Nicolas Saboly | |
---|---|
Born |
Monteux, Vaucluse, France | 30 January 1614
Died | 25 July 1675
Avignon, Vaucluse, France | (aged 61)
Nationality | French |
Occupation(s) | Poet, kapellmeister, composer |
Known for | Occitan language carols |
Nicolas Saboly (30 January 1614 – 26 July 1675) was a French poet, composer and choirmaster. He composed many Christmas carols in the Provençal dialect which form one of the monuments of poetry in that language and have been continuously republished until the present day.
Nicolas Saboly was born on 31 January 1614 in Monteux to a family of herdsmen. [a] His great-grandfather Claude Saboly and his grandfather Raymond Saboly followed this occupation. It was Raymond Saboly who came to settle in Monteux. Nicolas was the youngest son of Felisa Meilheuret and Jean Saboly. [b] He had an older brother named Jean-Pierre Saboly and three sisters named Anne, Félicia (Felisa) and Claire.
Saboly's father died on 15 August 1619, and Nicolas entered the Jesuit college of Carpentras. At the end of his schooling he became a member of the Congregation of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin on 14 May 1628. [2] In the autumn of 1628 he left his college to begin taking classes at the University of Avignon. He received the tonsure in 1630 and attended courses in law and theology, as evidenced by two notarial acts of 12 March 1632 and 27 December 1633, which he witnessed as a student of theology. In 1634 he left the University without taking his degrees. On 27 September 1635 he was ordained a sub-deacon, deacon and priest. [3]
In 1639 Nicolas Saboly obtained the position of organist and choirmaster of the Saint-Siffrein Cathedral( fr) in Carpentras. [c] He was occasionally employed in local festivals, such as on 22 September 1639 when the clergy of Caromb asked him to play the organ for the parish festival of St. Maurice. He received 10 florins and 12 sous for his performance. [d] His name disappears from the accounts of Saint-Siffrein after 20 June 1643, when he was replaced by the choirmaster David.
Nicolas Saboly went to Arles where he was choirmaster from 1643 to 1646, then the cathedral of Aix-en-Provence from 1652 to 1655. [e] He was in Nîmes in 1659. [f] He was choirmaster of the collegiate church of Saint-Pierre d'Avignon( fr) from before 1668 until his death. [g]
Like many priests of his time, Saboly obtained several ecclesiastical benefits. On 16 April 1633 he became chaplain of St. Mary Magdalene in the Cathedral of Saint Siffrein in Carpentras. [7] [8] He kept this benefice until 1663. [h] On 28 March 1658 he was issued a certificate of studies that found he had attended courses at the University of Avignon from 1628 to 1634, and was given a certificate of aptitude for obtaining profits in the dioceses of Nîmes and Uzès. [9]
On 10 June 1660, after a lengthy process, he obtained a pension of 100 lt. ( livre tournois) from the papal administration to take on the priory and the benefit of Saint-Benoît-de-Cayran in the diocese of Uzès. [i] After returning to Avignon he obtained the chaplaincy of Saint Mary, which he still held in 1663.
On 21 April 1671 Saboly's will was notarized by François Julien in Marseilles. [10] Saboly made his niece Claire Saboly (wife of Christophe Chardenas, bourgeois of Roquemaure, Gard) ) his universal heiress. He also bequeathed 600 lt. to his servant Isabeau Sevique, and reserved from his niece's legacy an annuity with 600 lt. of capital yielding 30 lt. annually to be paid to the chapter of Saint-Pierre d'Avignon so that after his death two masses would be said each week in his memory. He died four years later on 25 July 1675 in Avignon. [11] He is buried in the choir of the Saint-Pierre church.
Saboly's career as a choirmaster was standard for this period. He is famous for the carols that he composed.
The first editions of Saboly's carols consist of eight bound instalments, dated between 1668 and 1674, kept in Paris Ars. : BL 9478. The titles of the instalments are:
In the second part of the 19th century Saboly's were often published with those of Antoine Peyrol (18th century) and Joseph Roumanille (1818-1891). These many editions reflect the literary movement of the Félibriges. The list below is not exhaustive.
