what is troubadour music

Troubadour music refers to the music composed and performed by troubadours, who were poet-musicians that were often of knightly class during the Middle Ages. Troubadours were a primary source of secular music for audiences during this time period. The texts of troubadour songs deal mainly with themes of chivalry and courtly love, and most were metaphysical, intellectual, and formulaic. Many were humorous or vulgar satires. Troubadour songs were usually monophonic, consisting solely of unharmonized melody, and comprise a major extant body of medieval secular music. Most of these melodies were composed by the troubadours themselves, while others were set to pre-existing forms. The most popular genre of troubadour music was the canso, but sirventes and tensos were especially popular in the post-classical period.