The Duchess references Bonne of Luxembourg (1315-1349), a notable figure in 14th-century French court life, and a great supporter of Guillaume de Machaut. The partita borrows from my prior engagement with Machaut's Dit de l'alerion, a long meditative poem on fin'amor and falconry; without terribly overt musical reference, the piece is an impressionistic take on Bonne's life and her famous Prayer Book. Born to King John of Bohemia, Bonne married John, Duke of Normandy, on 28 July 1332 and bore ten children, including the future King Charles V. Her life ended prematurely when she succumbed to the plague in 1349. As Machaut's advocate, she fostered musical innovation at court, and the composer acknowledged her patronage in "La Prise d'Alexandrie," employing wordplay on her name to emphasize her virtue.

As mentioned above, the movements are ekphrastic reflections of the Prayer Book of Bonne of Luxembourg, with its distinctive grisaille miniatures by Jean Le Noir, and its images like the "Three Living and Three Dead" motif and images of David's virtuosity at the harp and at the dance. But they also link the images to the materials and experiences of life: from the tempera, gold leaf, ink, and grisaille that bring such beauty to the book, to the dark context of her life—the loss of many children and her own passing from the Black Death—to the pageantry of her fabulous two-month long wedding celebration with its 6000 guests.

The Seven Movements:

i. tempera – A reflection on Bonne's patronage of Machaut after her father's death in 1346, exploring the intimate artistic relationship that flourished until her own death from plague in 1349.

ii. three clerks singing at an endless wedding – Inspired by Bonne's grand wedding celebration to John, Duke of Normandy, in 1332, with festivities for 6,000 guests lasting two months.

iii. goldleaf – Meditation on the spiritual and royal symbolism of gold leaf in medieval art, representing divine connection, purity, and the sacred status of the illuminated manuscript.

iv. the three living and three dead – Drawing from the unique depiction in Bonne's Psalter, where the dead appear as decomposing cadavers rather than skeletons, reflecting Italian artistic influence.

v. ink – An exploration of the craft of medieval scribes, focusing on iron-gall ink and the careful blend of materials that gave permanence to sacred texts.

vi. David plays at court as if slaying Goliath – Connecting David's biblical triumph and humble dance before the Ark to medieval court culture and the artist's role in faithful service.

vii. grisaille – A study of the sophisticated monochromatic technique that defined luxury manuscripts, balancing artistic mastery with restrained elegance in Bonne's Prayer Book.