Biography

His first biographer notes: concerning the author, we strictly have nothing to add to his name. Since a study by Langlois published in 1927, he is commonly (and certainly erroneously) identified as a young cleric of Notre-Dame, guilty of debauchery, was hanged on the gibet at Paris in 1304.

One of the latest notes: "He was talented enough to make an outstanding contribution to French music and literature at an early age."

Quotes in italic are may be the best possible biography for a composer...


Compositions

He is known now for solely 34 lyric works set to music and contained in six leaves of the manuscript Paris, B.N., f fr, 146, f. 57r – 62 v. The manuscript is particularly renowned for the version it contains of the satirical Roman de Fauvel.
The transmission and notation of his compositions point to the early 14th century, while references in the text indicate that he worked in Paris.

Lescurel’s works comprise fifteen Ballades, twelve Rondeaux and five Virelais, together with two extended Dit with regularly interpolated refrains; the incipits of these compositions are listed in the original index. It would appear that these works represent simply the beginning of a larger collection, since they appear in both the index and the body of the manuscript grouped in alphabetical order, but break off at the letter G.

He was an exceptionally fine craftsman. Each piece, no matter how long or short, is perfectly fashioned and balanced, the techniques of repetitions, transposition, variation, augmentation and diminution all being carefully exploited for artistic ends.