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 GIOVANNI ANTONIO TERZI

AND THE

LUTE INTABULATIONS

OF LATE SIXTEENTH-CENTURY ITALY

Suzanne E. Court

A thesis submitted for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
at the University of otago, Dunedin
New Zealand.
February, 1988
 ii

ABSTRACT

This dissertation is an analysis of Giovanni Antonio

Terzi's lute intabulations contained in his two Venetian
lute books of 1593 and 1599. These works are discussed in
relation to other lute intabulations in sixteenth-century
Italian prints and manuscripts. The dissertat ion discusses
the origins of lute intabulation, its philosophical
background, and performance practice. Terzi'sstyle of
ornamentation in comparison with his contemporaries is
central to the discussion. The musiCB fictB in the
tablatures is analysed and discussed for its relevance to
interpretation in the vocal models. Terzi's fantasia style
is compared with his intabulation style, and an attempt is
made to interpret the meaning of Terzi's performance
indication "in concerto". The second volume reviews modern
transcription practices and includes 45 transcriptions of
intabulations and fantasias by Terzi and his contemporaries.
 iii

PREFACE

The subject of this dissertation is wider than its

title implies. It examines the intabulations of Giovanni
Antonio Terzi but attempts to place his work within the
larger historical context of late sixteenth-century lute
music. I have worked from the premise that to have analysed
the style of one intabulator only would have been of limited
value. Terzi's intabulation output is but a small part of a
very large genre which has yet to be researched
comprehensi vely. Al though the subj ect of intabulat ion has
been of interest to scholars for some time, especially
regarding musica ficta and ornamentation. To my knowledge no
one maj or st udy has been devot ed to It al i an 1 ut e
intabulat ions. I have therefore devoted considerable space
to comparing Terzi's intabulations with those of his
contemporaries, and have attempted to place his contribution
generally within the late sixteenth-century repertoire.
However, since the study is centred around Giovanni Antonio
Terzi's two lute books of 1593 and 1599 it is possible that
the importance .of some lute intabulators may have been
overlooked or underestimated. The need to form a complete
picture of sixteenth-century lute intabulations, as well one
of the period after 1600 is one which I trust will be met by
future scholarship.

It is my belief that a reason for the comparative

paucity of interest in intabulations, and hence, the bulk of
Terzi's work, relates to a lack of understanding of works of
a "second-hand" nature. A chapter has been devoted
therefore to a discussion of the renaissance philosophy of
imitazione out of which the genre was generated.

The major part of this dissertation focuses on four

large essays on ornamentation, musica ficta, performance
pract ice and the renaissance concept of imi t at ion in the
 iv

arts. Many of the vocal works intabulated by Terzi were also

arranged by other Italian lutenists. Comparisons of
intabulations of any single work, with those of other lute
intabulators, along with the vocal models where available,
supply useful information on the practice of intabulation in
general and instrumental music in particular. Specifically,
such a study can signal the rise of autonomous instrumental
music, showing its point of departure from vocal music.

Biographical aspects have not been researched in depth

in this dissertation. An initial search of the archives in
Bergamo revealed little on Terzi's professional or personal
life, therefore I considered that time could be more
profitably spent searching for musical sources than for
biographical information which in the end may not have been
forthcoming.

The second volume of this dissertation contains the

bulk of the musical examples under discussion. It includes
transcriptions of most of the intabulations for which I was
able to find the vocal models. As well, I have transcribed
many of the Terzi fantasias and other absolute music which
serve as useful comparisons with the intabulations. The
intabulat ions are scored with the vocal models as well as
any other available Italian lute sources of interest. I have
not included a transliteration of Terzi's tablatures since
they are readily available in facsimile editions. To
reproduce them would be redundant. A full list of sources
for the transcriptions as well as a lengthy discussion of my
editorial policy is also provided in Volume Two. The
appendices of Volume One contain statistical summaries and
data, as well as additional material. Included is a list of
bollettini corrections found in editions of Terzi's Libro
Primo held in libraries in Bologna and Florence <pp. 355-
356). Also included are incipits of five Terzi dances found
in other manuscript and printed sources which hitherto
 v

appear not to have been identified <pp. 359-361). Appendix 3

is a bibliography of Terzi's intabulations and contains new
source information <pp. 362-373). To assist the reader, a
transliteration of the contents of Terzi's lute books is
given on pp. x-xii.

An explanation about bibliographical citations is

necessary. Since this dissertat ion includes discussion of
many composers and works, to avoid excessively lengthy
footnotes it has been necessary to reduce some of the
citations to abbreviations. These take three forms. First,
Terzi's two books Libro Primo <Venice, 1593) and Libro
Secondo <Venice 1599) are cited as Terzi (1593) and Terzi
(1599) respectively. Second, Galilei's two IL Fronimo
editions of 1568 and 1584 are cited as Galilei (1568) and
Galilei (1584) respectively. Third, three standard
bibliographical tools used throughout have been valuable in
the search for sources. The work without which this study
would not have been possible is H. M. Brown's Instrumental
Music Printed Before 1600 <Cambridge, Massachusetts,
<1965/R1979). Items listed in this bibliography are cited
according to its catalogue numbering. For instance,
Francesco Spinacino's Intabulatura de Lauto / Libro secondo
<Venice, 1507) which is the second item entered in Brown's
bibliography for 1507, is referred to as Brown 1507/1. It is
hoped that in the reading of this dissertation, any
inconvenience incurred by needing to refer to Brown's
bi bliography is balanced by more concise foot not ing.
Similarly, the standard RISM numbering is used, along wi th
the catalogue numbering in the Bibliografia della Musica
Italiana Vocals Profana, pubblicata dal 1500 al 1700, eds.,
E. Vogel, A. Einstein, F. Lesure and C. Sartori <Staderini,
1977). These items are referred to as NV followed by the
appropriate number. A full list of abbreviations is given on
pp. viii-ix.
 vi

Throughout the dissertat ion it has been necessary to

refer the reader to transcriptions in the second volume. To
avoid confusion with any other work referred to, "Volume
11" means the second volume of this dissertation, while
"vol. 2" refers to the second volume of another source. All
translations are my own unless otherwise acknowledged.

The lute music analysed has been restricted mainly to

manuscript or printed music in Italian lute tablature. These
are admittedly arbitrary distinctions. The research has
traced the development of lute intabulation style up to
Terzi's publications at the end of the sixteenth century.
The repertoire reviewed has been defined by the type of
notation, that is, Italian lute tablature, since to define
by virtue of the authors' place of birth is considerably
more arbi t rary.

I have received assistance from many individuals and

institutions during the research and writing of this
dissertation. I am indebted to the staffs of the following
institutions: the Biblioteca comunale, Como; the Civico
museo bibliografico musicale, the Biblioteca Statale, Lucca;
Bologna (formerly called, Biblioteca comunale annessa al
Conservatorio musicale); the Biblioteca nazionale centrale,
Florence; the Biblioteca Riccardiana, Florence; the
Biblioteca universitaria, Genoa; the Biblioteca Estense,
Modena; the Archivio di Stato, Modena; the Biblioteca del
Conservatorio di Musica, Naples; the Biblioteca del
Conservatorio "G. Rossini", Pesaro; the Biblioteca
Casanatense, Rome; the Biblioteca S. Cecilia, Rome; the
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rome; the Biblioteca
nazionale centrale, Rome; the Biblioteca nazionale
universitaria, Turin; the Biblioteca capitolare, Verona; the
British Library, London; The London University Library; and
the Biblioteca Berensen, Villa i Tatti, Florence. Above all,
I am grateful to the staff of the Library of Otago
 Vii

University, Dunedin, for their continual patience and

willingness to trace source material.

I have been fortunate to receive financial assistance,

without which this work would not have been possible. I
acknowledge receipt of a generous scholarship from the
University Grants Committee of New Zealand which funded the
first three years. I also acknowledge an Italian Government
scholarship, awarded through its Embassy in Wellington,
which enabled me to undertake eight months research in
Italy. Without this generous gift the work would have been a
dry exercise. I wish to thank the staff of the New Zealand
Embassy in Rome for their valuable advice and friendship,
and part icularly Ambassador Gordon Parkinson and his wi fe
Margaret Parkinson for their inestimable practical and
personal assistance during my Italian visit.

I am gratefull to many individuals who have helped with

this work: to Claire Leighton and Dr Ray Harlow for help
with translations; to Mabel Court for proof-reading; to
Professor John Drummond who gave me encouragement when I
needed it; to Professor Howard Mayer Brown with whom several
short discussions and generous help have been inspiring and
valuable; to Dr Patrick Little who edited the manuscript in
its last stages and resolved some difficulties; to Professor
P. Petrobelli for advice and for accessing Italian
libraries; to Professor John Steele who inspired the idea,
who has supervi sed t he work throughout, and whose
encyclopaediac knowledge has been invaluable; and finally to
Billie McLeod whose vision, encouragement, and personal
support have been responsible for the completion of the
work.

Dunedin, February, 1988.

 viii

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS

AcM Acta musicologica

AIM Amer~can Institute of Musicology
AMIS Antiquae Musicae Italicae Studiosi
AnMc Analecta musicologica
AnnM Annales musicologiques
Brown H.M. Brown, Instrumental Music printed
before 1600 (Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1979).
CEKM Corpus of Early Keyboard Music
CMM Corpus mensurabilis musicae
CMc Current Musicology
CNRS Editions du Centre National de la
Recherche Scientifique
cs E. de Coussemaker: Scriptorum de musica
medi i aevi nova seri es (Paris, 1864-
76/R1963)
EM Early Music
Facs. ed. facsimile edition
FAM Fontes artis musicae
fn. Footnote
lMAMI Istituzioni e monumenti dell'arte
musicale italiana, 6 vols., (1931-1939)
GSJ The Galpin Society Journal
IISM Istit~to italiano per la storia della
musica.
JAMS Journal of the American Musicological
Society
JLSA Journal of the Lute Society of America
JRBM Journal of Renaissance and Baroque Music
LSJ The Lute Soci ety Journal
MA. diss unpublished dissertation for Master of
Arts
MD Musica disciplina
Mf Die Musikforschung
MGG Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart
ML Music and Letters
MMBel Monumenta musicae beligicae
MME Monumentos de la musica espafiola
Mod. ed. Modern edition
MR The Music Review
MRM Monuments of Renaissance Music
Ms. Manuscript
MQ Musical Quarterly
New Grove The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musician~ ed., Stanley Sadie (London,
1980)
NRMI Nuova rivista musicale italiana
 ix

NV Bib1iografia de11a Musica Ita1iana Voca1e

Profana, pubb1icata da1 1500 a1 170~
eds. Emil Vogel, Alfred Einstein,
Francois Lesure, Claudio Sartori
(Staderini. 1977),
PhD.diss unpublished dissertation for Doctor of
Philosophy
PRMA Proceedings of the Royal Musical
Associat ion
RaM La rassegna musicale
RdM Revue de musico10gie
RISM Repertoire international des sources
musicales
RISM B/VII Repertoire international des sources
musicales, volume B/VII, ed. W.
Boetticher. Handschriftlich Oberlieferte
Lautenen und Gi tarrentabulaturen des 15.
bis 18. Jahrhunderts (Munich. 1978),
RMI Rivista musicale italiana
RRMBE Recent Researches in the Music of the
Baroque Era
RQ Renaissance Quarterly
SIMG Sammelbande der Internationalen Musik-
Gesellschaft
SPES Studio per edizioni scelt~
Terzi (1593) Di Gio. Antonio Terzi Da Bergamo,
Intavo1atura di Liutto, Accomodata con
diversi passaggi per suonar in Concerti a
duoi Liutti, & solo. libro primo (Venice,
1593), facs. ed., AMIS (Milan. 1966);
facs .. ed, SPES, no. 45 (Florence. 1981).
Terzi(1599) Il Secondo Libro De Intavolatura Di Liuto
Di Gio. Antonio Terzi Da Bergamo,
(Venice. 1599), facs. ed, SPES. no.45
(Florence. 1981).
vol. volume
Volume II second volume of this dissertation
 x
CONTENTS OF TERZI'S LUTE BOOKS

The tables of contents of Libra Prima Canzoni Francese. & Italiane.

and Libra Secanda are here transcribed
'with editorial additions given within 13 38 Susanne un lour (iour). Canzon
[]. Rubrics from the body of the books, Francese a 5. Di Orlando
additional to wording of the tavale, are Lasso, a la quarta per suonar
given within (). A facsimile copy of the (sonar) solo, & a duoi (doi)
tavola of Libra Secondo follows on p. xii liutti.
to show the divisional titles which in 39 Contraponto sopra l'istessa
this book, unlike Libra Prima, are not (Susanne un lour di Orlado)
given in the tavola according to the per suonar (a doi liutti in
page sequence. quarta, & in Concerto) come di
sopra.
LIBRO PRIMO 14 43 Petit Iaquet, Canzon Francese
a 4. Di Claudio [Merulol da
No. page title Correggio per suonar solo, & a
duoi (doi) liutti.
Mottetti a 4. & a 5. 44 Contraponto sopra l'istessa
per suonar in vnisono, & in
Diligam te Domine (Dowine) a concerto. (Contraponto sopra
• 4. Di Andrea Oabrieli. Petit Iaquet. Canzon francese
2 3 Ego rogabo a 4. Di Andrea di Clau.da Correggio per
Oabrieli. suonar comedi sopra).
3 4 Virgo prudentissima a 4. Di 15 48 A duoi (doi) liutti vnisonl,
Oiulio Renaldi. Canzon (Cazone) dl Claudio da
4 7 Tu es Pastor ouium. a 4. Del Correggio a 4. Primo liutto.
Palest ina. 50 Secondo liutto in risposta.
5 9 Angelvs (Angelus) ad past ores 16 52 A duoi liutti vnlsoni,
a 4. Del Palestina. vn'altra (un'altra) Canzone
6 11 Surrexit a 5. Di Marc' Antonio del medesimo. (a. 4.) Primo
Ingigneri. <Ingegnero) liutto.
7 13 Qui me confessus a 5. Di 55 Secondo liutto.
Claudio [Merulol da Correggio. 17 57 Segue vndecl (undeci) canzoni
8 14 Veni in ortum (hortum) meum a (c§zoni) del Mascara per
5. Di Orlando Lasso. suonar in concerto, & solo.
9 17 Ad dominum cum (cO) tribularer Canzone prima. nume.
a 5. Di Oio. Cauaccio. 18 59 (Canzone) Seconda.
19 61 (Canzone) Terza.
Madrigali a 5. & a 6. con i 20 63 (Canzone) Quarta.
suoi cot rapont i. 21 65 (Canzone) Quinta.
22 67 (Canzone) Sesta.
10 19 Vestiva i colli. prlma parte. 23 69 (Canzone) Settima.
a 5. Del Palestina per suonar 24 73 (Cazone) Ottaua.
a duoi liuttl, & solo. 25 74 (Cazone) Nona.
20 Contraponto sopra Vestiua 1 26 76 (Canzone) Decima.
colli, per suonar (sonar) a 27 79 (Canzone) Vndecima (undecima),
duol 11uttl In quarta & (0) in & vlt (ult ima).
concerto.
24 Cosl le chlome mie. Seconda Madrigall diuersi a 5.
parte a duol 11utti
25 Contraponto sopra 11 predetto 28 81 Quando fra bianche perle a 5.
per suonar come dl sopra prima parte. Di Oio:Maria
11 28 S'ogni ml0 ben a 6. Del Nanino.
Striggl0 per suonar solo & a 83 Sentomi aprirsi. Seconda
duol liuttl, & In concerto parte.
(concert 1). 29 84 D'un si bel fuoco a 5. prima
29 Contraponto sopra 11 predetto parte. Di Oiaches Vuert.
(S'ognl mio ben) per suonar 86 Scorgo tant'alto (tat'alto).
come dl sopra, ma a l'unlsono. Seconda parte.
31 Vn'altro contraponto 30 87 Caro dolce ben mio. a 5. Di
(cotrapoto) sopra l'lstesso a Andrea Oabrieli.
l' unisono. 31 88 Quand~ i vostri (uostri) begll
12 34 Anchor ch' io possa dire a 6. occhi a 5 Del Marenzio
del Striggl0 per suonar solo, 32 90 Verra mai i1 di. a 5. prlma
& a duoi liutti, parte. Di Costanzo Porta
35 Contraponto (cotrapoto) sopra 91 Ma ache dolermi pi~. Seconda
il predetto (Anchor ch'io) a parte.
(&c.a) l'vnisono (unisono) 33 92 Fera genti1. a 5. prima
per suonar a duoi (doi) parte. [Rorel
liutti, & in concerto 92 Perche si stretto e. il nodo.
(coterto) . Seconda parte. [Rorel c
 xi

34 93 Ahi chi mi rompe il sonno.

, a 5. prima parte. di Filippo LIBRO SECONDO
de Monte.
94 Di ch'ella mossa. Seconda Preludio dell'auttore (de
parte. l'Autore)
35 95 Segue sei Fantasie de 2 2 Fantasia dell'auttore (de
l'Auttore. (Autore) Fantasia l'Autore)
prima. 3 4 Oagliarda Prima
36 96 (Fantasia) Seconda. 4 4 Oagliarda (detta) Tamburina
37 97 (Fantasia) Terza. (Tamburin. )
38 99 (Fantasia) Quarta. 5 6 Leggiadre ninfe di (del Luca)
39 100 (Fantasia) Quinta. Marenzio a 6.
40 101 (Fantasia) Sesta, & vltima. 6 7 Candide perle a 6.
dell'istesso (del Bicci nel
Balli diuersi. medisimo Libro)
7 8 Quando mirai di Horatio Vecchi
41 102 Pass'e mezo (mezzo) per b a 4. (Le parole per cant are
molle in trei modi. sono sotto al Basso)
104 Trei parti di gagliarda 8 9 Di pianti e di sospir a 3. di
(gagliarde) del prescritto Oiu11ano (Iuliano) Paratico
pass' e mezzo. (le parole si ponno cantar
42 105 Oagliarda detta herdsona. sott'al Basso, & nel Canto.)
43 106 Oagliarda noua de l'Auttore 9 9 Ahi chi mi tien il core di
• (Autore) Oio. Oiacomo Oastoldi a 3.
44 106 Pass'e mezzo per ~ quadro in 10 9 Come faro cor mio di Antonio
trei modi. Martaro (Mortaro. sotto il
108 Oagliarda del sudetto pass'e Basso) a 3.
mezzo (La sua gagliarda) 11 10 Fantasia in modo di Canzon
45 110 Oagliarda noua de l'Auttore Francese (Francesa) di
(Autore) Francesco [Oioseffo] Ouami
46 111 Vn'altra gagliarda 12 12 Vn'altra fantasia del ditto
47 111 Trei parti di pass'e mezo 13 14 Canzon Francese (Francesa)
(mezzo) Iouisans di Adriano [Willaert]
113 Saltarello del pass'e mezzo 14 16 Oagliarda Terza (del1'autore.)
48 114 Oagliarda 15 17 Oagliarda Quarta
49 115 Ballo Tedesco, & Francese. 16 18 Nasce la pena mia di (del)
117 (11) Saltarello del prescritto Alessandro Striggio a 6. (con
ballo. Passaggi. )
50 117 Pass'e mezzo 17 21 Balletto Francese
119 Saltarello del pass'e mezzo, 18 22 Balletto Alemano
in trei parti (Prima parte del 19 22 Volta Francese.
saltarello). 20 23 Volta Francese seconda
51 120 Oagliarda (da) noua 21 23 Volta Francese terza
52 121 Oagliarda noua del Padre de 22 23 Volta Francese quarta
l'Auttore (Autore) 23 24 Ballo Alemano Primo
53 121 Pass'e mezzo (mezo) per b 24 25 Ballo (Balo) Alemano Secondo
molle di trei parti 25 25 Ballo Alemano Terzo
123 Oagliarda del prescritto 26 26 Ballo Alemano Quarto
54 124 Oagliarda noua de l'Auttore 27 26 Toccata dell'Auttore
(Autore) (del'Auttore)
55 124 Ballo Tedesco nouo de 28 26 In te Domine speraui di
l'Auttore (Autore) Claudio Merulo da Correggio a
125 Oagliarda del ditto ballo 6.
(Tedesco) . 29 28 Padoana (Padouana) Prima
56 125 Pass'e mezzo (mezo) per 9 30 30 Liquide perle di (del) Luca
duro. Marenzio a 5. (con il suo
127 Oagliarda del (ditto) pass'e contrapunto)
mezzo (mezo). 31 Contraponto sopra l'istesso
57 128 Pass'e mezzo per b molle in Madrigale (Contrapunto sopra
al t ro t uono. Liquide perle per sonare
129 Oagliarda di trei parti insieme)
58 130 Vn'altra gagliarda. 31 33 Bariera baletto (balletto con
59 131 Vn'altra gagliarda. tutte le sue repliche)
60 133 Courante Francese. 32 38 Toccata seconda dell'auttore
61 133 Courante Francese. (Autore)
33 39 Fantasia seconda de l'auttore
FINIS. (dell' Aut ore)
34 41 Pass' e mezo per bei (,,) Duro
42 Oagliarda del ditto (Pass'e
mezo)
35 43 Oagliarda Quinta (Seconda)
36 44 Oagliarda Sesta
37 45 Oagliarda Settima
 xii

38 46 (Liutto Primo.) Canzon 68 86 Se dal soave (& amoroso)

Francese Allermifault, sguardo a 5. di Gio. Andrea
(Alermifault a Cinque Voci) di Dragoni (Dragone)
Adriano [WillaertJ, Per sona 69 87 Pass' e mezo la Paganina
(suonar) a due Liutti 88 Gagliarda del ditto (della
(vnison1) Paganina)
49 Per il secondo Liutto 70 89 Fantasia seconda in modo di
39 52 Non hebbe tante foglie a 3. Canzon Francese dell'auttore
4-0 52 Non vedo hoggi (Non (autore)
ued'hoggi'l) il mio sole a 3. 71 91 Fantasia come di sopra di
di Ruggiero Giouannelli (Del Vicenzo Bell'hauer
Giouanell1) 72 92 Ballo Alemano Settimo
41 53 Mi parte ahi sorte via a 3 del 73 92 Ballo Alemano Ottauo
detto (Del Giouanelli) 74 93 Fantasia terza dell'auttore
42 53 Se di dolor io potessi morire (Autore)
di Giulio Rinaldi (Renaldi) 75 95 Preambulo de l'auttore sopra
a 5. le Corente Francese
4-3 55 In Deo speraui dell'istesso a 76 95 Corente (Cuorrente) Francese
6. <In Deo speraui t cor meum Primo
di Claudio da Correggio a Sei 77 96 Corente (Corrente) Secondo
Voc!. ) 78 96 Corente (Cuorrente) Terzo
56 Hodie completi (sunt) a 4. di 79 97 Corente (~orrente) Quarto
Andrea Gabrieli (Gabrielli) 80 97 Cara la vita mia di Giaches
45 58 Padoana Secunda (Seconda) Vuert (Vvert), Prima e 2.
46 60 Padoana Terza parte a 5.
47 61 Fantasia in modo di Canzon 97 (Seconda parte)
Francese de l'auttore 81 99 Gagliarda (de l'autore) nona.
(dell'Autore) 82 100 Canzon Francese Gofred (A.5)
48 62 Fantasia di Giouanni Gabrieli de Incerto
(Di Gio. Gabrielli Fantasia in 83 102 Beat us homo (qui inuenit
modo di Canzon Francese) sapientiam) di Cipriano [da
49 64 (Vn'altra) Fantasia di Paolo Rore) a 5.
Iusti (TustD 84 104- Gagliarda Vndecima
50 67 Branle Francese duble 85 105 Gagliarda Duodecima (Del S.
51 67 Branle secondo Agostino Vertoa da Bergamo
52 68 Branle terzo cOposta) .
53, 68 Branle simple Francese 86 106 Ballo Pollaco (Polaco)
54 69 Gagliarda (dell'Autore) Ottaua 87 106 Non mi toglia il b~ (ben) mio
55 70 Chi fara fede al ciel di di Marc' Antonio Ingigneri
Alessandro Striggio, per sonar (Marco Antonio Ingegnero) a 4-.
a modo di viola Bastarda in 107 Contraponto sopra l'istesso
Concerto con Liutto grande Madrigale (Segue il suo
(Chi fara fede, a Cinque del contraponto dell'Auttore come
Striggio accommodato a modo di sono anco tutti li altri
Viola bastarda per suonar in contraponti di Questo Libro, &
Concerto co Liutto grande) del prime contraponto sopra
56 74 Mandatum nouum (do uobis), a 5 l'antecedente Madrigale)
di Pietro Vinci (& le parole 88 110 Pass'e mezo vltimo
sono sotto a la parte del 112 Gagliarda del ditto (Pass'e
Basso) mezo)
57 75 Domine Deus, a 6. di Anibal 89 114- Vn giorno passeggiando a 3. di
(Annibale) Padouano (Padoano, Angelo Barbato
a 6. voci, Prima Parte) 90 115 L'amata ninfa mia a 3. di Gio.
76 Exaudi Seconda Parte. Maria Nanino
58 77 La velenosa vista a 3. di 91 115 Torneo Amoroso Balletto
Horatio (Oratio) Scaletta (le Italiano
parole sono per Cantar il 92 117 Balletto Alemano vltimo
Basso) 93 117 Canzon a 8 voci dell'auttore,
59 78 Qual piu crudel martire del per sonar a 4. Liutti (Canzone
detto (del medesimo)[ScalettaJ a Otto Voci de l'auttore per
60 78 Canzon la Vilachiara del suonar a 4. Liutti overo
Mascara (ouer fantasia). fantasia. )
61 80 Gagliarda Decima
62 81 Erano i capei d'oro, Prima &
Seconda parte a 5. di Gio. Il. FINE
Maria Nanino
82 (Secoda Parte Non era l'andar
suo)
63 83 Amorosa fenice, di Gio.
(Maria) Cauaccio a 5.
64 84 Ballo Alemano QUinto
dell' Aut ore.
65 84- Ballo Alemano Sesto
66 85 Donna la bella mano di
Archangelo da Bergamo a 5.
67 86 ObelIa ninfa (Ninfa) mia del
(di Gianetto) Palestina a 5.
 xiii

TAVOLA DI TVTTO Q,yELLO eRE SI CONTIENE

NEL SECONDO LIBRO DI:.LLA INTAyOLATVRA DI LIVTTO
Di Giouan Anronio Terzi d:tBergamo.

