Contentement combien soit

Thomas Crecquillon was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, a contemporary of Josquin des Prez and one of the most prolific composers of chansons. This secular four-part setting, scored for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass (SATT), is a fine example of the genre. The French text speaks of how contentment, however great, is fleeting, and how insatiable love suddenly returns to awaken the heart when it is at rest. Crecquillon’s music skillfully captures the emotional nuances of the text, with flowing melodic lines and imitative writing characteristic of the period.