Surname
Baltazar
Given Name
Jean
Variant Name
Petit
Date of death
1502-5-17
Active period
1488 - 1502
Biography
NG2: Ninot le Petit [Jo. le Petit, Nynot]
(fl c1500). ?French composer. His identity is subject to dispute, partly because Ninot is a diminutive of Jean/Giovanni, the most common name of the time, and because ‘le petit’ is unlikely to be a family name.
That the motets In illo tempore, Psallite Noe and Si oblitus fuero appear in the Vatican manuscript C.S.42 with ascriptions to ‘Jo. le Petit’ (and as a group in I-Fn II.I.232, ascribed ‘Ninot’) has encouraged identification with the singer Johannes Baltazar alias Petit, who was in the papal chapel from 1488 until shortly before his death, reported by the chapter of Narbonne (where he held a prebend) on 17 May 1502. A letter in French, addressed to Giovanni de' Medici and dated 17 February (almost certainly 1493), is also signed ‘J. Petit alias Baltazar’. Further details are in Hudson’s edition.
But the mention of ‘Nynot’ among the eloquent composers listed in the secunda pars of Moulu's motet Mater floreat suggests that he was still alive well after 1502 and implies that he was associated with the French royal chapel. None of his music is known from sources before about 1495; and most of it is in a style that suggests composition in the years 1500–1520. Litterick (following Lesure's earlier proposal) therefore argued that he is far more likely to be the Jean Lepetit who was maître de la psallette at Langres Cathedral in 1506–10, thereafter canon until 1529. The appearance of Ninot's mass in the Casale Monferrato choirbooks alongside works of Brubier and Hottinet Barra, who preceded and followed Lepetit as maître at Langres, may well support this identification; the mass, which is far more compact in style than his other music, may be one of his latest works.
Ninot's motets show the structural and harmonic clarity typical of longer motets by composers of the French royal chapel at the beginning of the 16th century, and include contrasting triple sections. They closely resemble the works of Févin in some respects (such as the long, unimitated duos), in others (such as rhythmic variety) those of Mouton; the refrain form of Psallite Noe appears to be specifically modelled on Mouton's Sancti Dei omnes. Planxit autem David, the source for whose ascription to Ninot seems more authoritative than those that ascribe it to Josquin, is so different in form, counterpoint and melodic and harmonic style that it is much more likely to be by Josquin (despite dissimilarities with his style as well).
Of Ninot's four-voice chansons, 13 appear together as a group in the manuscript I-Fc Basevi 2442. These are extended and light-hearted works, contrasting imitation with homophonic sections, often with sharp changes of pace, and built on texts evidently cobbled together from other material, mainly of a popular nature. Whether they were composed before 1500 or over the next two decades, they still mark Ninot as the leading composer of that genre. Only Mon seal plaisir follows a forme fixe: it appears in earlier sources and is more traditional in style. So is Si bibero, which evidently makes humorous reference to a group of works with similar titles by various older composers: Si dedero (Agricola), Si ascendero (Craen), Si dormiero (?La Rue) and so on. The two extremely compact canonic chansons fit into a tradition that dates back to the 1470s.