Fant.:fie & toceate , '.Non l1edo hoglJ il miD fofe a~, di RlfggiCl'O Giouannclli P
Mi pMtoabiJortHia a 3 dt·l dett~ . . 5i
RcllldiO dell'auttore' I Se di dolor to pouJJi mOr/1/: (1. G1UIlO IWlizld: a J.
P Fanrafia dt:ll'a'<frore .
a:
• ~
J:anrl1(i11 in modo di CItn,\on FriUlcefe Francefco GUpnl 10
La l1rleno[al1ifla a .). di Horatio :>c·,zleua
Q.:<alpiu crudelmarClyr dddettIJ
H
77
7'<$
rn'alrra 'anrafiade! diuo I: PngionzopafF.giando a 3. di .An<~t!n ,j.zrbato 114
Fantafiafecondaddauttare 39 L'a1llatanin/izlllia a" U/ Glo.M.lIill'1Y..anilio J 14
Fantafia in m~o di ~ .m7,.0'! F.rancc!e de l'auttare .61
Fanc~fiadi Giouanm Gabrzeli 6: qagliMdeP aft'e mezj. &- baili di l'arieforti.
Fanta{ra di P401~ lufti . ' ....
Fantafia{econdd.in modo di Can~onEr4llcefe delfalltton: 119 G4aliarda 'Prima
knrafia comedf{opra di I'icen'{o ~lJ'hauer 4
91 Gagu(lr~ T arnbllri1llt "1-
Fantafia terza dellauttore ,3
Ga<~IiMiJa 1'er'2la 16
Toecaradtll'auttore ~6
Gaglzarda £<!!arta 17
Toce4t4e~onda dillauttore 3i Gagliarda !.(uinta oH
CtfnZ'1n Frtmcefe· GlIgiiarda :;efla 4+
qagfiartia Settima 45
CanZ.0n FYlfnce{e Ioui[ansdi.Adriano 14
Ga,~tj.1rda OUaua 6~
Car.,\on France[c .Atlcmiifit.uLt.di,xdriano. 'Perfona'adue
G.lgliarda·l\ona 9')
Lzutti . 46 80
Ga:<,liarda Dl'cima
'Per ilfecondo Hutto, '+9
(jaglillrda J/ildt:cima 1°4
Car:zon.4 rilachiara del MafCara; 7tJ
G.lgliaY<J4 DZlOdeClmic 10,1'
Can'i~n Francefe. GiJfredd.e Incerttt . .100
Balletl ' "ra/he[e I I
Canzon a 8 r,oa dellaRttorf. perfunar a + L:um • L7 ,roltaFr':!7Lr!• Z~
. Notm; 4edumfi. I' JIUFrai.,.tfr (ecnnda 22-

In te Domine!ptrt1lli Ili Claudio MerulodaCorreggio 4 r., ~, !',!lta FIaiIClp. u' ~1 Z;

111 {)z'o /peraui dtltijteffa a 6. Sf rolt(l F.a"ce[e qU<Jrta 2;
Hodzecomplet;'"il4. di .Andrea-Gabrie/i. $6
.BTlInle Francejr DlI.Ue (,1
MlI7IdatltmfIfJuum a~. dil'ietrQi'inei 74 '1JrlltUt<ftcondo (,7
Bran/e t~o, . 6·;
Domine'Deus. a 6. di .A7libaJ'PlldDtr41IO -s.5-
1:xdudi SecondJparte. 76 .1lri:t1tlt/imp!e F!J11lrfp 6K
'lieatushomo dillprjano a..s. .10ll '7'rearntuin de r~141,,,re fopra le Corente FranceJe ~;
Cbrente Franceft: 'Pr.mo ' ~)
toreme Secondo

Lf',,~iadre
Madrigali di Dil4erfi.
ninfi di Luca MartlJ'{io a 6. ~
Cart!flt~ rt'"{c ,6
1)6

CdrCztI.Y<.uano H
(lI~:dide perJe If 6. delliftiffo. 8 $ttlletfO.AlCntmo :lZ
'.N 4ce la ptma mi.r di .A leffimd!o StrTggio a ,. IB '.74/10 ~lenumo -Erimo 2-4-
Liquide perle di LUC4 Mit'f'ttr{tti a}., J.et .Bll!lo..Akmll1lo Seco1ulo :5
Contrllpento(opraf,ftef!o MatIngaJe . .. 3{. B4Ilo oA tmuuu, T m;.cr 2;
Chi ftna fr.de.1l1~~a di.Ak/fandro StriggiD. Ptf[O~,Ji,otlD 7J1llld.AltmIlRO .Q:!art/! 2~
di "iula Bafl41:daillConcerto COtl.l.zUt(t!§ande... .70 '1JitJJo .Alemmo R!!into 84-
E,;'ano icapei tfaro. 'Prima & {econda pane a J. di GitI.,:l1a - BlIllo .Alemano Stfto ~-f
ria 'N.an.'7lo 8I Ballo vtlmumo Settimo '!12
,A1J:orc[a{r7,iu. di 6io.Cauaccio a J. 81 '1Ja/lo oAlemano Ottauo 5-2
1;('l1na a bell" ,!/aTlO di .Art!JangelP.da St:rgatlfo jZ ~. 85 '11aJkl".ALema>lO l1ltimo. 1'7
obell.ll,inji:7I11addl'altfll1}a as. . ·8' B<ff'ier« Baletto 34-
Se dlll(o.zlltfglla, do a S' di GiO ../lntlrea'Dr.ag4Pli lS9 Brt/lo 'PoUaco 1,6
(.zrala 't1ita mill di Gi'"cbts Puert,.'Ptima e 2.pttrte a S 97 1'atloana Prima 28
'1{?n mi tl>R,lia il bE mio di MiR'C'.Antcnio Ingignni 4i- r 06' 'Pidoma SeCtlmu ~S
COl/ti'.zpon~afvprafift'ffa Madrigalc 1«>7 1'l1dnana Ter:za 68
1'a/le mez.0 perheir.Duro 41
Call~nette a J .... & S'. 1111d, con le fue parole Gagliarda del ditto 41.
'Pajs't 1Rt'\O la Paganina :17
Olw:dornirai diHoratinrrcebi 1I4. , Ga~liardadelditto 8S
2;i pi.mti e drji filr I; J. tit Gzulian~ Parlltico 9 l' aile ml"\0l1ltimo 110
.Abi cbi mi timiL corcdlGil'.Cillctmo gafto!di a], 9 Gagliarda dtlditto 1 I::
(,'ml' firo cor mio di .Ancflzio /YJRrIalO a 3· 9 Tomeo.Amorojo BaDetto Italil11lo 11)
?\,oniJcbberanufcglie a 3. 5:
IL FJ'N..,E
 VOLUME I
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract ii
Preface iii
Abbreviations viii
Contents of Terzi's Lute Books x

CHAPTER ONE. GIOVANNI ANTONIO TERZI: AN INTRODUCTION

1. The Music 1
The Genres
- classification 3
- attribution 4
- instrumentation 5
The Intabulations 7
Other Sources of Terzi's Music 10

2. Biographical Details 11
- Terzi family tree 13
- preface to Libro Primo 14
- preface to Libro Secondo 17

CHAPTER TWO. LUTE INTABULATION: AN INT;RODUCTION

The Origins of Intabulation 19

Modern Attitudes to Intabulation 24
Lute Intabulations in 16th-Century Prints 27
Techniques of Intabulation 31

CHAPTER THREE. ORNAMENTATION

1. Int roduct ion 41

2. Analysis of Terzi's Style 45

The Units of Embellishment 46
Rhythm 54
Combinations of Ornamental Units 58
Ornamented Intervals and Texture 62
Cadential Ornaments 64
Patterns of Passaggi Distribution 68
- stop/start pattern 69
- sectional ornamentation 69
- constant passaggi 71
- climactic structure 72
Passaggi and Text, Tempo, Genre 73
Imitation of the Words 76
- words of motion 76
- words of exclamation 79
- flowers and song 79
- negative emotion and death 79
- positive sentiment 80
Passaggi and Imitation 81
- rhyming imitation 82
- figural imitation of the model 86
- figural self-imitation 88
Summary of Terzi's Style of Embellishment 93
 3. A Survey of 16th-Century Lute Tablatures
Early 16th-Century Prints
duets and free ornamentation 96
- solo intabulations 99
- song accompaniments 100
Mid-Century Developments
- Francesco. Bakfark. contemporaries 102
- Galilei's intabulations 111
- Galilei's revised intabulations 117
- summary: Galilei's style 126
Manuscripts and Ornamentation 129
Late Sixteenth-Century Printed Intabulations 131

4. Didactic Manuals for Ornamentation 135

Instrumentation 138
Style and Ornamental Complexity 141
Virgiliano 148
- rules of embellishment 149

5. Conclusion 153

CHAPTER FOUR. MUSICA FICTA

1. Introduction
Tablatures 158
Guidelines for Application of ficta 166
- causa necessitatis 167
- causa pulchritudinis 167
Priorities for Application of ficta 169

2. Terzi's Ficta Accidentals

Ficta applied to the Model 174
- before the subsemitonium 174
- subsemitoniu~ propinquity
and picardie thirds 176
- causa necessitatis 179
beyond the "rules" 180
Passaggi Ficta 181

3. Models in Modern Editions

Vocal Models
o bella Ninfa mia 188
Quando i vostri begli occhi 188
- Tu es Pastor ovium 189
In Deo speravit cor meum 191
- In te Domine speravi 193
- Beatus Homo 193
Instrumental Model
- La Martinenga 194
4. Terzi and Other Lute Intabulations
A comparison of Two Intabulations
- Fera gentil 196
Nasce la pena mia 201

5. Conclusion 207
CHAPTER FIVE. PERFORMANCE PRACTICE
- INDICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS 210

1. Performance Indications
Lute Ensembles in Italian Prints 211
Lute Songs in Italian Publications
- solo voice with lute 218
- lute and several voices 221
Terzi's Ensemble Indications 226
2. Performance Implications
Musica In Concerto
- etymology 235
- ensembles - vocal and instrumental 236
- contending vs concerting 237
- instructions in books 238
- contrappunti, concerti
and tempo 240

Thirteen Manuscripts in Italian Tablature

- Paris R.V.27 247
- Verona 223 249
- Turin IV. 43/2 254
- Lucca 774 254
- Modena C.311 261
- Florence L.F.mus.2 263
- Florence Mag.XIX. 109 267
- Florence Mag. XIX. 168 268
- Genoa VIllI 270
- London Add, 29247 271
- Brussels 11/275 272
- Como s. s. 274
- Naples 7664 275

3. Conclusion 279

CHAPTER SIX. THE CONCEPT OF IMTTAZIONE

1. Imitazione in the Arts

The Use of Classical Models 285
Imitation of Contemporaries 289
Imitation of Nature 295
Disegno Interno 298

2. Imitazione and the Lute

Pedagogy 301
Intabulation, Fantasia and Imitazione 303
- highly ornamented intabulations 304
- the parody-fantasia 306
- casual borrowing 311

3. Terzi's Fantasias
Attribution in Terzi's Lute Books 318
Attributed Fantasias and Canzonas 320
Terzi's Fantasia Style 321
- poly thematic works 324
- monothematic themes 327
- an ensemble canzona 332
Conclusion 333
EPILOGUE 336

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Tables 338

Appendix 2: Terzi's Manuscript Dances 359
Appendix 3: Terzi's Intabulations
- Concordances and Sources 362

BIBLIOGRAPHY I Primary Sources 374

BIBLIOGRAPHY II - Secondary Sources 383

 CHAPTER ONE

GIOVANNI ANTONIO TERZI: AN INTRODUCTION

Part one. The Musi c

Like most lute book s of the secon d half of the

sixte enth centu ry, Terz i's Libro Prim o (1593 ) and Libro
Secon do (1599 ) are comp ilatio ns of four genr es of
lute
music : dance , fanta sia, lute- song and intab ulati on. The
title page s of both book s attes t to the
vari eties of
intab ulati ons, fanta sias and danc es cont ained withi
n:

DI GIO. ANTONIO TERZI

DA BERGAMOt
INTAVOLATURA DI LIUTTO
ACCOMODATA CON DIVE RSI PASSAGGI
per suon ar in Conc erto a duoi Liut ti, & solo
LIBRO PRIMO.
IL QUAL CONTIENE, MOTETTI, CONTRAPONTI,
Canz oni Itali ane, & Fran cese, Mad rigal i, Fant asie,
& Ball i
di dive rse sorti , Itali ani, Fran cesi, & Alem ani.
CON PRIVILEGGI~
[pri nter 's mark]
IN VENETIA,
Appr esso Ricc iardo Amad ino,
M D XCII I.
 G. A. Terzi 2

IL SECONDOl
LIBRO
DE INTAVOLATURA
DI LIUTO
DI GIO. ANTONIO TERZI
DA BERGAMO.
Nella quale si contengono Fantasie, Motetti, Canzoni,
Madrigali, Pass'e mezi, & Balli di varie, & diverse sorti.
Novamente da lui data in luce.
[ pri nt er's mark]
IN VENETIA,
Appresso Giacomo Vincenti 1599.

1. Libro Primo is printed in a facsimile edition by

Antiquae Musicae Italicae Studiosi (Milano, 1966), an9
both Libro Primo and Libro Secondo are printed in a
facsimile edition by Studio Per Edizioni Scelte, series
45 (Florence, 1981), Individual pieces from Terzi' s
books have been published in various sources, cited in
Brown 1593/7 and Brown 1599/11, (see also Appendix 3,
this volume) but there is not to my knowledge a
published modern edition of either book. Reginald
Smith-Brindle claims to have transcribed Libro Primo
but this does not appear to have been published.
(Listed in "Reginald Smith Brindle: Works for Guitar",
Guitar and Lute, no. 15, (Honolulu, October 1980), p. 9. )
 G. A. Terzi 3

THE GENRES

1. Classification

Of the total of 154 pieces 2 in the two lute books, well

over half of them (85) are dances, fantasias, canzonas,
toccatas and preludes. 3 Terzi includes a wide variety of
single dances: gagliarda, courante, courante Francese,
balletto (Francese, Polaco, Italiano and Alemano), padoana,
bariera, volta Francese and preambulo for solo lute. In
addi t ion he gi ves 12 paired dances - pass' e mezzo paired
wi t h ei t her a gag1 i arda or a sal t arell 0, a ballo Tedesco
with a saltarello, and a ballo Tedesco with a gagliarda. As
we would expect, the pairs of dances share the same mode and
relat ed themat ic material. Terzi included 16 fantasias in
all, six in Libro Primo and ten in Libro Secondo. However
these so called fantasias actually comprise two genres
fantasia, and fantasia in the style of the canzona. Not all
of the fantasias are original Terzi compositions. Four
pieces in Libro Secondo are assigned the title Fantasia in
modo di Canzon Francese di ... (followed by the name of the
composer), 4 but they are not fantasias in the sense that we
understand the term, that is, an instrumental composition
whose form and invention springs "solely from the fantasy
and skill of the author who created it."e;. Rather, they are
intabulat ions of inst rument al canzonas, in which the
original form and st ruct ure is preserved. Indeed, they do
not differ stylistically in any significant way from Terzi's
intabulations on vocal models. Neither are they

2. This total conforms with the numbering in H. M. Brown,

Instrumental Music Printed Before 1600, a bibliographJ'
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965/R1979), and does not
take into account the second of pairs of dances
(totalling 11) nor the contrappunti and second lute
parts (totalling 12), nor the seconda parte of
intabulations (totalling 9).
3. For a summary of the contents of both books see
Appendix 1.1
4. Terzi (1599) pp. 10, 61, 89 & 91.
5. Luis de Milan (1535), New Grove, vol 6, p. 380.
 G. A. Terzi 4

signi ficant ly di fferent from Terzi' s intabulat ions of

canzonas, which are classified separately in the Tavole 6 It
seems then, that apart from his own fantasias, Terzi is
using "fantasia" synonymously with "intabulation", since the
fantasia in modo di Canzon Francese is merely an
intabulation of an instrumental canzona with some added
ornamentat ion.

2. Attribution

The six fantasias in Libro Primo are claimed as Terzi's

own, along with five gagliarde and one ballo. 7 One piece, a
gagliarda, is attributed to Terzi's father. eo Of the ten
fantasias (including the fantasias in the style of canzonas)
in Libro Secondo, only five are directly attributed to
Terzi. '9 Here, besides the fantasias, ten other pieces are
claimed to be Terzi compositions:, one preludio, one
preambulo, three gagliarde, two toccate, one ballo, one
contrappunto (to go with an intabulation) and a canzona for
four lutes. "10 Fantasias attributed to other composers in
Libro Secondo are.as follows:

Fantasia in modo di Canzon Francese di Francesco Guami

(p. 10)
Un' al tra fantasia del di t to (p. 10)
Fantasia di Giovanni Gabrieli (p.62)
Fantasia di Paolo Tusti (p.64)
Fantasia come di sopra [ie. in modo di Canzon Frances~

di Vicenzo Bell' haver (p. 91)

6. Compare for instance Volume II, nos. 23 & 34.

7. Terzi (1593) pp. 95-101, 106, 110, 124 & 125. A full
listing of the contents of Terzi's books is given in
the present volume, pp. x-xiii.
8. Gagliarda nova del Padre del'Auttor~ Terzi (1593)
p. 121.
9. Terzi <1599 ) pp. 2, 39, 61, 89, & 93. See also this
volume, p.318.
10. Terzi (1599) pp. 1, 16, 26, 38, 69, 84, 95, 99, 107 &
117.
 G. A. Terzi 5

The two Guami instrumental ensemble canzonas are

actually by Gioseffo Guami, not his brother Francesco
Guami, 10. and the composer Paolo Tusti is a complete
unknown. Hi s name is spel t as Tust i on page 64, but lust i
[JustiJ in the Tavola for which an alternative spelling
could well be Giusti. 11
It was common practice in the
sixteenth century to borrow sections from vocal or
instrumental works of other composers and even to claim a
complete work of another as one's own. 11
- We cannot be
absolutely sure, therefore, whether Terzi really composed
those pieces carrying his name. 12 Conversely, we may ask
whether those dances not attributed to Terzi could be his
nonetheless. It could be a mistake to assume that the lack
of at t ri but ion impl ies, as Carol MacCl int ock has suggest ed,
that all other dances were by other composers. 14

3. Instrumentation

Rubrics in Terzi's books give more indication of

performance practices than most lute books of the sixteenth
century, but they. do not satisfy all questions pertaining to
instrumentation. Much of our interpretation of just how the
intabulations were to have been performed must therefore be
conjectural. 15 Ricciardo Amadino, the publisher of Terzi's
first book, indicated that the volume included music
suitable for various performance media, that as well as lute
solos some pieces could be played "in concerto", and others
as lute duets. It is not immediately clear what precisely
Terzi or Amadino meant by "in concerto", a term which the

lOa. See p. 320.

11. See p.320 for further information on Tusti (Justi).
11a. On parody and unattributed lute music see Chapter 6,
pp. 303-321.
12. Terzi (1599) p.117.
14. C. MacClintock, "G. A. Terzi", New Grove, vol. 18, p.701.
15. This matter is the subject of investigation in Chapter
5. See also Appendix 1.2.
 G. A. Terzi 6

publisher of Libro Secondo, Giacomo Vincenti, also employed

in the body of the book but not in the Tavola. Al though
these are clearly ensemble intabulations, no further
directions are given as to whether the ensemble joined by
them is vocal, instrumental or a mixture of both. Sixteen
intabulations in Libro Primo are marked "in concerto". Five
of these contain contrappunti, 16 that is, ornate second lute
parts, which may be performed in a variety of ways with the
first lute or in the ensemble. 17 In this volume too, 11
intabulations of Fiorenzo Maschera's ensemble canzonas are
marked "in concerto" but wi thout accompanying con trappun t i
being given. le Only one intabulation in Libro Secondo is
marked "in concert 0", and that is St riggio' s Chi fara fede
accommodato a modo di Viola bastarda per suonar in Concerto
con Liutto gran de. 19 This intabulation is unusual also for
its imitation of the viola bastarda which is capable of
extensive ornamentation throughout the polyphony, and that
it is to be played with a larger lute (perhaps a theorbo or
an archlute). However, music for the larger lute is not
supplied. Five pieces, two in libro Primo and three in Libro
Secondo are intabulations for lute duet but are not labelled
"in concerto".::20 The last piece in Libro Secondo is a
magnificent canzona for four voices to be performed in two
choirs of lutes, each pair tuned a fourth apart.

Undoubtedly these volumes were directed toward the

amateur lutenist who would most of the time have been
playing for his or her private amusement, but it must not be
assumed that the "solo" intabulations were always performed
alone. Libro Secondo contains a type of intabulation missing

16. Terzi's spelling is usually contraponto, and

occasionally contrapunto.
17. Brown 1593/7, nos. 10-14, pp. 19-48.
18. Brown 1593/7, nos. 17-27, pp. 57-81; models in Brown
1584/10.
19. Terzi (599) p.70. See also pp. 231-232.
20. Terzi (1593) Canzone a doi l i u t t i unisoni by Claudio
Merulo, pp. 48-57; Duets in Terzi (1599) pp 30, 46, 106.
 G. A. Terz i 7

from Libro Primo - canz onet te with text unde rlay

but witho ut
a mens ural voca l part. Altho ugh there are no instr
uctio ns to
the effec t that these canz onet te were to be
sung to lute
accom panim ent, such perfo rman ce is clea rly poss ible. The
publ isher , Giaco mo Vinc enti, grou ps all 12 piece
s with text
unde rlay toge ther 21 in the Tavo la but the piece s are
scatt ered throu ghou t the body of the book. Henc
e a furth er
genre , lute- song , is conta ined in Terz i's book
s if we accep t
text unde rlay to be evide nce of inten ded voca
l perfo rman ce
of some kind. If text unde rlay impl ies lute- song
perfo rman ce, the absen ce of text does not exclu de that
poss ibili ty eithe r, 'as any text of an intab ulati
on may have
been comm itted to memo ry by the luten ists.

