This edition was prepared by James Gibb — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Fortune alors
Staff Notation • Secular, Chansons
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3 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Fortune alors by Pierre Certon — Lyrics
Fortune alors que n’avais connaissance
Suivre mon bien me donna sa faveur
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About Fortune alors
Pierre Certon’s Fortune alors is a four-part French chanson from the Renaissance. The piece opens with a homorhythmic texture where the voices move in unison, quickly establishing a clear and direct musical statement. The vocal lines then begin to weave around each other, creating moments of imitative polyphony that add richness and complexity. The text describes the fickle nature of fortune, moving from favour to harshness. Certon’s setting captures this emotional journey, with moments of spirited declamation contrasting with more reflective passages, reflecting the text’s theme of unpredictable fate in a manner typical of secular part-music of the era.
