Une jeune fillette | Anneliina Rif, soprano & Tuomas Kourula, lute

"Une jeune fillette" is a traditional ballad, originally from Italy, where it is usually known as La Monica. The song became popular in the renaissance and spread throughout Europe, being sung in many languages and in many variations: Une Jeune Pucelle is another variant. The story is a sad and touching one - a young girl is forced to join a convent and become a nun against her will and despite having fallen in love - or because of it. This song became famous again in 1991, when the Gérard Depardieu film "Tous les matins du monde" featured it prominently.

Performed by Arpa Oscura:
Anneliina Rif, soprano
Tuomas Kourula, lute

Introducing Anni as the young girl

We thank Museokeskus for the permission to shoot in the Nun’s Chapel in Turku Castle.

[MariaBasilio-dk]

Maravilhoso tocador de alaúde e voz maravilhosa!

[johnforsbergbarrett]

Beautiful performance and video, thank you!

[antoniocjp]

Everything about this video is just perfect. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with the world.

[Francesc]

I can’t believe it. I JUST CAN’T! You are lately covering all my personal favourites one after another! I don’t know how many times I have sung this song since I first watched "Tous les matins du monde", many many years ago. It is thanks to that movie that I knew this piece, and also Jordi Savall, who is a true legend and a personal inspiration to me, a real wise man of old who seems to have been born in the wrong era – and with whom I’m certain you are familiar too.

About your performance, what can I say? For a piece that I have listened to so many times, you managed to surprise me. I love the small, nuanced differences from other versions that make this rendition so unique. In a way, it feels less mournful… no, not less mournful, but not so overtly emotional or intense, maybe. It is a quieter melancholy, less passionate, but more thoughtful and austere, almost resigned, to which the stark and “rooted”, more staccato sound of the lute – compared to a viol or cello – contributes greatly. I believe this is very fitting to the theme of repression and restrained feelings of the song, and Anneliina’s voice is a GREAT choice precisely for this – the clarity and purity of her timbre makes her sound otherworldly sometimes, more spirit than flesh.

And Anni is so photogenic! She totally looks like a Pre-Raphaelite maiden, very Lady-of-the-Lake-ish. She has such a strong, stoic presence for someone of such young age. I wonder who she got it from… 🤔🤣

Thanks a lot for this, from the bottom of my heart! You are such a great joy, a small but inextinguishable light in the dark.

[albertolute]

First of all, congratulations, I'm a brazilian amateur lutenist, how could I get the intabulation to accompany this song. Thank you in advance and once again congratulations on the duo's stunning performance!!!!