THE INTABULATIONS

Of the 69 intab ulati ons inclu ded in the two lute

book s
(not coun ting the five fanta sia/i ntab ulati ons ment
ioned
abov e), appro xima t ely one quar t er are arran geme nt s of
mote ts, all the rest being intab ulati ons of
secu lar voca l
work s. (App endix 1. 1) In the Tavo le of both book
s the mote ts
are liste d sepa ratel y from the madr igals ,
chan sons, and
canz onet te. Thus the voca l forms are dist inct
ly sepa rat ed,
but just as there is an appa rent blur ring of
disti nctio ns
betw een orig inal and deriv ed musi c in the fanta sias,
intab ulati ons of instr umen tal and voca l mode ls are
categ orise d toge ther. Unde r the title Canz on
Fran cese in
Libro Secon do we find intab ulati ons of Will
aert' s Frenc h
chan sons Jouis sanc e vous donn eray and Alle r m'y fault
toge ther with an intab ulati on of Masc hera'
s instr umen tal
ensem ble canzo na Villa chiar a, as well as an
eigh t-voi ced
canzo na for four lutes writt en by Terz i hims elf.
Whet her or'
not Terz i's canzo na was orig inall y a voca l chan
son we do not
know, but in any case it is clea r that Terz i make s

21. Canz onet te a 3 4 8r 5 voci, con 1 e sue paro l e, Terz i

(1599 ) pp. 8, 9, 52-53 , 74-, 77-78 , 114-- 115.
 G. A. Terzi 8

no distinction between intabulations of vocal chansons and

intabulations of instrumental canzonas. Strictly speaking an
intabulation of a chanson is a canzona, so really they are
all canzonas, and this is obviously how Terzi thought of
them. Similarly, in Libro Primo under the category of
Ganzoni Francese, 8r Italiane we find an intabulation of
Lassus's Susanne ung jour listed with intabulations of 11
Maschera instrumental ensemble canzonas as though they are
of the same genre.

Int abulat ion has been descri bed as an arrangement in

tablature notation for keyboard, lute or other plucked
instrument, of a vocal composition, in which all or almost
all of the voices of the vocal composition are incorporated
into the arrangement. 22
If a definition were to take into
consideration Terzi's contribution to the genre which
includes arrangements of instrument-al canzonas, it would be
as follows: an arrangement for a solo instrument, or for
instrumental performance within an ensemble, of a pre-
composed vocal or instrumental work, in which the form and
most of the polyphonic st ruct ure are preserved. This
definition would exclude those pieces in which sections of
original material are inserted, such as we find in the so
called parody-fantasias, but would include highly ornate
intabulations except where ,the polyphony is totally
destroyed by the ornamentation. 23

Attribution to the original vocal composers is thorough

in the Tavole of both lute books. In Libro Primo only one
intabulation, Rore's Fera gentil is unattributed. Libro
Secondo cites one French chanson as incerto, and one
canzonetta, Non hebbe tante foglie is unattributed. 24
The'

22. New Grove, vol.9, p.255.

23. See Chapter 6, pp. 304-307 for definitions of parody-
f ant asi a and .glosa.
24. The model could be from Alessandro Orologio's
Ganzonette a tre voci ... Primo libro (Venice, 1593)
[NV 2062) but I have not been able to verify this.
 G. A. Terzi 9

thirty known original composers of Terzi's intabulations

were ei t her It al i an, or (1 ike Rore, Wi 11 aert, Wert, Lassus
and de Monte) of the Franco-Flemish school who of course
spent most of their working lives in Italy. Not all of these
composers were of Terzi's generation: Rore and Willaert may
have been born some 50 years before Terzi. 2S Most of Terzi's
intabulations were arrangements of works that were well
known. Judging by the number of times they were intabulated
in keyboard and lute sources, some of the vocal works used
as models were extremely popular. For instance, included are
arrangements of pieces also favoured by other intabulators,
such as Lassus's Susanne ung jour, Palestrina's Vestiva i
colli, Alessandro Striggio's Nasce la pena mia and S' ogni
mio ben and Willaert's Jouissance vous donneray.26
Generally, Terzi did not present to his public the exotic,
novel, foreign or unfamiliar. Moreover, the variety of
intabulations offered motets, . madrigals, canzonas,
chansons, and canzonettas - along with the wide variety of
dances and abstract pieces, attest to the universal appeal
of his repertoire. He offered further variety in possible
performance media, and the intabulations themselves show
considerable variety in the degree to which they are
ornamented. Some are so highly ornamented that only the most
accomplished lutenists would have been able to cope with
them, while others are very simple. In short, the volumes
would have had something to offer everyone in terms of taste
and ability and would have presented reasonable variety for
the money.

25. See below for an estimation of Terzi's age.

26. Appendix 3 lists the known lute sources in Italian
tablature; and H.M. Brown, Instrumental Music Printed
before 1600, a bibliography (Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1965/1979) lists other lute and keyboard sources.
 G. A. Terzi 10

OTHER SOURCES OF TERZI'S MUSIC

In sources outside Terzi's lute books I have found only

a few pieces attributed to him, although there could of
course be others unattributed in other sources. Two Terzi
dances were reproduced in Georg Leopard Fuhrmann's Testudo
Gallo-Germanica. Novae et Nun, <Nuremburg, 1615). One of
these, Passomezo, in G sol re ut b. mol / Antonio del
Pergamasco [si cJ on page 85 is from Terzi' s Li bra Primo
<p. 102) and is reproduced in Fuhrmann's book without
alteration. The other, Passemezo in F fa ut b. mol / Antoni
del Pergamasco [si c] (p. 97) is not from ei t her Terz i book
but must have come from a manuscript source. 27 A further
piece that could possibly be a Terzi composition, entitled
simply Pergamasco [sic], is pUblished on page 182 of
Fuhrmann's lute book.

In the manuscript London Add.31389,28 two pairs of

dances are attributed to Jo Ant'" of ,Bergamo, but none of
these correspond to music in Terzi' s lute books:

Pavana 'ala Feraresa' di Jo. Ant o da Bergamo (fol.19)

El Saltarello di la stessa Padoano (fol. 19v)
La Tintorella di Jo Ant o da Bergamo (fol.20v)
El Saltarello di la stessa Tintorella (fol.21)29

27. For incipit see Appendix 2. le.

28. London, British Library, MS Additional 31389; RISM
B/VII, pp. 177-178.
29. Incipits of these four pieces are given in the present
volume, Appendix: 2. la - 2.1d. Another Sa1tarello
entitled La Tintorella is printed in Brown 1536/9
no. 12, p.38, and is available in a modern edition in
L.H. Moe, Dance Music in Printed Italian Lute
Tablatures from 1507 to 1611, PhD. diss., (Harvard,
1956).
 G. A. Terzi 11

Part two. Biographical details

Little is known of Terzi's life other than that he was

an accomplished singer and lutenist, and that his father was
a musician. He is ment ioned in the writings of Donat 0 Cal vi
as a li terary man of Bergamo who "loved vocal music; but
even more that of instruments; and if with his voice he
emulated the harmony of the heavens, with the sound of his
lute he vied with that of the angels". 30

From the prefaces to his two books we can glean a few

clues to Terzi'slife. We know that Libro Primo was
dedicated to a knight, Bartolomeo Fino who was qUi te young
at the time of the dedication (1593) and who himself played
the lute. Terzi alluded to an obligation he felt toward
Fino, so perhaps Terzi was in Fino' s employment. If so, his
allegiances had changed five years later when he dedicated
his Libro Secondo to a signor Sillano Licino. 31
In his
dedication to Licino, Terzi revealed that by this stage in
life he was in relative retirement and that his strengths
were waning. Hence if he considered himself to be old or
aging, he could have been in his fifties, given that in the
sixteenth century a man was old at 40 or 50. The dates
<1550-1620) that MacClintock gives for Terzi must be pure
guesswork unless she is privy to uncit'ed information. 32

30. D. Calvi, (Bergamo, 1664) as quoted

Scena letteraria,
in New Grove, vol. 18, p.701.
31. Libro Secondo was signed 10. Novembre 1598 but it was
published by Vicentino in the following year. It is not
known whether Sillano Licino is related to Agostino
Licino the composer of two volumes of canonic duos. New
Grove, vol. 10, p. 826.
32. New Grove, vol. 18, p.701.
 G. A. Terz i 12

Infor mati on on the lives of the two gentl emen ,

Licin o and
Fino is not imme diate ly avai lable , but an arch
ival searc h in
Veni ce could poss ibly yield some biog raph ical
deta ils which
could in turn tell us more abou t Terz i's musi
cal caree r.

A perio d of resea rch in the Bibl iotec a Civic a Ange lo

Mai in the town of Berga mo, Terz i's birth plac e, reve aled
littl e othe r than a Terz i fami ly tree. This inclu ded two
peop le name d Giov anni Anto nio Terz i, one whos e son Bort olo
died in 1719, and anoth er who died in
1748. The perio d it
portr ays then is abou t a centu ry late r than
the time of the
Giov anni Anto nio Terz i of this study . Howe
ver, I repro duce
it here for the sake of comp leten ess.
('l')
...-<

"'i
!'>J
l.
~
oq;; BERNARDO TERZI
<S
(
Gio: Bettino
-t--
Gabriel
I
Bortolamio

~
I
Mar,'AntoniO
~
sernlrdo
,
Gabrie,
~
~
!-'
>-
..J
CaTo ,ranr=o AlTs,ndrO
~
tt. Carlo Gio: Antonio Alionso

l-f

~
, r
Ludovico in-Laura
T
Gio: Giorgio
1'-
Bortolo Test.
\
Lauro Test. 1729.
,
Francesco
I
Alessandro
~ 1719. 12.Feb
M.I.
in ~ morto 1732.26. Gen.
Margarita~ M.V.
morto intestato
1719. 29. Maggio
< morto 1719
Feb.
Uxor 1700
morta 1737
Carlo
Cecilia Cigogna Fil1j
Giulio

~
Ludovico
Gio:Giacomo
~
Monica Cattarina Gio: Antonio morto 1748
in in
Roiietti Alessandra Nazari
 G. A. Terzi 14

PREFACE TO LIBRO PRIMa {facsimile>

'i~~Ii~I§~~~~i§~~~~~~H~il
AL M'OLT'O ILLVSTRl~
MIO SIGNORE, ET PADRONE OSSER V ANDlSSIMO
,IL, SIG~ CAVALIElt BAltTOLO'MEO rI-NO.

, '

1~;;r1~~~ rz?d.lefittearti,cbe nonfln'{4 grJtlJ,,.agione, dalla A.ntichita uene1andafi~ ..

rono liberali nomate J niuna "Ve n'ba (perparer mio ) che in mdggioreJlima ( ':r
riueren'{4 della .tMujica fulfe: f)"d,e quelli/oll ueriflpienti creauti/uron 0,
che della ~J ufica int,lIigenti crano; teJlimonio render ne pNote Tem.if'0CI. 1 >
& molt'altri di queiflc~li; III cuihonore di non piceiolmancamentolureD er
eglino di 'luella priu; ; lmperochc , conofleult beniflimo quella· etJ ueramen te
[elice mltdrc, rA/erice , (51" maeflra delleflien'{c , cbe non a!troJignijicaua priud~one di Mufic. a i
cheproua7\. once mancamento di "Vitll J non ejfendJelllt altro che perfitiflimo ordine; ne ejJen, do
iJueJlo altro cbe intelligem:"'d, "JIita, e anima del mondo: equane-ella par co! mc'{'Z..fJ dellejUe a y-
moniche conflnanz:.!) pMenu arapiregli dnimi,& ~ngiongerli in Dio, dica/o (non ch'altr;) V. S.
Mtllto tllflJlre ~ che alJUofl di 'lue/JUod~uin, L~utto Re de gli altr; Jlrumenti h,~ pvtuto pit~ uo, tet
infl flll:t nm ftn'l\.aflmmo diletfo' Ul1 ji if1.1portante J (.?," miracolofl effr:tto conoflere. Onde J t ra
l'alrre uir/u di che el/a in eta Itn~he gio,.cnile' rigul,rdeuo/e 4./'po il mondo fi rende J fjuejl" diu; nit
del/a MUJiCd , con moltafUa.glo'ria pofiiede J e tathora' (dando treKua aluoipiugrAuiJhulij ) C 011
mo/ta ricrea~one ddranimo ejJerCltIt; enae, potra /;m {lIa "quefle mielaticbe intorno ad e!fa c, 'm
rfle )che, che tt/eji jieno ,nonm~n cQn,pruden'l\.agiud;care, clJC (on molta autorita dij(nJ, 7rt
('luathora d'uopo uiftffi ) da' torbidi J& uenenoft.·flall:di contradi~o1Je: Lededico dunque ,) e
. (unflcrolc hO"a a{nrmefilo j non conwtrn9{jlinc didon'ttrEe !"rciulama ,negrido;{endo it nome Cl-
cognomefllo &de g,/i .Antenatiftoipur ,trstpoper{eJlejJo 'it ..~ll ocehi dd mondo cbiaro, e rifPle "..
dCl1te, & bmiflimo conofliuto per ,it paefl • ..: •• ~.,l.I/eApenin parte, c'l Mdr tireo n~
dlt c['eAlpe ; mafi bene con fPeran'l\!l di poter col dedicarle It lei dt.'nar quell'lmmortAlita a 'lu~ flI
mio caro , & dj/ctto parto dell'animo ; che dalllt fUlt auto rit aIperarjiP,lote J e'l Padre perfl jl er
fi,forfl fperar nongli era 'ecito •T acero c/)e cofifacendo, remleropago un mio antic'o dejiderio Cl ~O.
& flmpre hebbi di m(lflrarle ( COlI qualchc benche piccioijtgno ) /'animo mio uerfo di lei quat t1 i ft
jiiflr. T a((r'O anco che coftlacendo uerro In parte non diro afcemar uli obligb; molti clJC It deu 0,
(cbe ciafarebbe an~ impoflibile che no) mafi bene iNflgno di grati'!udinr afar!i pa/eft al mom 10"
& appo d'tjfo ion qtl~(lo mio teJlimonio quaji ~he catta di jigurta If conflituirmele d~bitore , ei oer
cMife'luem:...a (dPPO gltflni & dritti giudit~, ,'haueran!10punto cogni'ljone delllt grandc'l...'l\.a dtl de-
/;ito) p,rpettloftrllitore. ~m411e pregAr/a J uog/ia con '1ue1l4fUajObtagranc!ez...:za d'animo ttee 'et~
tart'lueJle mie picciole faticbe, edd. eIfiJltr!.omentar~e con tl picioio potere it pr01Jto lIolere ; che
fjualun'luf ei jifia ,fioe, efuo flmpre lara, & fen';\!piu , prrg"'e da'Dio Ofmipountijsimo ~ gIJi
»Jaggior bene, (7 gli blCcio le mani. 'J)iVenetia. il di J 5 di Lug/io. 1593.
'Di V. S. &.0110 llluflre
'Diuotiflimo Srrllitore '
Gh,: eAntonio TeI'~.
 G. A. Terzi 15

PREFACE TO LIBRO PRIMa

To my Most Illustrious Lord and respected patron,

Signor Cavalier Bartolomeo Fino

Among the seven arts which venerable antiquity has, not

without good reason, called liberal there is (it seems to
me) none which was in more esteem and reverence than Music.
Thus, only those who had understanding of .Music were
considered true sages Themistocles 3 3 whose honour suffered
considerably through deprivation of Music, and many others
of those centuries can bear witness to that. For that truly
happy age was well acquainted with blessed Alerice, mother
and mistress of Knowledge, who knew very well that the
deprivation of Music meant none other than a great proof and
lack of life, it being none other than perfect order, than
wisdom, life and soul of the world. How able it is (by means
of its consonant harmonies) to ravish souls and unite them
in God. Your Most Illustrious Lordship, I might say to You
(no less), that in the sound of Your divine Lute, King of
the other instruments, you have been able Yourself to
recognise such important and miraculous effects accompanied
by the highest delight. Thus, among the other virtues
through which Your Lordship makes Yourself so highly
regarded in the world, even at such a 'young age, You possess
also the divine virtue of Music with its great glory, and
(taking respite from Your more serious studies), You
practise Music with great recreation of mind. Thus, You will
well be able not only to judge these works of mine with
prudence, but also, should there be need, defend them with
great authority from the turbid and poisonous blasts of
contradiction. So I dedicate them and consecrate them to

33. The Athenian general Themistocles (c. 535-470 BC)

suffered humiliation
demonstrated. that he
lyre after a banquet.
Institutio oratoria,
Tusculanes, LI,4.
from his colleagues when he
was unable to improvise on the
The story is given in Quintilian,
LI, Chap. 11; and Cicero,
 G. A. Terz i 16

Your Name, not with the inten tion of there by givin

g You fame
or accl ai~ (sinc e your Name and Surna me and
those of Your
ance stors are by them selve s all too brigh t and
respl ende nt
in the eyes of the world and wide ly know n
throu ghou t the
land which is divid ed by the Apen nines and circu
mscr ibed by
the sea and Alps ), but rathe r in the hope that
I can, by
dedi catin g them to You, give to this cher ished
labo ur that
imm ortal ity which it can aspi re to from Your
auth ority , for
which the autho r could not hope by hims el f. I
shal l omit to
say that in doing so I give satis facti on to the
desi re which
I have, and have alwa ys had, of show ing (wi
t h al bei t some
smal l sign) how my feeli ngs are towa rd You. Neit
her shal l I
say that in doing this I shal l in part, not lesse
n the many
oblig ation s I owe You (this would be impo
ssibl e) but,
rathe r, make them mani fest to the world as a sign
of
grati tude ; and in the eyes of this my testim ony
(as it were
a docum ent of colla teral ) to cons titut e myse
lf as Your
debt or and, in conse quen ce, perp et ual serva nt
(in view of
sane and right judg es who will reco gnise the
size of the
debt) . It' rema ins f or me to beg You to deign
wi t h Your
accus tome d grea tness of spir it to acce pt these humb le
labo urs of mine, and to dedu ce from the meag
re talen t the
prese nce of a ready will, which none thele ss
is Your s and
will ever be. With out furth er ado I pray God for the
grea test bless ing for you, and kiss Your hand s.

Veni ce, 15th July 1593

Your Most Illus triou s Lord ship' s

most devo ted serva nt,

Gio. Anto nio Terz i

 G. A. Terzi 17

PREFACE TO LIBRO SECONDO (facsimile)

. MO
i\.L MOLTO ILLVSTRE ET ECCELL.
S I G NOR 'M I 0 0 S S E R V AND I S S I IV! 0
I L --;S I G NOR S ILL A N 0 LIe I N O.

A~.!iiI~~ Vefle miefat~che del ~econdo Libr,o (qualijiJlal1o) non per "rama di glaria ,ne perche
ia mi creda col me~ lrJropatergiau4'1' £Itrui mifOnD lafliato indure,a dauer hora do_
pa le prime puMicar ;'1mandoJcanclo{ia the iltranquillo mio flato in ~na ~ita ajfai
rlm~f!a~ &' le mie de601, fir'l:"rlant4ne da ogniperjUafionedt meflef[o mi rendono li.
r
"ero '4fatto daltuno (;:to altro de fimi/; penjieri: ma fi bene parte g/i fiimali de gli
amicI aciafare ;,/hanno incitato,@T m.alt~piu. con dalce rpiolen,ame nehaajlretto
ildefiderio J che ~n pe,~o fa mifllIedta J dauer can qua/che ptccJolftgna fi mm ticano(cere, almen mo.
fi;'ar dt conoftere la$(r411de"a difauoriJ@jr benejicijm agm tempo JrtI occajione da V.Sig. riceuuti,neL
lot cui noblliflima perfOna cOl1corendo tutre'luelle quaiita che aflrl1ir~l1 perfitto, e5 ~eramente H eroi-
cofl~egetto (i richlegg(llJo,meglia jia if tacerne, (he imp.erfe~(ame11te ragion4rl1e , l1an eJfendo queJIo ilJUo
luogo,ne ilmioil1tmto. ACCf:ttiV.S. ilpicci9/o·JOfJd ,he iole (011;aCrO, che fi benignamente (come io j}e-
ra) fia aecalto nei pretlofO theflro della fillt gratiapotrJ p!r atiuttJf1p'a ftlir in quel pregio doue per ft
flejfa non 6afta di tt}pn'are, c:r col fine le /,acio la man.opreg411dole.jlmma ftlicit...·
D: Venetia it di 10. N auemhreI 598. ' .
Di V.Sig. malto IlluflreJ& EceeikMijftiiJa', ,
Dtllotijjimo Ser.uitQre
Oio: Antonia rer~.
 G. A. Terzi 18

PREFACE TO LIBRO SECONDO

To the most Illustrious and Excellent Lord, to whom I owe

the greatest respect, Signor Sillano Licino,

I have allowed myself to be persuaded to follow my first

labours with the publication to the world of these, my
efforts (whatever they may be) with the Second Book, not
through desire for glory, nor because I believe that through
them I can assist anyone, (since my qUiet state in a life of
relative retirement and my weakening strength have in fact,
far from all self-persuasion, made me free of thoughts of
either kind). Rather, in good part, the gently persuasive
urgings of my friends have induced me to do so [to pUblish],
so that the desire has come to me and I am stimulated to
feel obliged in some small measure, if not to recompense, at
least to show recognition of the magnitude of the favours
and benefits which I have received at all times and on all
occasions from Your Lordship, (in whose person concur all
those quaii ties which gather together. to furnish a perfect
and, truly heroic subject, but it would be better to remain
silent on this than to recount imperfectly, this not being
the place nor my intent). I pray Your Lordship to accept
this little gift which I consecrate to You, which, if it is
kindly received into Your Grace's precious treasury will
perhaps ascend to that value which 'by itself it would not
suffice to aspire to. In conclusion I kiss Your hand,
wishing You the highest blessedness.

Venice 10 Nov. 1598.

Your most Illustrious and most Excellent

Lordship's most devoted servant,

Gio. Antonio Terzi

 CHAPTER TWO

LUTE INTABULATION: AN INTRODUCTION

THE ORIGINS OF INTABULATION

Because we have many written examples of intabulations

in the sixteenth century and few from the previous
cent uries, it would be easy to assume that int abulat ions
were a phenomenon of that period, with few or no historical
precedents. However, as David Fallows reminds us, "serious
historical errors have been committed on the assumption that
sophist icat ed music exist ed only where sources survi ve" and
goes on to survey known fifteenth-century sources of lute
music. 1 The few extant pre-sixteenth-century sources
containing intabulations of vocal music give the impression
of written improvisations. The beautifully decorated heart-
shaped manuscript in Biblioteca Oliveriana at Pesaro 2
contains seven arrangements of songs,' for which the oldest
model can be dated 1503. Perhaps the earliest written lute
intabulation we have is of Johannes Vincinet's rondeau,
Fortune par ta cruaulte arranged for voice and lute. This is
in a· fragment of a manuscript in the Bologna University
library3 which Fallows has positively identified as a late

1. D. Fallows, "Fifteenth-Century Tablatures for Plucked

Instruments: A Summary, A Revision, and a Suggestion",
LSJ (1977), p.7.
2. Ms. 1144 (formerly 1193) For a list of contents see
W.H. Rubsamen, "The Earliest French Lute Tablature",
JAMS, vol. 21 .(962), p. 288.
3. Ms. 596. HH. 24-. Fallows, op. c.t t, p. 20. Also ci t ed in
H.M. Brown "Instruments and Voices in the Fifteenth-
Century Chanson", Current Thought in Musicology, ed.
J. W. Grubbs, (Texas, 1976/R1977), p.103.
 lute intabu1ation 20

fifteenth~century manuscript, possibly around 1484. 4 In this

arrangement, the lower two voices are notated in tablature
for the lute while the singer has the superius in mensural
notat ion.

