A chantar m'er de so: Comtessa de Dia and the Feminist Ideals of the Trobairitz

Statement of Intent: As a performer emerging from a background of theatrical training, I entered this class most interested in the art of performance. However, I also realized that my passion for feminism and feminist studies would intersect beautifully in a further exploration of the trobairitz. As there is only one song with music that has been preserved from the trobairitz cannon, I decided to focus on Comtessa de Dia and “A chantar m’er de so” for my final project. My intent with this project is to analyze the historical context surrounding the existence of trobairitz and use that to engage critically with the text of “A chantar m’er de so,” culminating in a performance of the piece. Methodology and Sources: I used the primary text of “A chantar m’er do so” from the Goldin and the score in the back of Gerard Zuchetto’s text “About Trobar and The Troubadours” to learn the piece for the performance I would be doing with Sandra and the ensemble. I then used “About Trobar and The Troubadours” as well as the text “The Troubadours: The Trobairitz” by Gaunt and Kay to learn more about the historical context of the trobairitz and Comtessa de Dia in order to be able to analyze the song and perform it with the emotional integrity it requires. I was inspired to compare the text on the trobairitz, in particular the Gaunt and Kay text, to modern perceptions of feminism (specifically through the channel of Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own.” Finally, I met with Sandra one-on-one to gain perspective about performance techniques that she uses when engaging with this text as well as feedback about my own vocal quality to take back to my practice. I will be rehearing with the entire ensemble this afternoon for the performance this evening.