WORKS
for 4 voices unless otherwise stated
Edition: Ninot le Petit: Collected Works, ed. B. Hudson, CMM, lxxxvii (1979) [H]
sacred
Missa [sine nomine] (unique to I-CMac L(B))
In illo tempore: Assumpsit Jesus; O bone Jesu (unique to 15052); Psallite Noe, Judei credite; Si oblitus fuero tui (also attrib. Obrecht)
secular
Works lacking bassus are unique to I-Fc Basevi 2442, of which one partbook is lost
En chevauchant pres d'ung molin (lacking B); En l'ombre d'ung aubepin; En revenant de Noyon (lacking B); Et la la la, faictez luy bonne chiere; Et levez vo gambe, Jennette (lacking B); Et levez vous hau, Guillemette; Gentilz gallans adventureulx; Helas helas helas (no more text); Hellas, hellas, qui me confortera? (lacking B); Je mi levay l'autre nuytee (lacking B; also in CT95-6/F-Pn n.a.fr.1817); L'ort villain jaloux (canon 4 in 2 at 4th); Mon amy m'avoit promis; Mon seul plaisir (quodlibet ballade; also ascribed to Josquin); N'as tu poinct mis ton hauls bonnet; Nostre chamberiere si malade elle est; Pourtant si mon amy (canon 4 in 2 at 4th; unique to S-Uu 76a; not in H); Si bibero crathere pleno, 3vv (unique to I-Fc Basevi 2439)
doubtful works
Missa ‘Miserere mei Deus’, Svv, attrib. ‘Johannes Parvus’ (almost certainly the papal music copyist, fl 1535–80) in I-Rvat C.S.39; not in H
Gratia plena ipsa, attrib. ‘Nino le petit’ in B index of A-Wn Mus.15941, ‘Mouton’ in T index
Planxit autem David, attrib. ‘Ninot Lepetit’ in I-Fn II.I.232 but in several other sources to Josquin; not in H
C'est done par moy, 3vv, attrib. ‘Ninon le Petit’ in GB-Lbl Add.29381 (dated 1741), probably by Willaert; not in H
J'aime bien mon amy, 3vv, unique to Cmc Pepys 1760, headed ‘N le petit’ but attrib. ‘de fevin’ in original index; not in H
Lourdault lourdault garde que tu feras, attrib. ‘Nino petit’ in I-Bc Q17, almost certainly by Compère
O Jesù dolce (laude), unique to 15083, attrib. ‘Baldasar’
BIBLIOGRAPHY
F. Lesure: ‘La maîtrise de Langres au XVIe siècle’, RdM, lii (1966), 202–3
H.M. Brown: ‘Words and Music in Early 16th-Century Chansons: Text Underlay in Florence, Biblioteca del Conservatorio, Ms Basevi 2442’, Formen und Probleme der Uberlieferung mehrstimmiger Musik im Zeitalter Josquins Desprez: Wolfenbuttel 1976, 97–141
N. Davison: ‘Continental Cousins of the In nomine Family?’, MR, lii (1991), 1–11
H. Meconi: ‘Sacred Tricinia and Basevi 2439’, I Tatti Studies, iv (1991), 151–99
L. Litterick: ‘Who Wrote Ninot's Chansons?’, Papal Music and Musicians in Late Medieval and Renaissance Rome: Washington DC 1993, 240–69
DAVID FALLOWS, JEFFREY DEAN
(fl c1500). ?French composer. His identity is subject to dispute, partly because Ninot is a diminutive of Jean/Giovanni, the most common name of the time, and because ‘le petit’ is unlikely to be a family name.
That the motets In illo tempore, Psallite Noe and Si oblitus fuero appear in the Vatican manuscript C.S.42 with ascriptions to ‘Jo. le Petit’ (and as a group in I-Fn II.I.232, ascribed ‘Ninot’) has encouraged identification with the singer Johannes Baltazar alias Petit, who was in the papal chapel from 1488 until shortly before his death, reported by the chapter of Narbonne (where he held a prebend) on 17 May 1502. A letter in French, addressed to Giovanni de' Medici and dated 17 February (almost certainly 1493), is also signed ‘J. Petit alias Baltazar’. Further details are in Hudson’s edition.
But the mention of ‘Nynot’ among the eloquent composers listed in the secunda pars of Moulu's motet Mater floreat suggests that he was still alive well after 1502 and implies that he was associated with the French royal chapel. None of his music is known from sources before about 1495; and most of it is in a style that suggests composition in the years 1500–1520. Litterick (following Lesure's earlier proposal) therefore argued that he is far more likely to be the Jean Lepetit who was maître de la psallette at Langres Cathedral in 1506–10, thereafter canon until 1529. The appearance of Ninot's mass in the Casale Monferrato choirbooks alongside works of Brubier and Hottinet Barra, who preceded and followed Lepetit as maître at Langres, may well support this identification; the mass, which is far more compact in style than his other music, may be one of his latest works.
Ninot's motets show the structural and harmonic clarity typical of longer motets by composers of the French royal chapel at the beginning of the 16th century, and include contrasting triple sections. They closely resemble the works of Févin in some respects (such as the long, unimitated duos), in others (such as rhythmic variety) those of Mouton; the refrain form of Psallite Noe appears to be specifically modelled on Mouton's Sancti Dei omnes. Planxit autem David, the source for whose ascription to Ninot seems more authoritative than those that ascribe it to Josquin, is so different in form, counterpoint and melodic and harmonic style that it is much more likely to be by Josquin (despite dissimilarities with his style as well).