Rather than. assuming that prior to the few extant late

fifteenth-century sources, music for the lute was not
notated, it is likely that the professional lutenists, at
least, read from mensural notation as well as improvising.
Timothy McGee points out that professional musicians such as
Francesco Landini and Conrad Paumann played the organ and
harp, as well as the lute, and t ha t t he reason why a
musician would have played instruments demanding dissimilar
techniques was two-fold. First, such instruments would have
been played by people who read music (a rare attribute), and
second, they were the most practical instruments for the
performance of polyphonic music. s However, McGee misguidedly
argues that the Faenza Codex, a manuscript in mensural
notation, is not for wind instruments, harp or keyboard as
scholars have previously thought,S but is for lute duo.
Admittedly, much -of the music does fit well on two lutes,
but it is highly unlikely that music for two lutes would
have been written in score notation. Besides, there is no
evidence that two lutes ever performed a1 ternatum masses.
Nonetheless, the prevailing style in the Faenza Codex, that
of an ornamental superius and a lower-pitched arrangement of
the tenore without ornamentation, is one which conforms with
descriptions of the playing of Pietrobono, a well-known
fifteenth-century lutenist. We have evidence, for instance,
of a certain Zanetto being employed as Pietrobono's

4. D. Fallows, op. cit., pp. 7-33.

5. T.:r. McGee, "Instruments in the Faenza Codex", EM,
vol. 14, no.4 (1986), pp. 480-490.
6. For example: D. Plamenac, "Keyboard Music of the 14th
Century in Codex Faenza 117", JAMS, vol. 4, pp. 179-201;
H.M. Brown, "The Trecento Harp", Studies in the
Performance of Late Mediaeval Music, ed. S.Boorman
(Cambridge, 1983). p.56; W. Apel, The History of
Keyboard Music to 170~ ed. H. Tischler (Bloomington,
1972) .
 lute intabulation 21

tenorista, who was perhaps a lutenist or a viol player. His

role was to supply the lower part or parts of a chanson. or
a basse dance pattern. on top of which Pietrobono would have
improvised or embellished a melodic line. 7

Clearly, a~ Fallows points out, the tenorista, playing

or learning the lower parts of a chanson, would need some
kind of score reduct ion, which could be ei ther in mensural
notation or in tablature. Unfortunately, if we do not accept
McGee's argument for the Faenza Codex, there is possibly
only one example, that cited by Fallows, of a fifteenth-
century chanson in mensural notation which would fit such a
description. e

The invention of German tablature was attributed by

Virdung in Musica getutscht (1511), to the blind lutenist
Conrad Paumann who died in 1473. ea ·More important though
than knowing who invented tablature, <and we do not know as
yet of persons responsible for the invention of French and
Italian tablature>, is to ask why it was invented. Since it
is known that the professional fifteenth-century lutenist
relied mainly on memory and improvisation, the question
arises as to why an altogether different and less flexible
system evolved or was invented. In the case of Paumann
it is clear that, being bl ind, he would not have
wanted to record his inventions for his own use, so
he must have been recording his music for the benefi t
of ot hers (and perhaps for post eri t y>. A need, then,

7. L. Lockwood, "Pietrobono and the Musical Tradition at

Ferrara in the Fifteenth Century", RIM, vol. 10 <1975>,
p. 121.
8. D. Fallows, 0p. cit., p.29.
8a. L. Lockwood, op. cit., p.121; also D. Fallows, op cit.,
pp. 28-29. Although some doubt has been cast on the
accuracy of Virdung's statement it does, according to
Fallows <p.10>, seem plausible, since German lute
tablatures were current in the early 1470's.
 lute intabulation 22

must have been felt by non-professional lutenists to have

such a simple notation. This was a need nourished by middle-
class affluence, and necessitated by the evolution of a new
technique which enabled polyphonic playing. EXisting beside
the older plectrum technique, finger-plucking technique
<which by the 1480' s was well established>, 10 enabled the
solo lutenist to represent fully the polyphony of a three-
part chanson. The ability to represent two parts or more on
one lute was, in the absence of vocal scores,. a task to
which tablature notation was best suited.

Since we do not have many sources of lute intabulations

before the last few decades of the fifteenth century, we
must rely on ot her evidence - wri t ings and paint ings - of
performance pract ice. Professor Brown, in his ill uminat ing
paper on the fifteenth-century chanson has reconstructed
from iconographical evidence the most likely instrumental
and vocal combinat ions, apart from a cappella performance,
for the fifteenth-century chanson. 11
A frequent portrayal in
painting is one of a lutenist and one singer, in· whi.ch the
lutenist would most likely play the tenore with a plectrum,
accompanying a singer on the superius <the contratenore
being a voice that can easily be omitted). Equally common is
the portrayal of two singers and a lute in which the lute
would be plucking one of the three parts, possibly the
contratenore. It is clear that songs were also sung to the
harp or keyboard two instruments capable of polyphony.
With the evolution of finger-plucking technique the same
accompanying role could also have been performed by a
lutenist. In a purely instrumental ensemble, the combination
of lute and harp seems most favoured. The harp would most
likely be playing the two lower lines and the lute the upper
line.

10. C. Page, "The Fifteenth-Century Lute: new and neglected

sources", EM' <1981), p. 20.
11. H. M. Brown, op. ci t., pp. 103-107.
 lute intabulation 23

This manner of dividing the voices of the model remains

visible in the Spinacino duets of the first decade of the
sixteenth century. 12 In Spinacino's duets the first lute is
given relentless passage work based loosely on the superius
part, while the second lute plays the two lower voices
without adding further ornamentation. Brown suggests that
Spinacino "probably intended to counterfeit an older
convention" in which the first lute improvised with a
plectrum while another instrument capable of polyphony
furnished an accompaniment. 13 This is supported by the
similarity of styles in the earlier sources compared with
Spinacino, and also by the fact that Spinacino calls the
second lute part a tenor. This undoubtedly relates to the
earlier term tenorista, meaning the person <playing lute,
harp, organ or viol) who supplies the lower two voices of a
canzona.

As an accompanying and solo instrument the lute was

more popular than any other in renaissance Italy. Th~s

popularity is manifest in frequent depiction in paintings,

and the high proportion of lute books that issued from the
Italian publishing houses from 1507. 14 In the period 1500 to
1600, at least 110 lutes books were published in Europe in
Italian tablature. 16 In addition, over one hundred
pUblications in French and German lute tablature and others
for related instruments such as the vihuela and the cittern
were published in Europe. 16 At a time when the European
economy produced a rising middle-class merchant group,

12. Brown 1507/1, nos. 8-12 & 1507/2, no. 29.

13. H.M. Brown op.eit., p.l07.
14. Quantitative evidence cannot be provided from
iconographical evidence,of course, but can be provided
by publication listings for each instrument: see H.M.
Brown, Instrumental Music Printed Before 1600,
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965/R1979), p.478-480.
15. Excluding vihuela tablature, and re-issues of volumes,
the number of volumes that we are aware of is around
75. See Appendix 1.3.
16. For a complete listing of these sources see H.M. Brown,
op. ei t.
 lute intabulation 24

leisure was a new commodity which enabled and nurt ured

amateur music-making. Only members of an affluent class
could afford to buy the early printed lute books <which at
the beginning of the century were as expensive as a new
lute). 17 Besides, only amateur lutenists would have needed
printed lute mus~c. As Robert Spencer says, the professional
lutenist would not have needed such a vade-mecu~ and in any
case, to have played another lutenist's music would have
been unthinkable. la The tablature notation-systems in use,
being pictorial, were ideal for those with little or no
musical training, and would have encouraged the musically
untrained person to learn the instrument. Some volumes such
as Galilei's Il Fronimo and Le Roy's Les Instructions pour
le Luth 19
were clearly directed to the amateur and included
such elementary instructions as how to tune the instrument,
and how to read tablature. Most lute books include easy as
well as more difficult pieces and a mixed repertoire of
genres that would have appealed to the largest number of
people. Clearly servicing the needs of the amateur, some
books were didact ic in character, while ot hers were show-
pieces of a particular lutenist's art, and yet others were
anthologies.

MODERN ATTITUDES TO INTABULATION

It is astounding that the largest genre of sixteenth-

century instrumental music has been largely ignored and even
treated with contempt by some modern scholars and
performers. 20 Recently for instance one of England's leading

17. Victor Coelho, "Jean-Michel Vaccaro. La Musique de luth

en France au XVI'" siecle", review in JAMS, vol. 38/2
(1985), p.372.
18. R. Spencer, review of .. Les Instructions pour le Luth,
1574, Adrian Le Roy, Edited by J. Jacquot, P.Y. Sordes,
and J. M. Vaccaro", EM (1979), p.427.
19. Brown, 1568/2, 1584/5 & 1574/2.
20. For example, in the Harvard Dictionary of Music
<Cambridge, 1944/R1982), W. Apel wrote that "The
artistic importance of this sometimes overwhelmingly
large repertoire is very slight [except] from the
sociological viewpoint ... " <p. 416)
 lute intab ulati on 25

lute nists wrote that he finds the genre of littl

e value for
reci tal purpo ses. 21 Scho lars have affor ded
the genr e more
atten tion than perfo rmer s, but the inter est has
usua lly been
restr icted to evide nce of musi ca ficta prac tice and
ornam entat ion. This is not to say that these line s of
enqu iry are not impo rtant . Indee d, beca use of
the prec ision
/
of the nota tion of pitch in lute tabla ture,
intab ulati ons
offe r valu able infor mati on in both areas , espe
ciall y when
they are comp ared with thei r voca l mode ls. A
scho lar who has
neve r treat ed the genr e ligh tly is John Ward.
As early as
1952 he wrote that "the intab ulati on of voca l
music pres ents
itsel f, not as the debr is of perfo rman ce prac
tice but as one
of the keys to sixte enth -cen tury instr umen tal
prac tice. " 22
Jean- Mich el Vacc aro also defen ds the impo rtanc
e of the genr e
and wri tes:

"Thi s genre is reall y the basi s of the repe rtoir

of lute nists in the Rena issan ce. Why would e
they
have devo ted them selve s to an activ ity that was
so
unsa tisfa ctory ? Woul d it be poss ible to admi t
that
they ' would have cont ented them selve s in
trans cript ion, with a comp romis e of
bast ardiz ation s and gros s appro xima tions ?"23

The genre has not been tota lly negl ected some
diss ertat ions have deal t spec i f icall y with int abul at ion -
but given its size, the atten tion recei ved is
disp ropo rtion ate to the atten tion given to the danc e and
fanta sia genre s. A diss ertat ion deali ng spec ifica lly
with
intab ulati on is Lee Euge neEuba nk ' s study of the Span ish
repe rtoir e in which he emph asise s that intab ulati ons serve

21. R. Spen cer, op. ci t., p. 114.

22. J.M. Ward, "The Use of Borro wed Mate rial in 16th
-
Cent ury Instr umen tal Musi c", JAMS, vol. 5, p.97.
23. Ce genr e cons titue la base m~me du repe rtoir e
des
luth istes de la Rena issan ce. Pour quoi se sera
ient s-ils
cons acres a une acti vite auss i peu satis faisa nte?
Peut -
on adme ttre qu'i ls se soien t cont entes , en
trans criva nt, de real iser des comp romis bdta rds
et des
appr oxim ation s gros siere sG Vacc aro, La Musi c
de luth
en Fran ce au XVI"· siecl e", ECNRS (Pari s, 1981 ),
p.130 .
 lute intabu1ation 26

as guides to the improvisation practices of the sixteenth

century. 24

While a few scholars, then, have recognised the

importance of intabulation, performers have generally not
followed suit. The lack of attention modern performers have
given to intabulations is perhaps understandable when one
considers first that many of the pieces are technically
demanding, and second that unfamiliar vocal music on which
the intabulations are modelled, may not appear relevant to
the musical needs of a twentieth century solo performer.
Third, and perhaps more important, in this century
performers tend to be slightly suspicious of music which so
openly copies the music of other composers. Professor Brown
in his valuable contributions to the subject is the only
scholar I am aware of who has actually advocated performance
of int abulat ions, by suggest ing that present day performers
study sixteenth-century intabulations to learn how to make
their own arrangements of vocal music.

Lutenists today, who lean so' heavily on a

repertory made up almost exclusively of fantasias
and dances, do not fairly represent sixteenth-
century reality.2s

[ and]

24. Spanish Intabu1ations in the Sixteenth Century, Ph. D. ,

cUss., <Indiana, 1974). Other relevant dissertations
are as follows: L.C. Hubbell, Sixteenth-Century Italian
Songs for Solo Voice and Lute, Ph. D. diss., <Illinois,
1982) j G. Lefkoff, Fi ve Sixteenth-Century Venetian Lute
Books, Ph.D.diss., (Washington, 1960)j L.R. Rottner,
The Intabu1ation Practices of Vincenzo Capiro1a, with
special emphasis on Musica Ficta, MA. diss., (Hartford,
1967); J.A. Echols, Me1chiore de Barberiis' Lute
Intabu1ations of Sacred Music, MA. diss., (North
Carolina, 1973)
25. H.M Brown, "The Importance of Sixteenth-Century
Intabulations tl (soon to be published), a copy of which
Professor Howard Mayer Brown kindly supplied me. p. 3.
 lute intab ulati on 27

perfo rmer s today , it seem s to me, have been

timid in expl oring the publ ished repe rtori
es and
apply ing what they can learn from sixte enth -
centu ry musi cians abou t how to arran ge for
them selve s the vast amou nt of supe rb voca
l music
that could have been and was arran ged for solo
and
ensem ble perfo rman ce by instr umen ts in
Rena issan ce. 2 6 the

LUTE INTABULATIONS IN SIXTEENTH-CENTURY PRINTS

With in the lute book s in Itali an tabla ture

we find four
genr es - dance , lute- song (whic h inclu des
intab ulati ons of
frott ole) , abstr act music (such as the fanta sia, tocca ta,
canzo na and r i cerca re) and int abul at ion. Most volum es
inclu ded two or more genr es. Only the pUbl
icati ons of part -
song s in mens ural and tabla ture nota tion
such as those
publ ished by Vecc hi, Vinc enti and Vero vio
in the 1590 ' S 2 7
. cons ist ed of one genr e excl usi vel y. It was
more usua l in
Spain than in Italy to categ orize the mate
rial wi thin a
volum e acco rding to the natu re of the. voca
l mode ls. Vihu ela
book s by Vald errab ano, Narv aez and Fuen llana 2 8
are di vided
into secti ons, acco rding to both the genr e
and the secu lar
or sacre d natu re of the mode ls. It is rare to find an
Itali an lute book cont ainin g intab ulat ions
of excl usi vel y
sacre d or secu lar music , thoug h an' exce ption to this is
Barb eriis 's Libro Quar to of 1546. This inclu des an
intab ulati on of an entir e mass the Missa , Ave Maria of
Anto nio Fevin . 2 9 Of Barb eriis 's othe r two lutes book s
publ ished in the same year, one is a comp ilatio n of
intab ulati ons of madr igals and chan sons 3o
and the othe r a
comp ilatio n of intab ulati ons of mote ts. 31
It is more usua l
for the genr es and type s of intab ulati ons
to be inte grat e~
with in one volum e, as they are in Terz i s book
' s.

26. ibid. , p.5.

27. Brow n 1586 /8, 1589 /8, 1591 /14, 1591 /15, 1591 /16 &
1597 /14.
28. Brow n 1547 /5, 1538 /1, & 1554 /3.
29. Brow n 1546 /2 fols. 2-16 v.
30. Brow n 1546 /3.
31. Brow n 1546 /4.
 lute intab ulati on 28

Ther e is so much in comm on betw een intab ulati on

and the
ot her genre s, dance and abso lute musi c, that at times
defin ition s can becom e blurr ed. 32 Altho ugh much
danc e musi c
is not asso ciate d with polyp hony , one group
of lute danc es
is dire ctly relat ed to voca l music . A colle ction
of danc es
deriv ed from voca l mode ls is found for insta nce in
Abon dante 's libro prim ~33 Here many of the danc
es have song
title s which demo nstra te thei r voca l origi ns.
The dance
Zorz i gag1 iarda for insta nce orig inate s from
the song Occh io
non fu by Azza iolo. 34 Anot her well know n Azza
iolo song Ti
part i cor mio is know n in dance form as La
Torci a. 35 Thes e
danc es appe ar to be for qolo perfo rman ce
but there is no
reaso n to supp ose that othe r instr umen ts,
or voic es even,
may not have been invol ved. In fact one lute book,
Gast oldi' s Ball et t i a tre VOCi 36 is a colle
ction of danc e-
song s (mos tly orig inall y comp osed by Gast oldi) ,37 per
canta re, sonar e, &- balla re. Anot her sourc e
of lute music ,
one which demo nstra tes a genu ine bridg e betw een
instr umen tal
and voca l music is the group of danc es and
song s with
recu rring harm onic patte rns, such as the rugg
iero (insp ired
by Ario sto's Orlan do furio so) , the roma nesca ,
and anyth ing
unde r the gene ral title aria da canta re. Thes
e could be
playe d as danc es, or could act as an unch
anged harm onic
accom panim ent over which vario us stanz as could
be sung. 3S

To intab ulate musi c of instr umen tal

origi n, as Terz i
did with his arran geme nts of Masc her'a, Tust i,
Gabr ieli and
Guam i canzo nas, altho ugh rare, is not witho ut prece dent.

32. For a full discu ssion on this subje ct see L.H.

Moe,
Danc e musi c in Prin ted Itali an Lute Tabl ature
s from
1507 to 1611, PhD. diss ., (Harv ard, 1956
), Chap ter 6.
33. Brow n 1546 /1.
34. Mode rn editi on in F. Vati elli, Filip po Azza iolo:
Vil1 0tte del Fior e (1921 ), no. 8.
35. ibid. , no. 12, see also Exam ple 5.9, pp. 256.
36. Brow n 1594 /7.
37. See Chap ter 5, p.223 .
38. A sourc e of Arie da canta re can be found in Ms.
Brus sels, Bibl iothe que Roya le de Belg ique, II
275
(Cav alcan ti luteb ook) , fols. 9-36 .
 lute intabulation 29

Twelve keyboard ricercari by Julio da Modena (Giulio Segni)

were intabulated for lute in Francesco da Milano's Libro
Settimo. 39 Some of them had also been intabulated by Joan da
Crema in his Libro Primo (1546).40 Furthermore, two
instrumental ensemble ricercari of Annibale Padovano were
intabulated in Fallamero's Il Primo Libro,41 and Ward cites
13 ricercari by Costanzo Antegnati in a lute manuscript in
Vesoul, as well as the arrangement of a Francesco da Milano
fantasia and 19 vihuela pieces in Henestrosa's keyboard
tablature. 42

Of the approximately 1200 intabulations published in

Italian tablature,43 many are different arrangements of the
same vocal original. The pattern of dissemination of vocal
models throughout Europe in lute and keyboard books provides
a unique insight into the popularity of particular vocal
pieces and their composers. To t race such pat t erns would
undoubtedly be a fruitful subject for future research. The
following, are the most popular madrigals and chansons found
within Italian lute books of the latter half of the century:

C. de Rore, Anchor che col part ire

P. Sandrin, Doulce memoire
A. Striggio, Nasce la pena mia
G. Berchem, 0 s'io potessi donna
J. Arcadelt, Quando io penso a1 ~artire
O. di Lassus, Susanne ung jour
T. Crecquillon, Un gai berger
P. da Palestrina, Vestiva i colli 44

39. Brown 1548/4, nos. 14-25.

40. Brown 1546/10, nos. 4 & 7.
41. Brown 1584/3, nos. 41-42.
42. J.M. Ward, The Vihuela de Mano and its Music (1536-
1576), PhD. diss., (New York, 1953), p. 128.
43. See Appendix 1.3. The total of 1200 does not indicate
the total number of vocal works used as models for
intabulations in Italian tablature, but the number of
intabulations printed in Italian tablature, excluding
those in reprinted volumes.
44. For lute and keyboard intabulations refer to H. M Brown
Instrumental Music Printed Before 1600 (Cambridge,
Massachusetts, 1965/R1979). under the appropriate
tit le.
 lute intab ulati on 30

One madr igal whos e popu larit y is demo nstra ted by the
numb er of time s it was arran ged for 1 ut e
or keyb oard, is
Pale strin a's Vesti va i Colli . It was intab ulate
d for lute in
five print ed lute book s (thre e in Itali an tabla
ture and two
in Frenc h prin ts), as well as in four known Itali an
manu scrip ts, and seven othe r instr umen tal sourc
es, inclu ding
dida ctic dimi nutio n manu als. Beyo nd 1600, it
is found in one
Itali an lute prin t, one Frenc h lute prin t,
and two fanta sias
for keyb oard attri bute d to John Bull. 4s

In Itali an lute book s the rela tive prop ortio ns

of the
four genre s, dance , 1 ut e-son g, int abul at ions and abst ract
music , rema ined much the same throu ghou t the sixte enth
centu ry. If lute- song and intab ulati on are
regar ded toge ther
as arran g«:;m ents of voca l music , then in any
quar ter-c entu ry
perio d, ~hey comp rise betw een 50% and 66% of the tota
l
outp ut. In the first 25 years of the centu
ry intab ulati on
did not play as prom inent a role in the
lute prin ts as
abst ract music . The lute- song intab ulati ons
of frott ole by
Boss inen sis,T romb onci no and Cara 4 7 comp rise
virtu ally half
of the tota l outp ut. For the next 25 year s
the situa tion is
rever sed. That is, the few exam ples of lute- song
Will aert' s intab ulati ons of Verd elot' s frott
ole - form only
a smal l porti on of the total . From 1550 to
1599 half of the
tota l numb er of piec es.pu blish ed were . arran
geme nts of voca l
music . Of these , lute- song and intab ulati on were in a
prop ortio n of abou t two to three . Lute music dire ctly
deriv ed from voca l music equa lled in quan
tity non- voca lly
deri v~d music . Howe ver, when one also cons iders danc e music
indi rectl y deriv ed from voca l musi c, the prop
ortio n is much
high er. In fact it will be seen from the discu
ssion in

45. Musi ea Brita nniea , ed. H.J. Stee le and F. Came

ron
(Lond on, 1960 ), vol. XIV, pp. 23-26 . For othe r
sour ces of
intab ulati ons see Appe ndix 3, and H.M. Brow n,
46.
op.e it.
This is indi cat~ d in the summ ary of Appe ndiX
1.3.
47. Brow n 1509 /1,,1 511/ 1, 1527 /1.
 lute intab ulati on 31

Chap ter 6 that abst ract music is also often dire ctly
conn ected with voca l music .

