Edmond de Coussemaker

Charles Edmond Henri de Coussemaker (19 April 1805 – 10 January 1876) was a French musicologist and ethnologist focusing mainly on the cultural heritage of French Flanders. His early publication of medieval music within the Scriptorum de musica medii aevi (1864–1876) was among the most important early music events predating its 20th-century revival.

Biography Jurist and musician He was born in Belle,

De Coussemaker founded the Flemish Committee of France in 1853, which was tasked with preserving the West Flemish dialect of the Dutch language, as spoken in French Flanders. With the priest Jules Auguste Lemire, he tried the education in Catholic schools.thumb

Defending the idea of a constitutional monarchy, he rose to the position of General Counsellor of the Nord (now the French region Nord-Pas-de-Calais). Volume IV of his Scriptores de musica medii aevi was about to be issued, but, as his daughter Lilia wrote the day he died in Lille on 10 January 1876, it was exhausted by his affairs. De Coussemaker died in Bourbourg. Most of his archives and manuscripts disappeared after the town hall of Belle burned down in 1918.

Musicology His musical style was oriented towards gothic romanticism in the troubadour style. He was interested in medieval music after reading the Belgian musicologist François-Joseph Fétis’s Revue musicale (musical revue). The first musicological work by de Coussemaker dates back to 1835. His compilations, Scriptorum de musica medii aevi, 1864–1876, continued the works of Martin Gerbert.

His publications focused on subjects such as the Gregorian chant, neumatic and measured notation, medieval instruments and the theory and polyphony he called harmony.

From the original musical sources he had collected, he drew up descriptions based on attentive observation, resulting in his being criticised. He proved the scientific value of facsimiles of manuscripts, but he also made his own transcriptions into modern notation. He established several critical editions of ancient music, including liturgical dramas from the Middle Ages and works by Adam de la Halle.

Publications Hucbald moine de St.-Amand et ses traités de musique (1839–1841) Histoire de l'harmonie au Moyen Âge (1852) Chants populaires des Flamands de France (1856) Les Harmonistes des XII et XIII siècles (1864) Œuvres complètes du trouvère Adam de la Halle (1872) Scriptorum de musica medii aevi (4 vols.) (1864–1876)

Recordings Edmond de Coussemaker, Romances et chansons. With Maryse Collache (soprano), Damien Top (ténor) and Eric Hénon (piano). Symphonic Productions SyPr 041 2005.