Pierre des Molins

P. des Molins , probably Pierre des Molins, was a French composer-poet in the ars nova style of late medieval music. His two surviving compositions – the ballade De ce que fol pensé and rondeau Amis, tout dous vis – were tremendously popular as they are among the most transmitted pieces of fourteenth-century music. The ballade is found in 12 medieval manuscript sources and featured in a tapestry; the rondeau is found in 8 sources and referenced by the Italian poet Simone de' Prodenzani. Along with Grimace, Jehan Vaillant and F. Andrieu, Molins was one of the post-Guillaume de Machaut generation whose music shows few distinctly ars subtilior features, leading scholars to recognize Molins's work as closer to the ars nova style of Machaut.

Identity and career P. des Molins is only known for two works, the three-part ballade De ce que fol pensé and three-part rondeau Amis, tout dous vis. No secure biographical information about Molins exists. His name is given as "P. des Molins" in the Chantilly Codex and as "Mulino" in the codex, Paris, Bibl. Nat. MS ital. 568. In several sources, the title of Amis, tout dous [le] vis is given as "The mills of Paris," (Molendium de Paris, Die molen van Pariis, and El Molin de Paris), probably misconstruing the name of the composer (Molins means mill) as the title of the piece. His name signifies that he originally hailed from the north of France, although he is thought to have emigrated to southern France at the Avignon court. In doing so he would have been in the company of many composers of the time, such as Grimace, Jacob Senleches and Trebor.

Craig Wright has suggested that he was the musician in the court of Jean II, King of France, named "Perotus de Molyno," placing him in England from 1357 to 1359. The reference to the "languid en estrange contrée" in De ce que fol could refer to the captivity of the court under King Edward III. Earlier, Suzanne Clercx and Richard Hoppin suggested that he could have been the Petrus de Molendino, civis parisiensis mentioned in connection with Pope Clement VI in 1345. Ursula Günther has connected him tentatively with a Perrotum Danielis alias del moli from a document from 1387 or as the chancellor of the Duke of Berry, Philippe de Moulins mentioned in 1368 and 1371.

1973 Art of Courtly Love Early Music Consort of London Amis, tous dous Conte HMV SLS 863 1989 Ars Magis Subtiliter Ensemble Project Ars Nova De ce que fol pense New Albion 021 1999 D'amours loial servant Alla Francesca De ce que fol pense Virgin Veritas 7243 5 45357 2 7 2002 Wolkenstein Ensemble Alta Musica De ce que fol pense Carpe Diem 16265 2003 Unrequited Liber Unusualis De ce que fol pense LU 1001 2004 Zodiac Capilla Flamenca De ce que fol pense Eufoda 1360 2005 Alta musica Ensemble Alta Musica Amis, tous dous Carpe Diem 16260 2010 Oswald von Wolkenstein - Songs of Myself Andreas Scholl & Shield of Harmony Amis, tous dous Harmonia Mundi HMC 902051