Given the obvio us popu larity of intab ulati ons,

it seem s
likel y that they func tione d for the amat eur
luten ist as a
way of liste ning to his or her favo urite madr
igal or mote t
in the most read ily avai lable form. In the sixte
enth centu ry
this form of musi c-ma king was one of the
few ways that
amat eurs could enjoy their favo urite madr igals
, mote ts, and
frott ole witho ut nece ssari ly perfo rmin g them
with othe rs.
But as well as prov iding the amat eur luten ist
with a mean s
to enjoy well- know n polyp honic musi c in priva te,
intab ulat ions were cons idere d in part at leas
t, to be good
dida ctic mate rial from which to learn the art
of fanta sia.
Ther e is, enoug h evide nce in Itali an and Span
ish liter atur e
of the expr essed need to learn the nece ssary
skil ls for the
inve ntion of fanta sia, dimi nutio n, and impr ovisa
tion throu gh
intab ulati on of voca l work s, for us to be sure
that this was
one of their func tions . Span ish and Itali an auth
ors on music
such as Berm udo, Ortiz , Gana ssi, Gali lei and Seba stian i
wrote that the inve ntion of fanta sia shou ld come
afte r study
based on the perfo rman ce of the best piece
s of voca l
music . 4.8

TECHNIQUES OF INTABULATION

When a voca l work orig inall y for four to six

voice s is
trans ferre d to the lute, the textu re osci llate s betw een
polyp hony and homo phony beca use of tech nica
l nece ssity :
often a part must occup y a strin g alrea dy
occu pied by
anoth er voice . A mode rn trans cript ion of a lute
intab ulati on
does not nece ssari ly real istic ally repre sent
the actu al
sound . The trans cript ion can be made to appe ar
large ly
homo phoni c, comp letel y polyp honic , or some where
in betwe en.

48. See Chap ter 6 pp. 301-3 03.

 lute intabulation 32

If a transcription was to attempt to show the actual sound

literally it would at times represent complete polyphony and
at other times only vaguely reflect the polyphony. The lute
is unable to sustain a note for longer than the generally
accepted time span of a semibreve,49 and as with all fretted
instruments, left-hand fingering peculiarities often inhibit
the polyphony. However, a lutenist can, by emphasising some
notes more than others, create an illusion of fuller
polyphony even where it is actually impossible to sustain
some of the notes for their full length. But in spite of the
best efforts of the most skilled arranger and performer, a
four-part vocal score intabulated for solo lute may at times
be a mere echo of the original. By taking a passage of an
intabulation and transcribing strictly according to the
length of time notes can be sustained on the lute, we can
illustrate that at times the polyphony cannot be fully
reproduced (Example 2. 1). I do not suggest however that this
method be followed in transcription. "Realistic"
transcription would be subject to variation according to how
one fingers a passage, the dimensions of a player's hand,
the size of the lute, and in Le Roy's words (in the 1574
translation), "accordying to the goodnes of the Lute. "SO

Even if all these things were equal and standardized, a

further factor human perception would exclude the
possi bi li t Y of "realist ic" t ranscript'ion. An inst rument such
as the lute, demands a type of creative input from the
listener that a loud instrument does not, simply because of
its subtle, delicate sound. The listener is then mentally
disposed to exercise his or her imagination further by
filling out the implied polyphony. For the sixteenth-century
listener, this would have been a natural process, since t'he
vocal models would most likely have been very familiar.

49. A. Le Roy, Les Instructions pour Le Luth, (London,

1574), fol. 4 & fol. 46 (recte 48) j facs. ed., (Paris,
1977), p. 5 & p. 39.
50. ibid., fol. 22/p. 21. For a discussion of transcription
policies in general, and the particular policy of this
dissertation, see the introduction to Volume 11.
 lute intabulation 33
EXAMPLE 2.1
Striggio, S' oEni mio bene, bb.9-11
.~-,
r----' , I
C
I
I - - I.;"" .,0 -
le. ro - $0.... - +e. Vo str" 10.\,
,.. -----,
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I -
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TERZI
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~

t If &

I 1 I I I I .. f

. ., 1---1 r rr .
~ -\ \ ~.
I
~ il
I
a
l j ~ i 01- /'

I l I I I

Quite possibly, this discrepancy between the ideal and

reality contributes, in the absence of familiarity with the
model, to present-day lutenists' reluctance to include
intabulations in their programmes,s'

In his thorough evaluation of intabulation in the

French sixt eent h-cent ury repert oire, Vaccaro discusses the
process of intabulation in terms of reorganisation of

51. In the few instances where performers have included

Italian lute intabulations in recordings, they have
worked particularly well when paired with vocal
renditions of the model, as in the following examples:
The Art of the Netherland~ Early Music Consort of
London, EMI SLS 5049; Lassus, Motets and Chanson~ The
Hilliard Ensemble, EMI WI 9692; 0 Vilanella, The
Consort of Music, director A. Rooley, WRI 6574 D.
 lute intabulation 34

pitch, timbre, intensity, and articulation. His basic thesis

is that the material must rework the relationship of text to
music. He concludes that passaggi do not merely fill in gaps
but are used to emphasise a particular voice, that "their
role is not a matter of [technical] compensation, but of
musical stylell.5~ It is clear, however, that in almost every
Terzi intabulation some ornamentation is placed in bars of
little or no activity, for the sake of musical continuity.
But there is much more to ornamentation than mere
pragmatism. It is the complex relationship of ornamentation
to the model's structure and text that is explored in
Chapter 3 of this dissertation. Owing to the lute's
relatively small range of pitch and dynamics, some
modifications are inevitable in the process of translating
notes from voices to lute. By far the greatest modification
occurs when the intabulator either adds so much
ornamentation that the original structure is disguised, or
act ually insert s sect ions of new mat erial. In ei t her case a
re-compositional process is involved, or, putting it another
way, the intabulator has collaborated with the composer.

A necessary modification results from the reduction of

the vocal music from five or six voices to four. It was very
common at the beginning of the century for an intabulation
to omit one of the voices of the model completely. All of
Spinacino's four-voiced models are reduced to three parts,
either by condensing the two inner voices or by omitting one
voice most of the time. 53 In most frottola collections four
voices were reduced to two in the lute intabulation, leaving
out the alto and giving the canto to the solo singer.

52. Il faut insister sur le fait que leur r6le n'est pas
d'ordre compensatoire mais essentiellement d'ordre
stylistiqu~ J. M. Vaccaro, op. cit., p.139.
53. H.L. Schmidt Ill, The First Printed Lute Books:
francesco Spinacino's Intabulatura De Lauto, Libro
Prima and Libro Secondo <Venice: Petrucci, 1507),
Ph. D. di ss., <Nort h Carol i na, 1969) , p. 18.
 lute intab ulati on 35

Towa rds the end of the centu ry in the lute- song

arran geme nts
of frott ole, villa nelle and canz onett e, the lute
playe d all
three voice s, often doub ling the sung canto . 54
The omis sion
of comp lete polyp honic voice s from intab ulati ons becam e
rare r towa rds the end of the centu ry. That is
to say, note s
were omit ted only from time to time in an
intab ulati on.
Terz i, in his arran geme nts of five and six-v oice
d mode ls for
insta nce, attem pted to inclu de all voice s. Rath
er than leave
out one or two voice s throu ghou t an intab ulati
on, he omit ted
a part for a few bars wher e its inclu sion was
impr actic al or
awkw ard. Howe ver, even when he tried to repre
sent five or
six-p art polyp hony fully , the linea r aspe cts
of the inne r
voice s are inev itabl y blurr ed some what (for exam ple the
qUin to part in Exam ple 2.2). The nece ssity of
occa sion ally
leavi ng out a part has been well discu ssed by,
amon g othe rs,
Gali lei and Le Roy. Gali lei says that the two oute r voic es
must alwa ys rema in intac t but that the best
note to omit
when nece ssary would be one which forms an
octav e with
anoth er part. 55 Le Roy, too, desp ite the extre
me care with
which he alway s repre sents the polyp hony , conc
edes in one
insta nce that wher e two parts share the same
pitch , four
parts may becom e three "to avoid e much e strai
nyng of the
hand ". 56 He goes on to say that a note is omit
ted wher e the
music requ ires it, such as in an ornam ental passa
ge, "not so
much for all that for nece ssiti e, as' for the
pleas aunt ness e
of the soun de".5 7 On the othe r hand he talks
of the lute 's
supe riori ty over the Virg inal being its abil ity
to repre sent

54. L.E. Hubb ell, Span ish Intab ulati ons in the Sixte
enth
Centu ry, Ph.D .diss ., <Ind iana, 1974 ), p.551 .
55. Gali lei (1584 ), p.55. Gali lei give s an exam ple
of a
Pale strin a madr igal, Sa fra ques t'her be & fiore
, in
which he leave s out notes , "not beca use of
heed lessn ess, but thou ghtfu lly to ampl ify thei
r grac e
and light ness ". (p.52 ).
56. Le Roy, op. ci t., f 01. 12vj f acs. ed., p. 13.
57. ibid. , fo1. 13v; facs. ed., p. 14.
 lute intab ulati on 36

EXAMPLE 2.2
Pale strin a, 0 bella Ninf a mi~ bb. 12-13

c
I I I I I

I ~I I I

I
T
!
5
-- . \

i
- ~ . .
B
/
I I I ........ \ , l' t=FFt I
v
J
I
\ I,
. b J .. i 1 d:
I
I
the same pitch on two cours es. This is an idea l to be
reali zed wher ever it is phys icall y
poss ible, and in the
open ing bars of a piece <such as in the exam ple
he give s) it
work s part icula rly well. 5 8 Terz i also, when ever poss ible,
prese rves the polyp hony where two voice s ente
r on the same
note, by intab ulati ng the note on two cour ses
simu ltane ously . 5 9

Anot her comp romis e which lute inta bula tors often have
to make is to reite rate a note of a semi breve or longe r. Le
Roy says that- a good lute will hold its sound for as long as
a semi breve , but all t he same he al t ers some semi brev es to
minim s. GO
Terz i
usua lly leave s semi brev es as t hey are, but
reite rate s note s long er than that, part icula rly when ' a
semi breve is tied to a minim acro ss the beat. G1
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
---- ----
58. ibid. , fol. 7; facs. ed., p.9.
59. See for insta nce Volum e 11, no. 7, p.71, bb.3,
7, 42,
165, and no. 9, p.97, bb. 1-2.
60. Le Roy, op. ci
t., fo1. 46 <rec te 48); facs. ed., p.39.
61. See for exam ple Volum e 11, no. 3, p.30.
 lute intab ulati on 37

The first task on intab ulati ng a piece for lute, would

be to choo se an appr opria te pitch -leve l into which
the
mode l can be trans cribe d. It is well know n
that befo re the
eigh teen th centu ry there was no prec ise pitch
stand ard. It
is also clea r from many Span ish and Itali
an sour ces that
beyon d the midd le of the sixte enth centu ry, lute
nists or
vihu elist s imag ined thei r instr umen ts to
be tuned at a
certa in pitch . In othe r word s they "chan ged
the instr umen t
for the music " rathe r than "chan ged the
musi c for the
instr umen t". 62

Vinc enzo Gali leimake s it clea r that a note can be

place d anyw here on the lute and he give s exam
ples wher e the
top cour se is equa l to g', a', elt, d", e'
and b' in the
untra nspo .sed mode s. In the mode s trans pose
d down a fifth ,
the top st rings are equa l to g', a', c",
d", E', and b
Elat. 63 He admi ts that all of these trans posi
tion leve ls are
poss ible, but says that the two most suita ble
ones are wher e
the top cour se equa ls g' (Exam ple 2.3), in both the
trans pose d and untra nspo sed mode s:

Altho ugh these two exam ples which have been

expla ined to you are the most comm on ways
[to
intab ulate J, none thele ss, play ers have been
accus tome d to vary the strin g or fret in
play ing
any note of those show n to you. 6 4

62. J.M. Ward, "Cha nging the Instr umen t for the
Musi c",
JLSA, vol. 15 (1982 ), pp. 27-39 ; also J. M. Ward,
"Le
prob l~me des haut eurs dans la
musiq ue pour luth et
vihu ela au XVI"'" si~cle", Le Luth et sa Musi
que, ed.
Jean Jacqu ot, (Pari s, 1958 /R197 8), pp. 171-1 78.
For
furth er discu ssion see the intro duct ion to Volum
e II,
in the prese nt disse rtati on.
63. Gali lei (1584 ), pp. 9-11.
64. Anco ra che ques ti due essem pi dich iarat ovi, siano
modi piu comu ni, hann o non dimen o i sona tore i
usato
varia re corda , e tasto , nel sona re qual si vogli
a nota
delle most rate. Gal11 e1 (1584 ), p.9.
 lute intab u1at ion 38

EXAMPLE 2.3
Gali lei ~1584) p.9

·--- ":,_~",;,,,,---;"f_~-~";

I ---
. e~.~
-t:-~ -

.
'''''-7!
.
-""'-":"'"-~~""'" ..".-~ r-I'''~-.-''''''''''':''_~'''·;'''_'''_--·*_F-~'' -_''''_*';;''.
-~ -~-".
..... _--~- -~-~---- . ..,..,...,...,....--..--j---
jOfg-~-~-;-
- - ----: -.- .... ..,. -\.\-~----_:- ---]![-~-~-:-
-.,. ,..... r:,-.-~ ~~.- -~_. -~-:-:t.l'~ -":'---~--~- _ ----.; ...--- -_ -
......
-~~~--.-:._-
. ,..~-a ..~-- .. -."..-..".-":"---J- .~-~- ....--~ -....-- --...- ..l.. - . ...;------~J---
--

.
,
- __....
__ f-.. . --..
---.

Er- -~, t·.

" " ' :.-. .,.......--
~...
------ -
--_ .--- -- ---a -too --4
. . -
..----~-". --- -
'.
- ---$-' -1 1
--
- "~;::
~~. :+
" e-l- --4 -f ~.
-- ,.,