Saboly did not compose all the Christmas carols that were attributed to him. They were originally published without music because they were sung to popular tunes that everyone knew by heart. Saboly simply gave a note like "on the air of the echo", "on the air of the pastouro" or sometimes "On an air by Saboly".
The Provencal Documentation Center has retained in its booklet devoted to this author a list of 48 carols definitely composed by Saboly.
Following are the carols are according to the François Seguin edition of 1856: [12]
First book (1667)
Second book (1668)
Third book (1669)
Fourth book, titled "Story of the birth of Jesus Christ" (1670)
Fifth book (1671)
Sixth book (1672)
Seventh book (1673)
Eighth book (1674)
Additions in the 1704 edition
Unpublished carols from the Bastide collection
Fragments from the Bastide collection
Other carols often attributed to Saboly (partial list)
Famous carols
The Provençals take Saboly for Christmas as they take eggs for Easter and for Palm Sunday take a gratin of chickpeas.
One cannot understand all the delicacy of Saboly's Christmas poetry if it is separated from the music. The lyrics are, in fact, so closely related to the melody that there is only one way to read them, which is to sing them.
— J. B. Faury [13]
Saboly, thanks to his carols, has become a real classic of Occitan literature; it is almost certain that in no other language can such an Attic perfection be found in such a simply popular manner.
— Professeur Charles Camproux, de l'Université de Montpellier [14]
Saboly's style could be compared to that of La Bellaudière, as Pascal's prose could be compared to that of Montaigne
— François Seguin [12]
Nicolas Saboly is, with Bellaud de la Bellaudière, a golden link in the chain that unites Mistral to the troubadours.
— Bruno Durand, conservateur de la Bibliothèque Méjanes d'Aix-en-Provence. [15]
Saboly's influence was considerable: he was one of the masters of Roumanille and Mistral.
— Charles Rostaing, professeur à la Sorbonne, et René Jouveau, capoulier du Félibrige [16]
His work contains an emotion tinged with good-nature that does not exclude certain political allusions and a merry mockery. He combined the inspiration of the Middle Ages with the knowledge of La Fontaine.
— André Bouyala d'Arnaud, conservateur de la Bibliothèque de la ville de Marseille [17]
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link)Nicolas Saboly | |
---|---|
Born |
Monteux, Vaucluse, France | 30 January 1614
Died | 25 July 1675
Avignon, Vaucluse, France | (aged 61)
Nationality | French |
Occupation(s) | Poet, kapellmeister, composer |
Known for | Occitan language carols |
Nicolas Saboly (30 January 1614 – 26 July 1675) was a French poet, composer and choirmaster. He composed many Christmas carols in the Provençal dialect which form one of the monuments of poetry in that language and have been continuously republished until the present day.
Nicolas Saboly was born on 31 January 1614 in Monteux to a family of herdsmen. [a] His great-grandfather Claude Saboly and his grandfather Raymond Saboly followed this occupation. It was Raymond Saboly who came to settle in Monteux. Nicolas was the youngest son of Felisa Meilheuret and Jean Saboly. [b] He had an older brother named Jean-Pierre Saboly and three sisters named Anne, Félicia (Felisa) and Claire.
Saboly's father died on 15 August 1619, and Nicolas entered the Jesuit college of Carpentras. At the end of his schooling he became a member of the Congregation of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin on 14 May 1628. [2] In the autumn of 1628 he left his college to begin taking classes at the University of Avignon. He received the tonsure in 1630 and attended courses in law and theology, as evidenced by two notarial acts of 12 March 1632 and 27 December 1633, which he witnessed as a student of theology. In 1634 he left the University without taking his degrees. On 27 September 1635 he was ordained a sub-deacon, deacon and priest. [3]
In 1639 Nicolas Saboly obtained the position of organist and choirmaster of the Saint-Siffrein Cathedral( fr) in Carpentras. [c] He was occasionally employed in local festivals, such as on 22 September 1639 when the clergy of Caromb asked him to play the organ for the parish festival of St. Maurice. He received 10 florins and 12 sous for his performance. [d] His name disappears from the accounts of Saint-Siffrein after 20 June 1643, when he was replaced by the choirmaster David.
