Medieval Romance Poetry

Professor of Romance Languages Dr. Mario Pei (1901-1978) presents a lecture on the romance poetry of the European medieval period, a period spanning the time from Charlemagne (circa 800 AD) to the beginning of the Italian Renaissance (circa 1400 AD). The earliest of these poems was the “Song of Roland” (“La Chanson de Roland”). This epic poem tells of the Battle of Roncevaux and of the death of Roland, a trusted ally of Charlemagne. This poem became the model for similar poems including the Spanish poem “El Cantar de mio Cid” (“The Song of my Cid”). Professor Pei reads the poems in their original language and in English. The liner notes provide the complete text of the lecture.

Track Listing

101	Introduction Dr. Mario Pei	03:35
102	The Song of Roland (Old French): Background and History Dr. Mario Pei	03:25
103	The Song of Roland, Pt. 1 Dr. Mario Pei	05:50
104	The Song of Roland, Pt. 2 Dr. Mario Pei	06:07
105	The Song of Roland, Pt. 3 Dr. Mario Pei	02:03
201	The Song of Roland: Its Influence on Other National Epics Dr. Mario Pei	03:06
202	Cantar de myo Cid (Old Spanish) Dr. Mario Pei	05:04
203	Bernaldo del Carpio (Old Spanish) Dr. Mario Pei	02:31
204	Altabiskarco Cantua (Basque) Dr. Mario Pei	04:25
301	Provençal Poetry Dr. Mario Pei	06:04
302	Rambaut de Vaqueiras, I (Provençal, Italian, French, Gascon, Spanish) Dr. Mario Pei	05:00
303	Rambaut de Vaqueiras, II (Provençal and Genoese Italian) Dr. Mario Pei	07:34
401	Cielo D'Alcamo (Sicilian) Dr. Mario Pei	10:00
402	Cantico Delle Creature (Old Italian): St. Francis of Assisi Dr. Mario Pei	04:42
403	Cantiga de Amigo (Old Portuguese): Martin Codax Dr. Mario Pei	01:31
404	Song of Love (Old Portuguese): King Sancho Dr. Mario Pei	00:59
405	Camoes (Old Portuguese) Dr. Mario Pei	01:42
406	Conclusion Dr. Mario Pei	01:13