'.
--
r
F--t--==---===;-"-;: --.. . . . .
9-. -

~' -H."-b--......._....
..,;-- ~ .'- _.;...+--..;..:. . . ,:.;.~-~::.. (l:~r ..;.;..--.
pona
:~:~=~:._: :tJ:r.::=:=:==r'c:I:~:~:'~=_:::~:~:~:Q=~
--*- 0-'- '-1- ---- - -~·l----*-0-~----- ....---
-~ ....¥--- --l..-·-....-- --- -l'i.J2--~-~-----
:_:
----------,-=- - -~-----...:.----- .... =
~~~ , I
-.---------- -
_--'
O~ J l;.
·,;..·..o.;.;.·_t 2,,,,'
. .0
£ ... 1:4 . .~ .
_
.. .~ ------e-oJ---r-i-. "-
--- --- --.; .-t· --- --t - -G- :l-3 ~}~-...- f--- ---- :..-- -l
.~~_:l;_i------l-;...l.;~.-?J;-,~.;~...
.b I- _.. -

He goes on to expl ain that the reaso n

why play ers "have
wante d to vary the strin gs and frets in
this way" <that is,
to trans cribe to vario us pitch leve ls)
is "firs tly from
nece ssity , and then in orde r to faci litat
e and add grace to
the modu latio ns."G 6 I take this to mean
that he would place
an intab ulati on at the nomi nal pitch . which
allow ed for the
grea test utili satio n of open cour ses, espe ciall y at
caden ces. This would not only be the most tech nica lly
expe dient thing to do, it would also assis
t the music : the
tunin g woul d be easie r to cont rol, and the
tone would be
supe rior in the posi tions close st to the
nut. It was this
need to have open cour ses in the cade nces <Gal i l-ei
spec ifica lly refe rs to need ing F on the
tenor e cour se in a
mode cont ainin g Bb) that some times nece
ssi tated scord atura

65. Euma tio: Perc he hann o cosi vo1u to varia re le

corde e
tasti , non f.acen do (com 'io credo ) a1cun a varia tione
d'arm onia? Froni mo: Per due impo rtant e risp etti.
Prima
per nece ssita , & poi per faci1 itare , & aggiu
ngne re
grat ia a11e modu 1atio ni. ibid ., p.9.
 lute intab ulati on 39

of the cont raba ss~

Gali lei cited Fran cesco da Mila no's
intab ulati on of La Batt aglia Franc eses e as
an exam ple where
tunin g the contr abas so down to F is nece
ssary . He also
ment ioned that some play ers had found it
nece ssary to tune
thei r top strin g to F fa ut in trans pose d keys. In real ity
thoug h, Ga1i 1ei set most of his intab u1at ions to
pitch es
othe r than G when it suite d him. e 7

Le Roy sugg ests setti ng a voca l piece to the lute

acco rding to the eigh t mode s, but it is clea r from the
exam ples he give s that in fact he chose trans posi tion leve ls
acco rding to the range of the mode l and the phys ical comf ort
of the luten ist, not the mode s. He says that it is some times
nece ssary to set the lowe st note of the bass an octav e
high er th?n in the mode l, rejec ting the
poss ibili ty of
solv ing the probl em by " se ttyng the song one note or~
twoo
high er [beca use] it would be hard er for the
hand e, and the
grace of the plaie would bee woor sser" . eEl:
He also rejec ts
the optio n of tunin g the contr abas so a tone
lowe r, as that
too woul d' add to the lute nist 's tech nica
l diffi cult ies.
What ever else he may profe ss, then, in prac tice it is the
ease of exec ution which deter mine s his choic e of
trans cript ion leve ls.

Terz i did not discu ss his reaso ns for choic e of

trans cript ion leve ls, but it is obvio us from the music that
two prin ciple s oper ated: he chose tran scrip tion leve ls
first ly acco rding to the tess itura of the mode l, and
secon dly to faci litat e open cour ses for
the fina ls of the
prev alent caden ces. In those intab ulati ons for which mode ls
are avai lable , it can be seen that he uses six "t uning s"
only. In the untra nspo sed mode s he trans cribe s as
thoug h for'
lutes whos e top strin gs equa l g', d", and
a', and in the

66. Gali lei (1684 ), p.9. A mode rn editi on of the

intab ulati on is in A. J Ness, The Lute Musi c
of
Franc esco Cano va da Milan o (1497 -1543 )
, (Cam bridg e,
Mass achu setts , ,1970 ), p.299
67. See Volum e 11, nos. 6 & 21.
68. Le Roy, op. ci t., fol. 33vj f acs. ed., p. 31.
 lute intabulation 40

EXAMPLE 2.4-
Terzi's tunings

rrntransposed modes Transposed modes

~ /I D
Q
(J
(1
o
s
o
"

~ ~ ~ ~
(}

8 "
+
"
D e
e J
()
(J "
"

~: ; ~
()

C
a a
(J {j

Q +-
Q
I
0
e "

transpositions of one flat, those tunings translate directly

up a fourt h or down a fi ft h toe", g' and d" (Example 2. 4) 6:9
Most of Terzi's intabulations require a seventh course tuned
a tone below the sixth, but a few c~ll for the seventh
course to be tuned a perfect fourth below the sixth. A few
intabulations require only six courses, and one utilises the
top five courses only. 70

------------------------------------------------------------
69. Appendix 1.4 gives the transposition levels for all of
Terzi's intabulations with available models, along with
their requirements in terms of the number of courses.
70. Five courses:
(1593), no 5; (1599), no. 89;
Si x courses:
(1593), no. 12; (1599), nos, 9, 39, 56, 58, 63, 80 & 87;
Seventh course tuned a fourth below the sixth course:
(1595), nos. 10, 13, 14, 16 & 27; <1599>, nos. 10, 12,
16, 49 & 57.
All other intabulations need a seventh course tuned a
tone below the sixth course.
 CHAPTER THREE

ORNAMENTATION

Part one. Introduction

Before the fifteenth century very little lute music was

notated in tablature, and lutenists' reliance on mensural
notation was probably very slight. 1 The earliest sources of
printed lute music, Spinacino's Libro Primo and Libro
Secondo and Dalza's Intabulatura de LautOZ demonstrate a
style,· particularly in the ricercari and intabulations,
which can be traced back to the improvisation practices of
the fifteenth century. Towards the middle of the sixteenth
century, polyphonic imitation prevailed in lute music over
the freer, less organised style of the first decade, and is
exemplified in Francesco da Milano's fantasias and
int abulat ions. The invent ion and rapid growth of movable-
type printing nurtured a reliance by the affluent amateur
lutenist upon notated lute music to' the extent that the
1540's saw a boom in music printing in Europe. 3

Growing emphasis on music-reading skills is

demonstrated by the widespread dissemination of didactic
manuals in mensural notation. These provided ornamental
formulae and ready-made embellishments for singers and

1. D. Fallows, "15th-Century Tablatures for Plucked

Instruments; A Summary, A Revision, and A Suggestion, "
LSJ (1977), p.7, passim.
2. Brown 1507/1, 1507/2, 1508/2.
3. Around 45 lute and vihuela books printed in the 1540's
are cited in H. M. Brown, Instrumental Music Printed
Before 1600, a bibliography <Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1965), pp. 63-122.
 orna ment ation 42

instr ume ntali sts. Publ icati on of volum es of voca l musi c with
writt en ornam entat ion which in the prece ding
centu ry would
have been large ly left to impr ovisa tion,
does not howe ver
demo nstra te a cess ation of impr ovisa tion
prac tice. Rath er,
they are exam ples of writt en out impr ovisa
tions from a
perio d in which the impr ovisa tion of elab
orati ons rema ined
prol ific. Ther e is a dang er that we may take
writ ten music
too liter ally , supp osing for insta nce that
a luten ist would
not have freel y embe llish ed a liter al intab
ulati on acco rding
to his or her tech nica l abili ty, as was the
prac tice amon g
sing ers of the perio d. Indee d, there is evide
nce that even
when lute music was endow ed with writt
en passa ggi, the
perfo rmer was free to add furth er smal l
ornam ents. Such
ornam ents, for which the Itali ans did not
have a gene ric
term but .whic h the Engl ish lute nists calle
d "grac es", 4-
diffe r from passa ggi in that they star t and
end on the same
note and are slurr ed by the left hand finge
rs rathe r than
indiv idua lly artic ulate d. As a rule, they
were not writt en
down exce pt as conv entio nal sign s in
a few prin ts and
manu scrip ts. Perh aps the most expl icit expo sitio n on
"grac ing" sixte enth -cen tury lute music
is given in the
Capi rola lute book. s Vita li, the comp iler
of the manu scrip t,
wrote in the prefa ce:

When you see those [red] dots it mean s that

you
shou ld play a 'shak e' on that fret. Every body
will
notic e that it is an ornam ent as it is not
indis pens able. Thos e who know how to play, put
[ these grace s] wher ever t hey I ike. I wrot
e them
down just to show you wher e it is nice
to play
them - [in fact] thes e' trem oli' are very
elega nt
when playe d in the right place s. 6

4. For a discu ssion of term inolo gies see H. M.

Brow n,
Emb ellish ing Sixte enth -Cen tury Music , Early Musi
Serie s 1 (Lond on, 1978 ), p.1i and R. Doni ngton c
, The
Inter preta tion of Earl y Musi c (Lond on, 1963 ),
p.96,
<1977 editi on: p.160 ).
5. Ms. Capi rol a, f acs. ed. SPES no. 39 (Flor ence
, 1981 ).
See also Brow n 1548 /2 for exam ples of ornam
ent signs .
6. F. Mari ncola , "The Instr uctio ns from Vinc enzo
Capi rola' s Lute Book - A New Tran slati on",
JLS (983 ),
vol. 32/2, p.24, (Cap irola facsi mile : fol. 2v)
 orna ment ation 43

Vita li was as much conc erned with demo nstra ting wher e
to place the grace s ("dim ostra rti dove li stano bene
afar li") as he was in show ing how to exec ute the ornam
ents.
Instr uctio ns like these are rare, for such skil ls were
usua lly gaine d from liste ning to
othe r good perfo rmer s. This
was the metho d recom mend ed by Wyss
enbac h in 1550, and Besa rd
in 1603. "7 Poul ton sugg ests that the
reaso n why grac es were
not often indic ated is that they were part of a live
trad ition , and that the nece ssary sign s were
not avai lable
to prin ters. e Also it is likel y that all
lute nists were
fami liar with a smal l stock of grace s, but
just wher e they
were place d in the music was a matt er for
perso nal choic e
and subj ect to varia tion. Brow n make s the
obse rvati on from a
Capi rola Pado ana in which grac es are added
to the begin ning
of the p:.lec e only, that "the perfo rmer ,
havin g been show n
the way, can put othe rs wher ever his insti
ncts tell him and
the techn ique of his instr umen t allow s."!= '

The two types of ornam ents (imp rovis ed grac es and

writt en passa ggi), fall with in E. T. F~ran d' s two cate gori es
of impr OVis ation abso lute and relat ive. Feran d
disti ngui shes betw een simu ltane ous
inve ntion and exec ution ,
and that in which an estab lishe d comp ositio
n is sUbj ected to
temp orary alter ation of the mome nt. 1 0 Thes
e conc epts are
analo gous with Rich ard Erig 's 'dist incti ons betw een
"com posi t ion" and "imp rovis at ion" in ornam
ent at ion. 1 1 Such
dist inct ions ' which may have been cons idere
d ant i these s in
the nine teen th and, to a lesse r exten t, twen
tieth cent uries ,
were of cour se not regar ded as such in the sixte enth
centu ry. Erig said of the dida ctic ornam
entat ion manu als,
that they "stan d para digm atica lly betw een
impr ovisa tion and

7. Poul ton, "Gra ces of Play in Rena issan ce Lute

Musi c", EM
(1975 ) pp. 108, 110.
8. Poul ton, op.e it., p.l08 .
9. Brow n, op. eit., p.8.
10. E.T. Feran d,. Impr ovisa tion in Nine Cent uries
of West ern
Musi c (Colo gne, 1956 /R196 1), p.6.
11. R. Erig and V. Gutm ann, Itali an Dimi nutio ns,
The
with more than one Dimi nutio n from 1553 to 1638 Piec es
(ZUri ch, 1979 ), p. 9.
 orna ment ation 44

comp ositio n",12 and this could equa lly be said of the lute
intab u1at ions. Altho ugh many of the prin ted
intab u1at ions
inclu ded ornam entat ion, there is every reaso
n to belie ve
that the luten ist would have been free to
add furth er
grace s.

The adeq uate asses smen t of the vast amou nt of

mate rial
in the sixte enth -cen tury orna ment ation manu als as
it
perta ins to lute intab u1at ions would need a sepa rate
inve stiga tion. 13
None thele ss,
the oppo rtuni ty to comp are
Terz i's style of ornam entat ion, howe ver supe
rfici ally, with
exam ples from the manu als, is too conv enien t
to bypa ss. Many
of the more popu lar madr igals that Terz i intab
ulate d were
also embe llish ed in the dida ctic manu als
and so offe r
valu able ,com parat ive mate rial. 1 4 This chap
ter takes its
impe tus from Brow n's sugg estio n that in
the sixte enth -
centu ry, "mus ician s took pleas ure in obsc uring the
struc tura l elem ents of a comp ositio n rathe r than
maki ng them
as plain as poss ible. " 1 5 Brow n clea rly found
this to be the
case in the dida ctic elab orati ons, and in some early
sixte enth -cen tury intab ulati ons. Howe ver, it does not
nece ssari ly follo w that this tende ncy was
a cons isten t
featu re in lute intab ulati ons throu ghou t the
whol e of the
sixte enth centu ry. It is the exten t to which
orna ment ation

12. Erig and Gutm an, op. eit., p.9.

13. The dida ctic manu als have in any case been the
subj ect
of study by many scho lars. See for insta nce
-pub licat ions by H.M. Brow n, R. Doni ngton , R.
Erig, D.
Fal10 ws, E. T. Feran d, P. Hamb urger , I. Hors1 ey,
F. E.
Kirby , T. McGe e, F. Neum ann, L. Nord strom , and
D.
Pou1 ton, cited in Bibli ogra phy II, this volum e.
14. Erig and Gut man, op. ei t., no. 7 p. 133; no. 9 p.
172;
no. 10, p.211 ; no. 22, p.347 . See also the prese
nt thes is'
Volum e 11, no. 38 p.290 , inclu ded in a diffe rent
in Erig and Gutm an, p.187 . For furth er trans criptversi on
of Bassa no see Volum e 11, no.8 p.88, no.9 p.97, ions
p. 177.
& no. 17
15. Brow n, op. eit., p.34. See also H. M. Brow n
"Emb ellish men, t in early Sixte enth -Cen tury Itali
an
Intab u1at ions" , PRMA <197 3-74) , p.63.
 ornamentation 45

disguises structural features of the model in Terzi's

intabulations which is the subject of the following
discussion.

Part Two. Analysis of Terzi's style

This investigation of stylistic features of Terzi's

ornamentation in intabulations begins with the smallest
elements - units of two, three and four notes - and proceeds
to the larger organisation of those elements. Analysis
centres on the following aspects:

(1) the smallest cells, or units, of ornamentation

applied between pitches given in the model,
(2) ,the rhythmic values of those units,
(3) the intervals and voices of the model on which
Terzi predominantly placed his ornaments,
(4) patterns of cadential ornamentation,
(5) the contribution of passaggi to the polyphonic
structure of the model,
(6) the relationship of ornamentation to text, and
aspects of interpretation such as tempo,
(7) evidence of self-imitation within the passaggi.

The data for analysis of such aspects of Terzi's

ornament at ion, are gathered predominant ly from eleven
intabulations selected as representative of a variety of
styles. 16 Prior to analysis, general musical assessments
were attained from playing Terzi's intabulations on the lute
over a period of several years.

16. Transcriptions are in Volume 11: no. 1 p.15, no.2 p.22,

no. B p. BB, no.9 p.97, no. 11 p. 124, no. 12 p. 134, no. 13
p. 142, no. 1,6 p. 154, no. 17 p. 177, no. 23 p.232, & no. 34
p.257. Included in this sample are solo intabulations
of madrigals and motets, highly ornamented
intabulations for duo or in concerto performance, two
highly ornate solo intabulations with the additional
indications con passaggi and cl modo di viola bastarda,
and instrumentally derived intabulations.
 ornamentation 46

THE UNITS OF EMBELLISHMENT

The varieties of figuration that Terzi produces in his

passaggi are such that unless classified into units of two,
three, and four notes according to their shape, few
consistent patterns other than conjunct movement emerge.
Before such uni ts can be codi fied, three phenomena must be
invest igat ed separately: first ly, the int erval of the model
being ornamented, secondly, the pitches of the ornamental
unit, and thirdly, the rhythm. A problem arises in
classification because it is often not clear from the
tablature which interval is being ornamented, particularly
when the passaggi cross from one voice to another. Example
3.1 illustrates difficulties that can arise when an ornament
is classi fied according to the int erval it is ornament ing.
Here the quaver unit could be seen to be ornamenting from a
to a, or a to f. Similarly the crotchet e in the bass could
be classified as a passing note to f or an auxiliary note of
d The transcription's part-writing is not necessarily
clarified on comparison with the model, because Terzi's
ornamentation often cuts through the original polyphony. For
the purpose of analysis therefore, the units are classified
according to their shape, regardless of the interval they
ornament, and initially regardless of their rhythms. Hence
the ornamental units in the following tables are given with
two possible final pitches where applicable. Codification on
this basis facilitates comparison among Terzi's
intabulat ions.

EXAMPLE 3. 1
Ingegneri, Surrexit (Volume 11, no. 2, p.24,b.14)

./

.. J
\,] J I 1
. ..
y
I
 ornamentation 47

TABLE 3. 1
Terzi's non-cadential ornamental units, classified in groups
of 2, 3, & 4 notes presented in their order of frequency of
occurrence within each group. (Nominal pitches).

Two-note groups

A
~
1•
::;>
2.

n w
3.

h+ ~I
Z
4.
1)
+
wZ
5.

0 ~$
6.
;;SJ :a;:

1• 2. 5. 6

Ell g JTJ~ 'c~

Four-note groups
 ornamentation 48

TABLE 3.2
Data from Table 3. 1 presented in the order of frequency of
occurrence overall. <Nominal Pitches).

m; IP ufi
02 03 04 A1
I
~ vi
(

J 1J
/)
;::5 Os i,?
B2

i$
m B4
1~1
 orna ment ation 49

The char acte risti cs of the smal lest elem ents of Terz i's
passa ggi and the way they comb ine uniq uely for each
intab ulati on can be seen from an anal ysis of Terz i's
ornam ents, clas sifie d as units of two, three , and four
not es. 17 Tabl e 3. 2 gives , in orde r of thei r frequ ency of
occu rrenc e, Terz i's ornam ental units as they are found
betw een any two
harm ony notes of the mode l. The same
infor mati on clas sifie d into two- note, three -note
, and four-
note grou ps with the most frequ ently empl oyed
rhyth ms for
each group is given in Tabl e 3. 1.

To summ arise Tabl es 3.1 and 3.2, the most

frequ ently
recu rring ornam ental units are of the follo wing
four types .

(1) Thos e which move conj unct ly in the same direc t

ion:
desce nding , Cl, AI, Bl,
and their inve rsion s

C2, A2, and 83. ~~J~:]13Z~~A~1~@i#~~~i1~~f~~~1§§~

(2) Two four- note figur es

C4 and C3 with thei r
inve rsion s, retro grad es and
retro grad e inve rsion s
C5, C6, C9, C14, C8, and C7.

(3) The three note unit B2

and its inve rsion B5

~il£=
B2

(4) and 84. ~ ip

B4

17. As tabu lated in Appe ndice s 1. 5 to 1. 7.

 orna ment ation 50

It is clea r that Terz i more oft en

than not empl oyed
ornam ental units which move conju nctly ;
indee d they accou nt
for over two third s of all of the units . Of
the units which
inco rpora te leaps there are three types : le

(1) The most comm on are those which cont ain a leap of
a third C3 and B4 along with thei r inve rsion s,
retro grad es and retro grad e inve rsion s. The inter
val of
the leap usua lly outli nes the harm ony of the
mome nt,
and inva riabl y the note imme diate ly follo wing
the leap
retur ns to fill the space crea ted (Exam ple 3.2a
).

(2) Some times howe ver,

a leap of a third does not
outli ne the harm ony but is part of a camb iata
figur e.
EXAMPLE 3.2
<Volu me 11 no. 16, p. 160, bb. 16-18 )

(a) (b)
I

.J r I I \..,- l~
; ~

r Jj./-

/
fl
.
V I

(3) The less comm only used units of Cll, C1G,

C17, C18,
C24, B9, B10 and B12 inclu de leaps large r than
a third
in which the inter val outli nes note s of the
harmo ny,
such as in Exam ple 3.2b. Some units , C15, CiG, C18, C3b
and C31, are triad ic. The units A3, A4, and those
cont ainin g octav e leaps are empl oyed in the
bass more
often than elsew here.
---- ---- ---- ---- ~--- ---- ----
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---
---- -
18. For stati stica l data see Appe ndix 1. 5.
 orna ment ation 51

TABLE 3.3
Orna ment al units from eleve n Terz i intab ulati ons,
prese nted in the orde r of frequ ency of occu rrenc
e
with in each intab ulati on.
/'

STRIGGIO Nasce la pena mia

01 02

an
03 04 A1

~ O? dr P 00 ,,' om 't7 U W;5

B1 B3. A2 B2
~ UJ' ~$ ElY =~
u ~
tu t5'

,
MARENZIO Liquid e perle

01 02 03
A1

Lf r$ ;L J*=fJ p ~ ,,?
U $~
09

r. I" ( r t:>
04 014 016 05 B1

~ ~
§3§ f 101

f 0
I CD
: d
:::5
tEt{ 5?
me ~3'

GUAMr La Diodat ina

02 07 C4 A1
f@i!3 'i!?
B4
rm C10
~$
.~
w> go ~

of ] ; IV
mr
C5
o~~
B1
W
.@@f ce>

Blccr Candid e perle

C1

A1 A2
Et! e Et 'C/ D°.v
MARENzro Leggia dre ninfe

C4 C2 C5 B1 C1
r:=m~\17~$ ~A~2~~~~~~:~:~~~~~09~O~~Eb~~"9:~: ~?~E~~j ~ij~(JBli~',.
t U3 Ii 8 '" m $ mJ ~ n="g'l!
 ornamentation 52

Table 3. 3 cont.
GABRIELI Caro dolce ben mio

A1 B1 01 03 A2
~e I€f Et) ~s tr Cd .p
tJ§t} 'i3 D i/
08 B5

it t:9J t:;' m ';;1

C12

tELb a ",2

INGEGNERI Surrexit

MARENZIO Quando i vostri begli occhi

~~3't/~~~O~:m~C~1
~~~%~~~~~~0~3~~~1l~7~~fW~C2~~~~"k~'~~B~P~A~111~1ft~2~~
,m.j; tm~ oo~ W'6
PALESTRINA Tu es pastor ovium

MASCHERA La Martinenga

C5

~Q
01

f) J$i; :m ?,~
B2

09
Ai B1 011

ill IV EDe ::5

tIEr W EE3 ~:5 ;@

MONTE Ahi chi mi rompe

B2

ELf
 ornamentation 53

Terzi's embellishments are not as uniform among

individual intabulations as the above discussion may
suggest. Rather, he ornamented each intabulation with a
unique combination of ornamental units that ensured a
di fferent character for each piece of music. It is clear
from Table 3.3, which indicates the most frequent units used
in individual intabulations, that while the conjunct units
Cl, C2, Al and Bl feature prominently, there is nevertheless
a different combination of ornamental units for each
intabulation. The most frequent units in each of these
intabulations are not solely those of conjunct motion in a
single direct ion, but incl ude those such as C3, C4 and B2. 19

The model's melodic characteristics undoubtedly

influenced Terzi's choice of units for each
.
intabulation.
His choices were limited in any case by the melodic nature
of the model, since its melodic intervals predetermine to a
large degree the ornaments that can be applied. A model
whose melodies consist mainly of stepwise movement severely
limits the type of passaggi that can be applied, if the
intabulator is intent on preserving the original harmony
notes. All the same, Terzi clearly made stylistic choices in
line with the musical character of the model. In the
int abulat ion of Leggi adre ninfe, the almost const ant
stepwise ornamentation is consistent 'with the conjunct canto
melody and is in keeping with the mood of the text,
.. Leggiadre ninfe e past orell i amant i" (Graceful nymphs and
loving sh;.rherds). Similarly, the predominance of ornaments
with a j !l rhythm in the intabulation of Tu es Pastor ovium
imitates J Jl at the opening of the Palestrina motet. 20

19. The statistical data for Table 3.3 are given in

Appendix 1. 5.
20. Volume 11, no. 12 p. 134, & no. 1 p. 15.
 ornamentation 54

RHYTHM (Data in Appendix 1.7)

Rhythmically Terzi did not display much variety or

originality in his elaborations. The rhythms he assigned to
the ornamental units are limited in type, small in number,
and conservative. The two most frequent figures in the two-
note group, (a) t1 and (b) J 1 occur in 75% of the units.
Less common are figures (c) J.•to (d) n (e).F1 and
(0 Jj • with any other '?19hmiC group being very rare. In
the three-note group (a) is used for 40% of the units.
This is more than the next three groups (b) J n (c) 'i' ffi
and (d)7 m combined. Three-note units are more often than
not used to--erecede a four-note group with the rhythm
t nJ111 0 r J .f'l.ffii.
One never encounters ornamental triplets in Terzi's
intabulations, let alone any other irregUlar figures such as
qUintuplets or septuplets. By far the most common rhythms in
the four-note group are (a) iiii. and (b) ITn, often in
phrases of cont inuous quavers or semiquavers several bars
long. For variety, especially at cadences, units of (c) ~
are found occasionally, and in the very virtuosic
intabulations Terzi often wrote demisemiquaver passaggi.

In the four-note group (Table 3. 1), units other than

even quavers, semiquavers, or demisemiquavers are
distinguished by haVing the longest note values at the
beginning of the beat, followed by shorter values on a
weaker part of the beat, as for instance figure
(f) .ni 1 . In the three-note group, the smaller note
values similarly fall on the weaker part of the beat, as in
figure (a) ~ . However, some of the time Terzi placed the
shorter note values at the beginning of the beat as (e) 11 j
and (g) Jfl How he distributed these and simple two-note
figures within the bar varies considerably, for in some
intabulations most n or Ji figures are placed on weak
 ornamentation 55

beats of the bar. 21 but in others considerably more freedom

is evident. 2 2

Distribution of rhythm within the bar

crotchet beats Erano i capei

2/2 1 2 3 4 (Vol. 11, no. 19)

n ,
•
• •
n J
j fl
J n
• •
.\1)
rn .fj!j J

In his intabulation of Nanino' s Erano i capei. Terzi

assigned pairs of quavers or semiquavers equally to strong
and weak part s of a beat. In this respect he deviated from
the pref erred sixteenth-century stylistic practice of
placing smaller note values on the weaker beat. or on the
weaker part of the beat.

Most of the time Terzi followed' the common sixteenth-

century vocal practice of using smaller note values at the
conclusion of a passaggio than at its outset. However. he
sometimes deviated from this practice by beginning passaggi
with smaller note values. Examples of this can be seen in
the intabulation of Striggio's Nasce la pena mia2 3 in which
these figures begin on the beat:

b. 6 rmn b. 6 rnn b. 27 rmn

---------------~---------------------------------------- ---

21. Volume 11, nos. 1, 2 & 5.

22. See for exampl e Vol ume I I, nos. 7, 9, 19 & 11.
23. Volume 11, no. 16.
 orna ment ation 56

Sync opat ion is rare with in Terz i' s solo intab

ulat ions
but comm on in the contr appu nti intab ulati ons
and in the very
high ly embe llishe d intab ulat ions. The rat e
of move ment in
some secti ons of these intab ulati ons becom
es very fast
indee d, and when they inclu de sync opati ons
(such as those
below ) it is diffi cult to imag ine even the most
acco mpli shed
luten ist perfo rmin g such rhyth ms liter ally . They would
prob ably be only appro xima ted at that speed ,
as in any case
they give the impr essio n of ruba to notat ed.

Rore, Non mi togli a (Vol. 11, no. 21)

bb.31 -33 & 50 .fTI

b. 57 rm .ffli
'-'
b. 48
b. 62

Strig gio, 5'og ni mio bene (Vol. 11, no.6)

b.8
b. 9

Terz i usua lly ornam ented so that the orig inal

pitch of
the mode l was retai ned at the begin ning of each
minim beat.
Wher e crotc hets occu rred melo dical ly in
the mode l, he
ornam ented from minim to mini ~ whil st inclu ding all
orig inal note s with in the ornam ental unit,
such as in
Exam ple 3.3a. Very occa sion ally in a solo intab
ulati on, but
frequ ently in the contr appu nti, Terz i wrote
ornam ents in
which thei r ini t ial pi t ches were not those of
the mode l. In
such cases , howe ver, they are alwa ys conc ordan
t wi th the
eXis ting harm ony (Exam ple 3.3b ).

EXAMPLE 3.3
(a) Vol. II, no. 23, b.13. (b) Vol. II, no 9, bb.3 & 4

Model

Terzi
 ornamentation 57

In essence, Terzi's harmonic concern always seemed to be to

preserve the minim beat consonances of the vocal models. He
also usually ensured that a weak crotchet beat was consonant
with all other sounding parts, but on occasion when he did
write passing crotchet dissonance, it was usually
"unsounded" dissonance. The new dissonances Terzi produced
were usually cadential suspensions (Example 3.4a), and more
often, mild 4/3 dissonance resul t ing from cadent ial groppi

------------------------------------------------------------
24. For ease of transcription of the contrappunti in Volume
II the transcription method (a) is used, but for
purposes of analysis the units of ornamentation are
classified according to (b).
 ornamentation 58

In the highly ornamented intabulations such as

Striggio" s Nasce la pena mia and Marenzio's Liquide per1e
the passaggi often imply polyphony by a single florid line,
in much the same manner as in a Bach unaccompanied violin
sonat a. Exampl e 3. 5 ill ust rat es wi t h two t ranscri pt ions of
the same extract! that large leaps in Terzi" s passaggi can
imply polyphony. Undoubtedly the lutenist would have been
aware of the polyphony and would have emphasised important
top, bottom and middle notes and sustained them for as long
as possible. Terzi" s highly ornamented intabulations differ
from the others in that whereas normally the ornamentation
would lead stepwise from one note of the model to another,
in the highly ornamented intabulations an ornament
occasionally begins and ends on the same note. This can
result in large leaps from one ornamented note to another. 25

COMBINATIONS OF ORNAMENTAL UNIT52~

Although the units cited here can be seen in Terzi" s

intabulations as simple two-, three- and four-note
ornaments, they ·are of course more usually grouped in
combinations of two or more units to a minim or semibreve.
Variety of figuration is evident in the way Terzi rarely
combined pairs of identical units in a sequential manner
other than to produce ascending or descending scales. On the
other hand, there is little variety in the actual intervals
used in the passBggi: of the 32 most frequent pairs of
ornamental units in Table 3.4, two-thirds contain units
which are conjunct in one direction.

25. See for example Volume 11, no. 17, bb. 13 & 21 <pp. 180 &
182), also no. 3 bb. 16 & 17 <p.32).
26. Appendix 1.6 gives the statistical data for Tables 3.4
& 3.5.
 orn am en tat ion 59

-TABLE 3.4
Pa irs of orn am en tal un its
in ord er of fre qu en cy
01+ 01

~1Etr1$ 3

B2+A1
01+ 02
~ 'f j ~
4
6 f?JJ),~
7
9
06+ 01
04+ 06

J ~JJ~.f!~
07+01
10 . (f:f±J
~ ~:;;;:::==::::W f II L e . =
~
11
t: jff iV 12 i\j
T C Jf j" E
05+02rrTJ.~ A1+0~ ~
13 ¥p'~
03+ 03
14 ¥f9c~ 15 ~ m ,ii n J
B2 +0 3 .-r-l--r

'ii!
03+ 010
03+ 02

17 JFl' J ~ j Itr e rJJI~

07+ 03
05+ 03 7
~J;~
.
2'
6
A2 +0 2J C9 ?
B6+ 02
Fc~
22 W 24 p59,f8J#
06+ 08
04+ 08
26 =%% rU CS) S il f! e 27
1
~
01+ 03
031+ 011
A2+01
\if 29 f£nn,~30 ~ ~.i!
 ornamentation 60

Overall, the three combinations that Terzi used the

most (Table 3.5, figs. 1,2 & 3) are those of ascending and
descending scales spanning an octave. Most of the other
common types involve conjunct movement contrasting in
direction or shape. The few existing examples of sequential
units are to be found in Terzi's intabulations of
instrumental music. 27 While the units themselves are of the
type most commonly represented in sixteenth-century
ornamentation and are not in any way ext raordinary, Terzi
combined them in such a way to gi ve each int abulat ion a
unique ornamental figuration. This variety is illustrated by
Table 3.5 where surprisingly few pairs occur more than two
or three times among the ten intabulations. Even the most
common group (Cl+Cl> is not the most important ornamental
feature of every intabulation. 28
The salient characteristics
are as follows:

(1) The ornamentation in two highly ornamented

intabulat ions, Nasce la pena mi a, and Li qui de per 1 e
consists predominantly of scale-figures spanning an
oct ave or more.

(2) In contrast, the two instrumentally derived

intabulations in this sample, Maschera's La Martinenga
and Guami's La Diodatina, contain figures incorporating
leaps such as those in Cl0+C10 and C31+Cl1.

(3) The intabulation of Gabrieli's Caro do1ce

incorporates the ornamental figure C6+C8 in bars 14 and
15. This is unusual in that it is a standard cadent ial
pattern (groppo) which in this case is not being used
cadent ially.

27. See for example Guami's canzona La Diodatina, Volume

11, no. 34, bb. 10 & 14 (pp. 258 & 259).
28. The combination C1+Cl occurs only nineteen times within
the sample of eleven intabulations. Pairs occurring
once only are too numerous to represent in Appendix
1. 6.
 orna ment ation 61

TABL E 3.5
The most comm on five- note to eigh t-no te orna
ment s
in ten Terz i intab ulati ons, prese nted in orde
r of
frequ ency of occu rrenc e.

