Gace Brulé

Gace was a prolific composer of chansons and other pieces for the French trouvere. He presumable knew Blondel de Nesle, Conon de Bethune as well as Chastelain de Couci. Because of the body of his work, many trouveres, and even a German Minnesinger, imitated his works; they were employed by later trouveres as well. Popularity looms large for this trouvere and a great deal of his popularity was due to pleasing the people by adhering to the conventions of the time. Gace did not stray from fashion or seek great innovatory nuances in his music; the most imaginative thing that he attempted was to set one poem in the arrangment of ABCDEFA'B'C', et cetera. Characteristics of the musical strains include rather normative leaps and modes with few accidentals -- though some do occur -- and a variety of melodic rhythms. Most of the rhyme schemes begin with the typical ABAB. ~ Keith Johnson