Nicolas Saboly went to Arles where he was choirmaster from 1643 to 1646, then the cathedral of Aix-en-Provence from 1652 to 1655. [e] He was in Nîmes in 1659. [f] He was choirmaster of the collegiate church of Saint-Pierre d'Avignon( fr) from before 1668 until his death. [g]
Like many priests of his time, Saboly obtained several ecclesiastical benefits. On 16 April 1633 he became chaplain of St. Mary Magdalene in the Cathedral of Saint Siffrein in Carpentras. [7] [8] He kept this benefice until 1663. [h] On 28 March 1658 he was issued a certificate of studies that found he had attended courses at the University of Avignon from 1628 to 1634, and was given a certificate of aptitude for obtaining profits in the dioceses of Nîmes and Uzès. [9]
On 10 June 1660, after a lengthy process, he obtained a pension of 100 lt. ( livre tournois) from the papal administration to take on the priory and the benefit of Saint-Benoît-de-Cayran in the diocese of Uzès. [i] After returning to Avignon he obtained the chaplaincy of Saint Mary, which he still held in 1663.
On 21 April 1671 Saboly's will was notarized by François Julien in Marseilles. [10] Saboly made his niece Claire Saboly (wife of Christophe Chardenas, bourgeois of Roquemaure, Gard) ) his universal heiress. He also bequeathed 600 lt. to his servant Isabeau Sevique, and reserved from his niece's legacy an annuity with 600 lt. of capital yielding 30 lt. annually to be paid to the chapter of Saint-Pierre d'Avignon so that after his death two masses would be said each week in his memory. He died four years later on 25 July 1675 in Avignon. [11] He is buried in the choir of the Saint-Pierre church.
Saboly's career as a choirmaster was standard for this period. He is famous for the carols that he composed.
The first editions of Saboly's carols consist of eight bound instalments, dated between 1668 and 1674, kept in Paris Ars. : BL 9478. The titles of the instalments are:
In the second part of the 19th century Saboly's were often published with those of Antoine Peyrol (18th century) and Joseph Roumanille (1818-1891). These many editions reflect the literary movement of the Félibriges. The list below is not exhaustive.
Saboly did not compose all the Christmas carols that were attributed to him. They were originally published without music because they were sung to popular tunes that everyone knew by heart. Saboly simply gave a note like "on the air of the echo", "on the air of the pastouro" or sometimes "On an air by Saboly".
The Provencal Documentation Center has retained in its booklet devoted to this author a list of 48 carols definitely composed by Saboly.
Following are the carols are according to the François Seguin edition of 1856: [12]
First book (1667)
Second book (1668)
Third book (1669)
Fourth book, titled "Story of the birth of Jesus Christ" (1670)
Fifth book (1671)
Sixth book (1672)
Seventh book (1673)
Eighth book (1674)
Additions in the 1704 edition
Unpublished carols from the Bastide collection
Fragments from the Bastide collection
Other carols often attributed to Saboly (partial list)
Famous carols
The Provençals take Saboly for Christmas as they take eggs for Easter and for Palm Sunday take a gratin of chickpeas.
One cannot understand all the delicacy of Saboly's Christmas poetry if it is separated from the music. The lyrics are, in fact, so closely related to the melody that there is only one way to read them, which is to sing them.
— J. B. Faury [13]
Saboly, thanks to his carols, has become a real classic of Occitan literature; it is almost certain that in no other language can such an Attic perfection be found in such a simply popular manner.
— Professeur Charles Camproux, de l'Université de Montpellier [14]
Saboly's style could be compared to that of La Bellaudière, as Pascal's prose could be compared to that of Montaigne
— François Seguin [12]
Nicolas Saboly is, with Bellaud de la Bellaudière, a golden link in the chain that unites Mistral to the troubadours.
— Bruno Durand, conservateur de la Bibliothèque Méjanes d'Aix-en-Provence. [15]
Saboly's influence was considerable: he was one of the masters of Roumanille and Mistral.
— Charles Rostaing, professeur à la Sorbonne, et René Jouveau, capoulier du Félibrige [16]
His work contains an emotion tinged with good-nature that does not exclude certain political allusions and a merry mockery. He combined the inspiration of the Middle Ages with the knowledge of La Fontaine.
— André Bouyala d'Arnaud, conservateur de la Bibliothèque de la ville de Marseille [17]
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