STRlGGlO Nasce la pena mia

C2+C2
MARENZlO Liquid e perle
C1+C1

GUAMl La Diodat ina

C4+C6 . C7+C3 C10+010

El§3 ~ ?
~~fW

C31+011 C18+05

BlCOl Candid e perle

03+03

~ ~ % ~ /~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
MARENZlO Leggia dre ninfe

C4+C2

~E.~tJiJJ¥§~~.:§[[I~J~J~i~~~~~~~~~g
MONTE Ahi chl mi rompe
01+C2
 ornamentation 62

Table 3. 5 cont.

GABRIELI Caro dolce ben mio

B1+C1 C6+C8 A1+C5

rl).Jltll1 w
l
(

Ill]1'./;
INGEGNERI Surrexit

PALESTRINA Tu es pastor ovium

~ B2@ B." iW;p ..'

A2+C1

~~~
MASCHERA La Martinenga
04+03 Al+C11

(4,.) Distinguishing it from all the others, the

intabulation of Palestrina's Tu es Pastor ovi um,
jmPl~~S the less common rhythmic groups .rJi nand
. rm
ORNAMENTED INTERVALS AND TEXTURE (Appendix 1.8)

Since the melodic structure of sixteenth-century

madrigals and motets employs a preponderance of smaller
intervals, it is not surprising to find that most passaggi
are placed on the small intervals of descending seconds,
ascending seconds, and descending thirds in that order of
priori t y. The int ervals ornament ed most oft en in the bass
are the descending third, descending fifth and ascending
second. Naturally, the intervals of the model's bass will
generally be larger than in the other voices. A significant
statistical difference is that 60% of the bass ornamentation
is placed on descending intervals, and 40% on ascending
 orna ment ation 63

inter vals when ornam entin g with in the orig inal voic ings
(App endix 1. 8b).

One third of the passa ggi cross from one polyp honic
voice to anoth er. This give s
the oppo rtuni ty to ol-nam ent
wide r inter vals than those dicta ted by the melo
dic shap e of
the mode l. In the voic e-cro ssing passa ggi, the inter val
Terz i ornam ented most frequ ently was the ascen
ding fifth .
This is follo wed, in orde r of frequ ency , by
the desce nding
and ascen ding third , and desce nding fifth .
In the high ly
ornam ented intab ulati ons Terz i at time s ornam
ented large
inter vals , wide r than two octav es, as the
writi ng move s
freel y from the treb le to the bass pitch es of
the mode l.

In ,inta bula tions in which Terz i ende avou red to

repre sent the polyp hony fully (as he did in most solo
intab ulati ons) , the orna ment ation is distr ibut ed amon g the
voice s. Two third s of' t. h a nY""nQ'I'If'\.-., ......... _ .... ~ :::.-_ .. _ ............... ,.a .......
VV.A.. "" 1.1...L. 11

indiv idua l polyp honic

voice s, but the rema ining third
cros ses from one voice to anoth er in a way which
blurs the
orig inal part- writi ng. Of the passa ggi rema ining
with in the
orig inal voice s, the bass rece ives sligh tly less
ornam entat ion than the treb le voice (See data
below ).

avera ge textu ral distr ibut ion ofpa ssgs si

treb le ..... 23%}

inne r voice s ..... 25% 66%
bass •.••• 18%
'voic e cros sing s 34%

As avera ges these figu res can disg uise the at

time s mark ed
diffe renc es betw een indiv idua l intab ulati ons, as the
follO Wing exam ples illus trate . In Terz i's arran geme nt of
Bicc i's Cand ide perl e most of the passa ggi
cros s voice s,
wher eas in Masc hera' s La Mart ineng a it is predo
mina ntly the
treb le and inne r voic es that are ornam ented .
 ornamentation 64

Candide perle (Vol.lI, no.3)

treble 14%}
inner voices 23% 41%
bass 4%
voice crossings 59%

La Martinensa (Vol. II, no. 23)

treble ..... 38%}

inner voices ..... 32% 86%
bass ..... 16%
voice crossings 14%

CADENTIAL ORNAMENTS

The ornamentation of cadences was considered to be

important enough in most sixteenth-century treatises to
receive special consideration. Terzi responded to the
structure of phrases by placing more ornamentation at
cadence points than anywhere else. His cadential ornaments
are placed predominantly on the leading note, but there are
some instances where Terzi ornamented 'other notes.

1. Leading-note ornaments

Most of the leading-note ornaments embellish a

suspension already given in the model, but often when none
had been given Terzi added one. This is one of the few
situations where Terzi altered the given harmony. 29 The two
leading-note ornaments Terzi used more than any other were
the groppo, which is a conventional trill with a turn,
(Table 3.6, fig. A: 1), and the simple quaver ornament
familiar from vocal music (Table 3.6, fig. A: 15). Terzi
avoided monotony in his passaggi by using various groppi and
by extending the suspension with quaver and semiquaver
figures (Table 3.6, figs. A: 10 to A:33). Common to most
groppi is the turn c, b, a, b preceding the final (Table 3.6,
figs. A: 1-7),

29. For an example see Volume II, no. 12. p.135 (b. 17).
 orna ment ation 65

TABLE 3.6
Terz i's leadi ng-n ote grac es
(pitc hes gene ralis ed to tonic C)

Pi tohes of the model: zc

A Cl " w

1 2
~ zc c

~l 'i 1 EJ cJ - w
[)i\ icJ w/

Er I r 1W ijj

~\It!ttJUJ
11 12 13

r w' R
t
~
14 n \
~ B ~.../
18

23
?f;\ J] W pe/ r' fJ #t§C§.W§/~

ttL=R¥t f' pDw/ 7r ;h!g

~u~gJw/ 30J
7
J JJ3

~ 32S ft!1 J j r 33f) n r ./

B Pitche s of the model: ~o~ ~w~ (~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~
2

tJi
(

1£'
 orna ment ation 66

Tabl e 3. 6 cont.

c Pitche s of the model: ~o~~e~~w~7~ and o

1 2 3.FT??
~' El f w7' ~f f vi :gE

Approa ches to the groppo

o
1

~ ~j J j JEEl 2QJlEH r OCF)

4 5

~ E#3
711 J J11tw lE1(kj 8

~ ! ! J! hm 12~ tE=j ") mImd-V")

~ 15ffft§ II' im 161'1 ~
p I tOO ~1 16~ (k] 19 ~ !Jil
f))J '111 B!fPtem=g 21 f'! 15 (ld
23 24 25~

~f[kJ
26 ..
f§[J cv] ill ca==tBH rE t[hj

Ten perce nt of Terz i's leadi ng-n ote ornam ents do not
invo lve susp ensio ns, since they are not prov ided in the
mode l <Tab le 3.6, exs. B & C).
In those cade ntial ornam ents
which do inclu de a susp ensio n, there are enoug
h vari eties of
ornam ental figu ratio n prece ding the grop po
to avoid stock
cade ntial form ulae <Tab le 3.6D ). The most comm
on appro ach to
the gropp o is from a third below , as in exs.
Dl, D2, D4, D5,
D6, Dll and D26 of Tabl e 3.6. 3 0
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
------- -
30. The two most frequ ent cade ntial ornam ents are
A1 and
A15, which comp rise 36% and 25% resp ectiv ely
of the
total in the samp le.
 orn am en tat ion 67

By wr i t ing di ffe ren t pa

ssa gg i in ap pro ach to
tr ill and by va ryi ng a st ock
the sim ple sus pe nd ed
lea din g- no te
orn am ent , mu sic al va rie ty in the
orn am en tal cad en ces is
en sur ed . Pr ed ict ab ili ty
is fu rth er av oid ed by
all ow ing ma ny
cad en ces to sta nd in th eir or igi na l sim pli cit y,
un orn am ent ed.

2. "N on lea din g-n ote " orn am

ent s.

TA BL E 3.7
Ca de nti al "n on lea din g-n
ote " orn am ent s

(a) (b)
,....., I (c)
r-
.. , I (

J +- v T
I 1
I I I
No. 11, b.41
No. 20, bb. 32, 33
per fec t No. 19,b b.50 ,51
imp erfe ct phr ygi an
(d)
(e)

~: :@'= ': c~p:rm~~b-bJd~'W UJJ

No. 23, b 1 64.
No. 2, b.1 9
pla gal
phr ygi an
(f)
------ (g ) I. I . (h)
I
J
-"bJdd ~"'.l
J
f' ...,
J I. i lJ
r ~ ..
• ~
No. 21, b. 30
phr ygi an
--
No. 19,b 28
pla gal
\ \ I
No. 13,n o.14
pla gal
I ,

J V
~ 1..1 j..
/

No. 20, b.3 4

- I
per fec t
 orna ment ation 68

Terz i some times ornam ented the bass or anoth er

voice of
the caden ce as an al t erna t i ve to ornam ent ing
the risin g
leadi ng-n ote of the perfe ct caden ce. or the falli
ng semi tone
of the plag al and phry gian caden ces. One fifth of the
cade ntial ornam ents are on a voice othe r than
the lead ing-
note prog ressi on (Tab le 3.7). Some times the ornam
ent cros ses
the voic ing (exs. d. e & f). but more frequ ent
are the bass
ornam ents of exam ples g. hand i. One occa sion
ally finds in
the treb le voic es of perfe ct or impe rfect cade
nces (Tab le
3.7 exs. a & b) "non leadi ng-n ote" ornam ents
whic h are
simi lar in shap e to those Terz i would use for
the lead ing-
note. The melo dic ornam ents for the phry gian and
plag al
cade nces diffe r from "lead ing-n ote" ornam ents
only in that
they do not perfo rm a leadi ng-n ote funct ion,
al thoug h they
do in fact lead to the tonic (exs. c. d. e & f).
In phry gian
cade nces Terz i wrote whol e-ton e grop pi but neve
r ornam ented
the falli ng semi tone prog ressi on of the bass
(exs. c. e &
f). The plag al caden ce. howe ver. is more likel
y to have the
bass ornam ented . thus emph asisi ng the desce nding
four th or
ascen ding fi fth prog ressi ons (exs. g & h). Ther
e are a few
insta nces of simi lar ornam entat ion of perfe
ct cade nces
(ex. i). In ornam ent ing the bass of the plag al
cade nce Terz i
part icula rly favou red the ascen ding four -note
figur e of
ex. g.

PATTERNS OF PASSAGGI DISTRIBUTION

One of the most strik ing featu res of Terz i's

intab ulati ons is that the amou nt of orna ment ation
appl ied to
them varie s from near ly nothi ng. 31 to. almo st cons tant
passa ggi. 3 2 Thus we find intab ulati ons in which

31. For exam ple, Volum e II, no. 14 p. 148. no.22 p.230
, no. 15
p. 153. & no. 10 p. 104.
32. For exam ple, Volum e II, no. 16 p.154 , no. 18 p.191
, no. 6
p.56 <lute s 2 and 3). & no. 17 p. 177. <lute 2).
 orna ment ation 69

ornam entat ion is appl ied prim arily

to prese rve the musi cal
flow, and those which are virtu ally recom posed .
Wi~h in these
two extre mes Terz i's intab ulati ons can be
clas sifie d into
four st ruct ural schem es refer red to here
as (1) st op/ st art
pat tern, (2) sect iona l ornam ent at ion, (3) cons t ant
ornam ental over lay, and (4) a clim actic
struc ture throu gh
incre asing ly comp lex ornam entat ion.

1. stop /star t patte rn (Illu strat ed in Appe ndix

1.9a &b)

Terz i's passa ggi are most often appl ied in

a stop /star t
patte rn wher e one or two ornam ented bars cont inua lly
alter nate with seve ral unorn amen ted bars. s
s This patte rn is
the direc t resu l t of placi ng emph asis on
the caden ce, and
prese rves much of the mode l's polyp hony .
A grap hic exam ple
of this patte rn is given in Appe ndix 1. 9a.
The intab ulati on
of this madr igal, Gab rieli 's Caro dolc ~ carr
ies passa ggi on
40% of the minim s, even ly distr ibut ed in
shor t secti ons of
quav er, semi quav er and a few demi semiq uaver
passa ggi. This
techn ique ,prod uces an intab ulati on full of
varie ty in which
the orig inal mote t or madr igal is none thele ss easi ly
reco gnisa ble. Here as in all of Terz i's intab ulati ons,
passa ggi are avoid ed in the open ing and closi
ng bars of the
madr igal. Nani no's madr igal Eran o i cape
i (App endix 1. 9b)
rece ives ligh ter ornam entat ion, that i.s on. only 22% of the
mode l, which is distr ibute d in shor t. secti ons.

2. Sect iona l orna ment ation (Illu strat ed in Appe

ndix 1.9c)

Wher eas the stop /star t ornam ental

patte rn stem s from
emph asis on the caden ce, secti onal distr ibut
ion of passa ggi
resu l t s from treat ing each phra se sepa ratel
y, and placi ng.
more ornam entat ion on any repe ated mate rial.

33. For exam ple, Volum e II, no. 1 p. 15" no.2 p.22, no. 4
p.40, no.5 p.47, no. 7 p.71, no.8 p.88, no.9
p.97, no.11
p.124 , no. 13' p. 142, no. 19 p.201 , no. 20 p.212
, & no. 34
p.257 .
 orna ment ation 70

A clea r exam ple of this is Terz i's intab ulati on of

Masc hera' s canzo na La Mart ineng a. Here Terz i respo nded to
the form A A Bee
by over layin g the repe titio ns of A and C
with almo st cons tant passa ggi, whil e leavi ng the first
state ment s of each secti on almo st entir ely
liter al.

The madr igal and mot et forms do not of cour se lend

them selve s so read ily to secti onal ornam ent at ion.
None thele ss there is some evide nce that at time s Terz i
ornam ented in respo nse to the text. For inst ance, he
some times left an entir e line of the text unorn amen ted,
which sugg ests that he was high light ing
the poet ic form.
Thus in Inge gner i' s Surr exi t, whol e phra ses
such as "pos ui t
pro ovibu s suis" and its repe titio n are left free of
passa ggi.,3 4 Al thoug h in this intab ulati on not
every musi cal
or textu al repe titio n rece ives cont rasti ng amou nts of
ornam ent at ion, it neve rthel ess demo nstra tes Terz i's
sens itivi ty to the form of the mode l. In
Surr exit he left
the secti on of "All eluia s" free of ornam entat
, ion, no doub t
beca use of the incre ased prop ortio nal, speed
in the tripl e-
time secti on. He simi larly left the tripl
e time secti ons
unorn amen ted in Mare nzio' s madr igal Legg iadre
ninfe ,3S as
well as the two othe r phra ses on the word
s "coro nare" and
"can tate" .36 Mare nzio' s tossi ng aroun d of a
four- note figur e
bet ween pairs of voic es on "can t at e", , 'and
his "crow ning" of
the word "coro nare" with runn ing quav ers are
clea r exam ples
of word pain ting to which Terz i respo nded
by allow ing the
phra ses to stand in their orig inal state .

34. Volum e 11, no. 2, bb. 20-23 & 26-29 <pp.2 5 & 26).
35. Volum e 11, no. 12, bb.12 to 14, & 47 to 58 <pp.
135 &
138-1 39) .
36. Volum e 11, no. 12, bb.33 -44 <pp. 137-1 38), bb. 63-66
<pp. 139-1 49), & 69-73 <p. 140).
 ornamentation 71

3. Constant passaggl (Illustrated in Appendix 1. 9d)

Terzi did not apply the maximum amount of passaggi

possible for the sake of virtuoso display. Usually his most
heavily ornamented intabulations serve special purposes. The
intabulations of Marenzio's Liquide per1e and Rore's Non mi
tog1ia i1 ben miQ37 for instance are lute duets wherein the
first lute part is entirely free of ornamentation and the
second is like a notated, single-l ine improvisat ion.
Similarly, he arranged S'ogni mio ben~e for three lutes (or
alternative solo or duo performance) in which the first lute
part is literal and the other two highly ornamented. In
performance then, the unadorned first lute part would ensure
recognition of the model even though the contrappunti may be
heavily disguised with passaggi.

However, two intabulations are exceptional in that they

do appear to be written expressly for ornamental exuberance.
Striggio's Nasce la mia pena for solo lute carries the
,
unique rubric "con passaggi" (Appendix 1.9d) which seems to
< • <

imply that Terzi's other solo intabulations do not by

comparison, contain passaggi worth ment ioning. It is indeed
true that some of his contemporaries ornamented like this
more of ten, 39 and so Terzi may well have included this
intabulation to demonstrate his capabilities. Or he may have
included it simply for the sake of variety. Highly ornate
also is the intabulat ion of Striggio's Chi fara fede wi th
the indication "accommodato a modo di Viola bastarda per
suonar in Concerto con Liutto grand~'.40 In this piece 97%
of the model is ornamented by quaver, semi q ua ver, and

37. Vo 1 ume I I , no. 17 p. 177 1 & no. 2 1 p. 2 18. Terz i wr ot e t en

intabulations with contrappunti: seven in Libro primo
(1593), pp. 19 to 57, and three in Libro Secondo (1599),
pp. 30, 46, & 87.
38. Volume 11, no.6 p.56.
39. For example, see some highly ornamented intabulations
in Simone Molinaro' s Libro Primo <Venice 1599), and
<earlier) Hans Newsidler's Der ander thei1 des
Lautenbuchs (Nuremberg, 1536).
40. Terzi (1599) Tavo1a and p.70.
 ornamentation 72

demisemiquaver passaggi. There are a few places of repose,

but otherwise the ornamentation is constant, ranging from
the highest to the lowest notes of the model as rapidly as
possible, in the manner of the viola bastarda. This
intabulation is clearly not intended to be used by both
instruments: it differs from viola bastarda writing, where
all the chordal notes would need to be on adjacent strings;
for the lute that is not a consideration.

It would be quite a challenge for the listener to

identify the original Striggio madrigals in performances of
these two intabulations. However, Terzi did leave a bar or
two unornamented at the beginning and during the course of
the piece, thus assist ing recogni t ion. One is reminded of a
modern counterpart - jazz - in which audiences relish the
recognition of a well-known song that is heavily disguised
by sophisticated improvisation. It appears that in these two
Striggio madrigals Terzi was aiming to disguise the original
phrases and structure of the madrigal in a way that he did
not usuali y attempt in a solo intabula~.ion.

It was a constant practice of Terzi's to leave the

first few entries of the madrigal or motet unornamented.
Even in the highly ornamented contrappunti intabulations he
never began with ornamentation. Similarly he generally left
the head of an imitative point free of embellishment in a
solo intabulation, especially if it was in the canto. Thus,
he clearly did not aim to disguise the model beyond the
point of recognition.

4. Climactic structure (Illustrated in AppendiX 1. ge)

Terzi rarely progressively increased the density of

passaggi in a climactic manner in his intabulations.
However, in one intabulation, Merulo's In te domine
 ornamentation 73

speravi,41 after an initial five bars free of ornamentation,

the passaggi progress gradually from quavers to semiquavers
which towards the end (bar 50) become almost continuous. In
another example, passaggi. in Nanino's Quando fra bi anche
perle42 build to a climax toward the end of the prima
parte. In the seconda parte of this intabulation though
Terzi distributed the passaggi in a stop/start pattern.

PASSAGGI IN RELATION TO TEXT, TEMPO AND GENRE.

Why Terzi left some intabulations entirely free of

ornamentation, and not others, is a matter for conjecture.
In seeking a reason for this one could forget that musical
taste, whim even, may have influenced an intabulator's
musical choices. It has been mentioned previously that Terzi
applied different quantities of passaggi to intabulations
according to the performance media intended. At one extreme
the continuous flowery lines of the contrappunti are made
musically viable by the unadorned support of ~he first lute
part. It would be logical to assume then that at the other
extreme, in literal intabulations, the amount of
ornamentation applied was also determined by the intended
performance media. Naturally, a solo lute can support only a
certain amount of ornamentation, and will differ in style
from a contrappunto intabulation which· does not attempt to
fully represent the polyphony. It is tempting to think that
the lightly ornamented intabulations have a different role -
accompaniment to one or more voices. Some literal
intabulations such as the texted canzonette of Vecchi,
Paratico and Nanino are clearly song accompaniments. To
three intabulations by these composers, Terzi added only one
ornament. 43
The texted intabulations are similar in their
simplicity both to the frottole accompaniments of the early
sixteenth century and to Galile1's monodic

41. Volume 11, no.3 p.30.

42. Volume 11, no. 7 p.71.
43. Volume 11, no. 14 p. 148, no. 15 p. 153, & no. 22 p. 230.
 ornamentation 74

arrangements for bass voice and lute later in the century. 44

Hence, it is logical to assume that the eanzonet te in

Terzi's book would also be performed as lute-songs. It is
puzzling though why Rore's Fera gentil, which is nei ther
texted nor includes a notated vocal part, should be entirely
free of ornamentat ion. There is no wri t ten indicat ion in
this intabulation to the effect that it should accompany
voices (although of course that does not necessarily exclude
the possibility). Since two other known Italian lute
intabulations of this madriga1 4 S are also free of passaggi,
one could gain an impression of a consensus among the three
lutenists. This would be erroneous however, since almost all
of the intabulations by both Fallamero and the author of
Ms. Genoa F.V1I/l are literal. It is unlikely that any of the
three lutenists had copied one of the others, since there
are enough differences of musiea fieta and other details for
that to be impossible. Is it possible that Terzi was
responding to the mood of this madrigal, a lover's lament?
He may have considered flowery proliferations to be
inappropriate to the spirit of th~. madrigal, and have
similarly regarded Archangelo da Bergamo's Donna la bella
mano,46 which he also left unadorned. If so, he was only
practising what Nicola Vicentino had recommended, that
"every singer should pay attention when singing lamentations
or other sad compositions, not to make any elaboration, as
the sad compositions will then be happy. "47 But if Terzi was
responding to the poetry, this was not his prime concern in
every case, for his intabulation of Gabrieli's Caro dolce, 46

44. See discussion on p.263-267 of Ms.Flo~ence, Biblioteea

Nazionale, Fondo Landau-Finaly, Ms. Mus. 2.
45. Fallamero, Il Primo Libro de Intavolatura da Liuto
(Seotto, Venice, 1584) p.18; and Ms. Genoa, Biblioteca
Universitaria, Ms. F. Vllll, fol.3v.
46. Terzi (1599), p.85.
47. ogni cant ante avvertira quando eantera,
lamentationi, 0 altre eompositioni meste di non fare
alcuna diminutione, perehe le compositione meste,
pareranno allegre .. . L'Antiea Musiea ridotta a11a
Moderna Prattiea, (Rome, 1555), faes. ed., (Basel,
1959), Book 4, Chapter 42, p.88 (reete 94).
48. Volume 11, no. 8, p.88.
 ornamentation 75

although a lament, supports ornamentation on 40% of the

model. Other reasons might have been the desire for variety
for its own sake, or to give beginners some easier pieces to