Of Ninot's four-voice chansons, 13 appear together as a group in the manuscript I-Fc Basevi 2442. These are extended and light-hearted works, contrasting imitation with homophonic sections, often with sharp changes of pace, and built on texts evidently cobbled together from other material, mainly of a popular nature. Whether they were composed before 1500 or over the next two decades, they still mark Ninot as the leading composer of that genre. Only Mon seal plaisir follows a forme fixe: it appears in earlier sources and is more traditional in style. So is Si bibero, which evidently makes humorous reference to a group of works with similar titles by various older composers: Si dedero (Agricola), Si ascendero (Craen), Si dormiero (?La Rue) and so on. The two extremely compact canonic chansons fit into a tradition that dates back to the 1470s.
WORKS
for 4 voices unless otherwise stated
Edition: Ninot le Petit: Collected Works, ed. B. Hudson, CMM, lxxxvii (1979) [H]
sacred
Missa [sine nomine] (unique to I-CMac L(B))
In illo tempore: Assumpsit Jesus; O bone Jesu (unique to 15052); Psallite Noe, Judei credite; Si oblitus fuero tui (also attrib. Obrecht)
secular
Works lacking bassus are unique to I-Fc Basevi 2442, of which one partbook is lost
En chevauchant pres d'ung molin (lacking B); En l'ombre d'ung aubepin; En revenant de Noyon (lacking B); Et la la la, faictez luy bonne chiere; Et levez vo gambe, Jennette (lacking B); Et levez vous hau, Guillemette; Gentilz gallans adventureulx; Helas helas helas (no more text); Hellas, hellas, qui me confortera? (lacking B); Je mi levay l'autre nuytee (lacking B; also in CT95-6/F-Pn n.a.fr.1817); L'ort villain jaloux (canon 4 in 2 at 4th); Mon amy m'avoit promis; Mon seul plaisir (quodlibet ballade; also ascribed to Josquin); N'as tu poinct mis ton hauls bonnet; Nostre chamberiere si malade elle est; Pourtant si mon amy (canon 4 in 2 at 4th; unique to S-Uu 76a; not in H); Si bibero crathere pleno, 3vv (unique to I-Fc Basevi 2439)
doubtful works
Missa ‘Miserere mei Deus’, Svv, attrib. ‘Johannes Parvus’ (almost certainly the papal music copyist, fl 1535–80) in I-Rvat C.S.39; not in H
Gratia plena ipsa, attrib. ‘Nino le petit’ in B index of A-Wn Mus.15941, ‘Mouton’ in T index
Planxit autem David, attrib. ‘Ninot Lepetit’ in I-Fn II.I.232 but in several other sources to Josquin; not in H
C'est done par moy, 3vv, attrib. ‘Ninon le Petit’ in GB-Lbl Add.29381 (dated 1741), probably by Willaert; not in H
J'aime bien mon amy, 3vv, unique to Cmc Pepys 1760, headed ‘N le petit’ but attrib. ‘de fevin’ in original index; not in H
Lourdault lourdault garde que tu feras, attrib. ‘Nino petit’ in I-Bc Q17, almost certainly by Compère
O Jesù dolce (laude), unique to 15083, attrib. ‘Baldasar’
BIBLIOGRAPHY
F. Lesure: ‘La maîtrise de Langres au XVIe siècle’, RdM, lii (1966), 202–3
H.M. Brown: ‘Words and Music in Early 16th-Century Chansons: Text Underlay in Florence, Biblioteca del Conservatorio, Ms Basevi 2442’, Formen und Probleme der Uberlieferung mehrstimmiger Musik im Zeitalter Josquins Desprez: Wolfenbuttel 1976, 97–141
N. Davison: ‘Continental Cousins of the In nomine Family?’, MR, lii (1991), 1–11
H. Meconi: ‘Sacred Tricinia and Basevi 2439’, I Tatti Studies, iv (1991), 151–99
L. Litterick: ‘Who Wrote Ninot's Chansons?’, Papal Music and Musicians in Late Medieval and Renaissance Rome: Washington DC 1993, 240–69
DAVID FALLOWS, JEFFREY DEAN