The first out of four Lezioni di musica examines Machaut’s rondeau Ma fin est mon commencement, one of the earliest examples of musical palindrome and a highly sophisticated intellectual exercise. This famous work shows his virtuosity in combining text and music to express an idea that is at once simple and complex. Two voices share the same notated part. The first singer starts at its beginning, the other singer at its end, reading backwards; they meet in the middle. The third singer has a separate part, half as long, and, when arrived at its end, reads it backwards, or retrogrades. He does so three times, in the B sections of the rondeau form. The rondeau features one of Machaut’s favourite images: the mirror. The reversed text and voice names might well symbolise a look in a mirror that reflects a world that is upside down.
Curated by Paola Damiani.
Broadcast live on Rai Radio3.
