superius, marks a B-natural the second time round instead of the B-flat of the first time. Just for fun I have transcribed it exactly, replicating this difference in the repeat, although it’s more likely the repeat is intended to be exact and the B-flat in bar 3 ‘naturalled’ too. Flattening it, however, widens the 4th by a semitone – a spicier sound!
As the setting is short, just two lines of music, La Grotte underlays 6 verses, and adds the text for 6 more on the following page – 12 times through in all. You might just like the variety of the flat/natural choice to spice it up a little!
Oeuvres de Ronsard 