play. Although Terzi did not say so explicitly, he may well
have shared the philosophy of Hans Newsidler, who wrote
concerning his intabulat ion of Josquins's Memor esto verbi
t ut, 11 I have not embellished the psalm, it is very good in
itself; moreover, a beginner also should have something to
play in this book. 1149 Neither the secular nor sacred nature
of the models appear to make any difference to the degree of
ornamentation Terzi applied. The five motets transcribed in
Volume II of this dissertation receive as high a proportion
of passaggi as some of the secular int abulat ions. Much of
the ornamentation in the rhythmically less active motets
compensates for the lute's relatively inferior sustaining
ability. In the sections consisting mainly of minims and
semibreves it is clear that passaggi are applied to assist
in sustaining the polyphony.

There does not appear to be a correlation between the

amount of ornament at ion, and the time signatures of the
models. In the misura di breve pieces Terzi ornamented 40%
of the minims, while 20% of the minims are ornamented in the
misura comune (note nere) madrigals. This 2: 1 ratio seems to
indicate that Terzi regarded the minim value of al1a breve
as approximately equal to the crotchet value of note nere in
terms of its ability to accommodate ornamentation. In other
words, on the average, he ornamented the same proportion of
tactus values. 49.

49. Der ander theil des Lautenbuchs (Nuremberg, 1536),

fol.S3. This was first brought to my attention by
Howard M. Brown in "Embellishment in early Sixteenth
Century Italian Intabulations" PRMA <1973-74), p.51;
and in "Accidentals and Ornamentation in Sixteenth
Century intabulations of Josquin's Motets", in Josquin
des Prez, ed. Lowinsky, (Oxford, 1976), p.477. Not all
intabulators thought this way however. Bernard Schmid
the Elder (Brown 1577/6) for example added ornaments to
intabulations on behalf of beginners who did not know
how to ornament.
49a. Data given in Appendix 1. 10
 ornamentation 76

IMITATION OF THE WORDS (Example 3.6)

Considering Terzi's ornamentation in relation to

specific words and phrases of the text, it is clear that at
times he was responding to the text of the model rather than
merely translating the pitch complex into an instrumental
medium. While not a constant feature, some clear examples of
word painting suggest that Terzi considered the meaning of
the text, even though the intabulation may not have
accompanied a singer. The types of passaggi he used to
illustrate a part of the text are not necessarily different
from those he would· have used anywhere, but at times the
relative position of the passaggi suggests word-painting. As
we have seen,· Terzi' s vocabulary of ornamental phrases did
not vary ~ignificantly from ascending and descending scales
and turning figures, but in relation to surrounding
passaggl, on occasion Terzi clearly represented specific
words of the text. Although the following categories
overlap, representations of text can be broadly classified
in terms of literal representation of words.

1. Words of motion

The words "wind", "agitation", and "surging waves", are

depicted by passaggi of turning motion. The extracts of
passaggl from Palestrina's 0 bella ninfa mia (Examples 3.6a
& 3. 6b), and Nanino's Quando fra blanche perle (Example
3.6h), while not extraordinary in themselves, stand out in
relation to surrounding lighter ornamentation.
 ornamentation 77

EXAMPLE 3.6
Terzi"s word painting

PALESTRINA 0 bella ninfa mia b.20 bb.24-25

(a) (b) j ,
••• vento (wind)

bb. 28- 31

(c)

per esser ghirlandette (you weave your charming garlands)

(d)~ t J
... per
-tJgq ~. nJ.
tes-ser g ir
nI J j )
lan-det
§
- te
! I"

t"""'I ffA FR9 n

(e) I r Fm
l
/.
bb.76-77 .

( - I.-""':" I -
••• viva, viva (hurray/long live)

NANINO Quando fra bianche perle

n FFPI FFFi"- b.6

(f) I

I
canto (song)
I~
, .
bb 74 77 - , n fffi
. /

...
J . . + JJ ,#1 1 \ ~ \t:bbd u
(g) I

1 . .
- ...
\
eterna lode (eternal praise)

(h)
1 b.144

••• 1 'aura onde (surging waves)

 orna ment ation 78
Exam ple 3.6 cont.

GABRIELI Caro dolce ben mio b.18

(1) (j)

langu isc'e langui sc'e (langu ish)

~ \ b.80
/ I I' \ b. 71
.
- tW
I
I \
(1 ) \j bbI::i ~ l..JI
. ~ /" llJ~
............ I ,
••• lascie ro (I will leave) ••• fara partit a (I will depart )

MARENZIO Liquid e perle

(m)~ C r:E ~
~""'. bb.31- 32 i'~ ~~~ §~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~1
~ f BITE) mlli$mm~./ ~
i ~( ~) ••• Ahi ah ... , ... '
INGEGNgRI Surrex it
l - "' b.38

(n) I

I
mori (die) \

MONTE Ahi chi mi rompe

r=t=A R=Fi b 12 .
I
(0)
f.17f jJff\ tiTTfrrrfrfT 'V

. ;I-
''''.~~- ...... J

.......- ..
••• speran za (hope)

BICCI Candid e perle

n:::\ FFF1 b.16 ...b.23

(q) \ 'I

nettar e sparge te
(you scatte r nectar )

(r) I r ....,Lid , 1 i I ' \

\ . -;...- ....
'1
\l::::l::::l::=
.....
I "..
/
bb • 36 - 37

I ... I
sospir i ardent i (passio nate sighs)
 orna ment ation 79

2. Word s of excla mati on

The word "ahi" which is frequ ently used in

madr igals as
a gene ral excla mati on of woe or surp rise,
Terz i almo st
alwa ys illus trate d by virtu oso ascen ding
and desce nding
scale s in semi quav ers and demi semi quav ers. 5o
Sinc e many
mad rigal ists set work s such as this on semi
breve s and brev es
it could be that Terz i was mere ly ornam entin
g such bars for
musi cal cont inui t y. Howe ver, these part icula
r passa ggi are
so char acte risti cally virtu oso that it seem
s that Terz i was
actu ally repre senti ng the excla matio n "ahi"
<Exam ple 3.6m ).
Anot her excla mato ry word "Viv a", mean ing "hurr
ah" or "long
live " i s i,llu strat ed by figur es of turni ng
motio n
(Exam ple 3. 6e).

3. Flow ers and song

The word s "garl and" , and "song " are

given simi lar
turni ng four- note phra ses. In the intab ulati
on of Mare nzio' s
Legg iadre ninfe the phra se "per tesse r ghirl
ande tte" <you
weav e your charm ing garla nds) is set with
three -note or
four- note ornam ents sugg estiv e of weav ing
(Exam ple 3.6c ).
Here Terz i pain t ed over Mare nzio' s orig inal
word -pain t ing
with figur ation clea rly illus trati ng the
word s <Exam ple
3. 6d).

4. Word s indic ating nega tive emot ion or death

In the
mote ts it some times appe ars that Terz i
was
illus trati ng a word such as "surr exit" 51 with
an ascen ding
scale , but this is not the case, beca use
he was just as
likel y to set the same word on a desc endin
g scale . 52 In
these case s Terz i was obvi ously not word -pain
ting, but there
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --
50. Volum e 11: no. 17, bb.31 -32 <p. 184) j no. 16, bb.23 -24
&
42 <pp. 162 & 168); no. 18, bb.38 & 48 <pp. 197 & 199)j
no. 13, bb.48 -49 <pp. 145-1 46).
5 1. V0 1 ume I I , no. 2, b. 8 <p. 23) .
52. Volum e 11, no. 2, bb.7 & 8 <p. 23).
 ornamentation 80

are places where such figures could well be illustrative of

a part of the text, as for instance in Ingegneri's Surrexit
where figures of descending motion represent the concept of
death (Example 3.6n>.

Similarly, in Gabrieli's Caro dolce ben mio, Terzi's

dramatic descending scales (Examples 3.6i & j> accompany the
word "languish", and agitated figures suggestive of flight
accompany sentiments of departure (Example 3.6k & 1>.

5. Positive sentiment

The words "hope" , "bol dness", "eternal praise" ,

"smiling lips" and "nectar" are highlighted by turning
figures (Example 3.6 g, 0, P & q>, and "Passionate sighs" in
Sicci's Candide perle is illustrated by similar four-note
turning phrases (Example 3.6r>.

Marenzio's LeSEiadre ninfe 53

This madrigal amply illustrates Marenzio's word-

painting technique, and Terzi's response to it. There is
scarcely a melisma in this madrigal which is not related to
the text from the simple ascending quavers on "ninfe"
(bb. 2 and 6> I to the long turning 'melismas on "coronare"
(bb. 33-42> and t he short er ones on'" cant at e" (bb. 63-66 and
69-72>. Marenzio used a typical "mannerist" device by
setting "In questo ombroso valle" <in this dark valley> in
black minims and semibreves (bb.12-14>, an,d Terzi'r response
was to indicate the rhythm in the tablature with ~ ~
In contrast, at the triple time change at bar 47, which 'is
in the same proportion as bar 12 but not set in black
notation, Terzi indicated the time change in the usual way
with a single "3".

53. Volume 11, number 12 p. 134.

 ornamentation 81

Marenzio set the word "flowers" (from "A sceglier

fiorda fiore") on a four-note turning figure which Terzi
extended with similar figuration. The phrase "per tesser
ghirlandette" (you weave your charming garlands), Marenzio
set with one of his characteristic dotted rhythm phrases
depicting flowers s4 (Example 3.5d). At the first statements
of this phrase Terzi left Marenzio's phrase as it was, but
in the following entries weaved his own garlands of
semiquavers among the voices (Example 3. 5c). At the end of
the original madrigal the rhythmic figure lJ J is tossed
from one voice to another (the polyphonic treatment of which
is lost to a large extent on the lute). Terzi further
adorned this with turning semiquaver figures (Example 3.5e).

Text ual imagery in examples such as these indicates

that Terzi acknowledged the indebtedness of this music to
the text. In retaining references to poetic imagery, not
only is the transition to absolute music seen to be
incomplete,' but the practice also exemplifies the
Renaissance philosophy of imitazione delle parole. ss

PASSAGGI AND IMITATION

Degrees of imitation can be seen between passaggi and

the model, as well as between elements of the passaggi.
Three aspects of passaggi imitation in Terzi's intabulations
are evident:

(1) passaggi which coincide with textual rhyme, or with

the repetition of similar melodic points,

------------------------------------------------------------
54. For a vocabulary of Marenzio's word-painting see James
Chater's Luca Marenzio and the Italian Madrigal
(Michigan, 1981>, Chapter 5; and on "flowers" in
particular, see Chater vol. I, p.53 and Chater vol. 11,
p. 129.
55. For discussion of the concept of imitazionesee
Chapter 5.
 ornamentation 82

(2) passaggi which borrow some motivic element from the

model, and

(3) figural imitation of new melodic elements from the

passaggi.

1. Rhyming imitation

Terzi employed in one intabulat ion a type of rhyming

imi t at i on where he placed passaggi t hat were in some way
similar at points of textual rhyme. The ornamental figures
do not rhyme motivically, but do so by virtue of their
placement with the text. In the prima parte of Monte's Ahi,
chi mi rQmpeS 6 which is the octave of a sonnet, Terzi
responded to textual rhyme with musical rhyme by placing
similar semiquaver ornaments on "speranza" (b.9 and b. 11),
"ariva" (b. 15>, "dormiva" (b. 17), "sembianza" (b.23), and
"baldanza" (b.27).

Ahi, chi mi rompe il sonno, ahi, chi mi priva,

misero, di quel ben ch'ogn'altro avanza?
Chi mi leva di man quella speranza
Ch'era gia lasso, pur condott'ariva?
Era meco madonn'hor ch'io dormiva,
E si dolce m'appare a la sembianza,
Che di seco parlar preso ho baldanza,
I miei chiusi pensier ' tutti li apriva.

A more usual technique of Terzi I s was to rei t erat e a

figure on a recurring syllable or melodic point. In
Palestrina ' s Tu es Pastor ovium, Terzi ornamented the
syllables "-10-" from 11 apostolorum" and "-di-dit" from
"tradidit" with the same motive every time they occurred itl.
the model (Example 3.7a & b). A less literal imitation of'
this type occurs on "6mnia" (Example 3. 7c). Simi 1 ar
imitations can be seen in Nanino's Quando fra bianche perle,
(Example 3.8), and Bicci's Candide perl~ (Example 3.9).

56. Volume 11, no. 11 p. 124.

 orna ment ation 83

EXAMPLE 3.7
Pale strin a, Tu es Past or avium

(a' ~§iJ ~IJ~J=3=E3=J~J§l§'~c s= =± ~~ ~~

'Pr:..... - c."P~ (-\ -
~I / ~ '~. JO bb.22- 29 (4X)
1"0 - ,.-\" - 0 ~,-, .... ,

~ Jl)~oIJOJ
(b) ~~~e~J=:el1l~~J~@¥£jj§!e~?~~~~~
-ti - 'p', +r 0: - of.;- "",1" :De. - b. 30 OX) and bb. 59-60 (2X)

~ • J \. J~@~~~~~ .., 2
,

(c)
/ I J I I. I
~
..,1 b.43

I . ....." ~ 'a..
,\ I 1-\11 .w b.48

;I
.\ \ r
EXAMPLE 3.8
Nanin o, Quan do fra bian che perl e

(a) ~~ J~j§jI~J~.~ ~ ~ ~ ~
E ~he per ~~r bb.37, 40, 44 (3X)

$€p i J J pt¥f1l
(b) ~~~ rgf7 r~*\:~(~~~
E 1 0.u. - "'\---0..... - J.e. bb.140 -146 OX)

~ ~~/~~
EXAMPLE 3.9
Bicc i, Cand ide perl e

Ca)

bb.17- 18 (2X)

J:-=L J, r J jggI~:;:Z~1~~~
ch" N ... f- -I-~ - re "P~'- -::'le. bb.23- 25 (2X)

;; jF\'~:;£
 ornamentation 84

In the intabulation of Merulo' s In te Domine speravi

Terzi motivically ornamented repetitions of· melodic
elements, as well as textual features (Example 3.10). From
half way through Merulo' s first point at barthere 5 are
four stepwise descending notes on " non confundar". On the
syllable "-fun-" Terzi ornamented with a Jn motive, and on
the repetition of the melodic point he placed that motive on
the same point in the phrase, which was then on the syllable
"con-". Later in the motet, in different imitative points
and on different texts, Merulo varied the musical phrase
while retaining the element of three or four descending
notes of pitches BAG. On the G Terzi consistently placed a
four-note motive regardless of the text at that point
(Example 3. 10, fig. 2). The same rhythmic figure J n which
was used,at the beginning of the intabulation is placed at
varying points in those phrases (Example 3.10, fig. 1).

EXAMPLE 3. 10
Merulo, In Te Domlne speravl
r--- -,
~![.)..... ~,~i J. \\ rCJJ
,
(a) J IJ w
-] - 0- \ +.... - bb.16-17 (2X)
(.7.) \

=d. J
l~
2

~
IV

, \

J ~,
I
31 J l~Ed
~
(b) 2
",,'
et e 1-
\ . '" - r<!!
I \
j (.7.)

~, J : D ) ]\f ~
(11

~l
Z
t.7
, ,
I bb.23-24 (2X)

(0)
~g

I) ~r
- -
i+f+i}§.

7", cl; .... 0.

- I

!r
j

I 0..,(
'j
I

~ 1'V
I
I
;gr::z
.. e
w"
b.25

b.26
,;
f rEm( I
I
I
(~ ...
I

It J J .,
~ J
(d) [\ o· t .... 2
<

t
...\.,..., . cli - "'0- <>.0\-
\ Me.
I
(')j O=i ;~II
( .7.)

Fm
\

Ilz
bb.27-28 (2X)

~ • J
\
D I
?

I I
'-- ---~-
 orna ment ation 85

At repe titio ns of a phra se in Mare nzio' s Quan do i

vostr i begl i occh i, Terz i ornam ented imit ative ly, at the
same time varyi ng the moti vic mate rial. The phra se "ond e
uccid ete voi pote te" is set eigh t times ; three time s with
one ornam ental phra se and five times wi t h anot her (Exam pl e
3. 11>.
EXAMPLE 3.11
Mare nzio, Quan do i vost ri begl i occh i

~r J j 1.\ L r~ H~L./~~
o... -cl.e..;'~-('.\-""e-te.
- voi FD _ +~ t~~,,;-

Ifr1§1~j§!~Jtt\~
. "\~f. .... ~1~j ~(~\ !~j~\
4>.......... ~l~l~
../ ~~ ~
bb.60- 67 Ox) 0

~1 s j m! ) 1 idJ~'f".~I,~j@

The arran geme nt of Masc hera' s La Mart ineng a,

or~ig inall y
writt en for instr umen tal ensem ble, recei ved a more
"inst rume ntal" treat ment . Masc hera set his first poin t in
two- part, then three -par t imita tion. In respo nse Terz i

EXAMPLE 3. 12
Masc hera, La Mart ineng a

Ca' ~~~~~$~~~~J~. ~gt§3~~f ~I';; (model )

1 bb.13- 17

~ i ~ j \j t
3 times
IgJ~~7§w~;;t:Jg\t~if2 (Terzi )

~~3 )§J ~J§ J~. ~)I~J ~), ~W§

(b)
J ~~ t (model )
bb.13- 17

~
twice
/J ~ J JIFl=\ J } J J J J J ;1 ( Terzi)

,c,~ ~ ~ (model )
bb.50- 52
(If 4 times

~ tiU \\ ~ (Terzi )

_ C
d: 1ggr t ~ r f \ j
~
(d)
(model )
bb.54- 55
) ~
l~1~:~ggij~Ejr~(tRtt~f~ r~\~
twice
(Terzi )
 orna ment ation 86

ornam ented note s two to five of the first entry

, but on the
secon d entry he ornam ented note s four to seven
(Exam ple 3. 12
a & b), since using exac tly the same orna ment
ation each time
would have resu lted in an ungra mma tical disso
nanc e in bar
13. Late r, in bar 50 of the canzo na, Terz
i was able to
ornam ent a poin t the same way four time s since
such harm onic
probl ems did not arise (Exam ple 3.12 c). This
ornam ent and a
simi lar one at later repe titio ns of the phra
se (figs . 1 & 2)
resu l t ed in sound ed susp ensio ns at bar 51, a
rare even t in
Terz i's intab ulati ons.

2. Figu ral imit ation of the mode l

Freq uentl y while ornam entin g, Terz i deve loped

a featu re
of the mqde l eithe r by imit ating the style of
the orig inal
in some gene ral way or by adop t ing a spec i
fic figur e for
moti vic devel opme nt, often in dimi nutio n.

An exam ple of the imita tion of a styl istic

featu re is
seen in the intab ulati on of Pale strin a's Tu es
Past or ovium .
Terz i's cons tant use of a 11
figur e could well be in
imita tion of JJ figur es in the mode l (Exam ple 3.13 a).
Simi lar to the imita tion in Pale strin a's
mote t is the
echo ing of j} figur es by fJ
in Meru lo's In te Domi ne spera vi
(Exam ple 3. 14-a).
EXAMPLE 3. 13
j,3ale strina , Tu es Past or avium

Ut r r r
-

b.72
 orna ment ation 87

Some times Terz i imita ted indi rectl y by adop ting

passa ggi remi nisce nt of melo dic featu res in the
mode l. Terz i
respo nded to the long melis mas in Inge gner i's Sun- exit by
writi ng passa ggi of simi lar style in dimi nutio n (Exam ple
3.15 ). Imit ation by dimi nutio n is not uncom mon in Terz i's
intab ulati ons.
Insta nces of this may be seen in arran geme nts
of mote ts of Pale strin a (Exam ple 3.13b ),
Meru lo (Exam ple
3. 14b) and Gabr ieli (Exam ple 3.16 ),

EXAMPLE 3. 14-
Meru lo, In te Domi ne sper avi
bb.1-4
JI e i 1 ) I::J J ) J I () J
- 1'0.. - VI J

bb .13-17

bb.26- 27 bb.2 -28

EXAMPLE 3. 15
Inge gner i, Surr exi t
can to bb.1-4

"it-
alto bb.1-4

~
-
~R~{~/~/.~m~fIl&1~f;:FJ:~~~;;z~~
~ .. Terzi bb.11- 12

EXAMPLE 3. 16
Gabr ieli, Caro dolce mio
r - - t.) - - - ., canto bb.16- 17
~--pe::.:E§ f ~
,

0... - 1Y'\().,.r"" , E£. ......

t - e Mo...,...
I la?
7

~,
<>. [0...,.,-
n; Iffi I . I

I 1(.2.) 1---1 I I I I ..,

'JTIi t >.1 \(.;> Terzi bb.16- 17
=- ,.....-----, ..----:-;;- '
-
'\
'-
 orna ment ation 88

Terz i occa siona lly adop ted a spec ific motiv e from
the
mode l and deve loped it in his int abul at ions.
Dire ct figu ral
imit ation can be seen in a Mare nzio madr igal
(Exam ple 3.17 )
and in a bass figur e in a Bicc i madr igal
(Exam ple 3. 18)
which antic ipate s by two bars a figur e in the
alto. Altho ugh
the moti ves are of a type that Terz i used
cons tantl y, thei r
juxta posi tion sugg ests that Terz i was cons
cious ly imit ating
from t he mode l.
EXAMPLE 3.17
Mare nzio, Quan do i vost ri begl l occh i

t:4' [vel
./J .Q •!! I •I u.'
[L .. ]
2

b.6
.......
bb.8-9

EXAMPLE 3. 18
Bicc i, Cand ide perl e

1 I b b •14-15 . /'

I
I I
-e- /
alto b.16

I I
r\ I

3. Figu ral self- imit ation

Moti vic devel opme nt of new figu ratio n

in the passa ggi,
indep ende nt of any figu ratio n of the mode l,
was a techn ique
that Terz i used most frequ ently in his high
ly ornam ented
intab ulati ons. The grea ter prol ifera tion of passa ggi in
these arran geme nts allow ed freed om of figur at ion but
requ ired musi cal techn ique s to unify the
work melod ical~ y.
Anal yses of three Strig gio madr igals , S'og ni
mio bene, Nasc e
la pena mia and Chi fara fede, illus trate well
the techn ique
of deve lopin g a three -note or four- note elem
ent for moti vic
inter play (Exam ples 3.19, 3.20 & 3.21 ). Using
this techn ique
in the contr appu nti impa rts unity and char
acter to the
seco nd-lu te part, cont rasti ng with the liter
al intab ulati on
of the first -lute part. In these three intab
ulati ons Terz i
cons isten tly deve loped a figu ral elem ent
for one or two
 ornamentation 89

bars t following this wi th the development of another figure.

Often one figure seems to grow from another t so that there
is a sense of organic mutation in the way the passaggi
unfold during the course of the int abulat ion. Example 3. 19
illustrates self-imitative figures from the opening phrase
<fig. a). A few bars later a phrase used in imitation (fig.b)
derives from the inversion of the opening phrase. Figs.c to
f give examples of the mainly three-note motives which Terzi
liked to cluster closely together within phrases of
passaggi. Such motives are used constantly in varying
combinations in most of the highly ornamented intabulations.

EXAMPLE 3. 19
Striggio, Sf ogni mio bene - contrappunto 1

,..-------, ,..----,

-
T
~ml~ J J...,./
I......-.->
bb.15-16

b.22
/

(e)

(f)
I~JTh 7
/
R
 ornamentation 90

By way of further illustration, the contrappunto

secondo of S' ogni mio bene, (Example 3.20, fig. a)" leads by
diminution to fig.b which extends to an interval of a third.
This in turn leads naturally to the descending triads of
fig. c which relate to the following figs. e, f,h & i.

EXAMPLE 3.20
Striggio, S' ogni mio bene - contrappunto 2

(a)I~.=r:9~r~l~r~,;:r~r~l"/~$~r~r~~J~J~K/~~~~~
,t f bb.1-2
/

nis n=n .r bb.3-5

(c)

m
.
~
bb.8-9

"I

:
2'
~7

b.14

/ bb.27-28
 orna ment ation 91

EXAMPLE 3.21
Strig gio, Nasc e la pena mia

~ bb.2-3

\ \ I
I - - --" I l l I IT

bb.23- 24

b.29

EXAMPLE 3.22
Strig gio, Chi fara fede
,.....
(a)
I
bb III 11 It' - ,~
1. \"\\\ \ ~=~ ffF \
( ;2.)

/
fig 1 (4X) fig 2 (1 x)
......... '_11::

I \

bb.34- 35 OX)
",,%
;

1 Jf! 7 ill
bb. 30-57
~
(h)
I ~---- e
~ (1)

rfi- ® Fm mi 1-r \fJ1

I I
(",-) I !l )
(:2) (.)

I
bb.49- 50

{
 orna ment ation 92

Some times Terz i place d imit ative figur es in

sync opati on
again st the tactu s as in Exam ple 3.20c . He
also at time s
mani pulat ed a figur e cont ainin g two elem ents,
inter chan ging
them as in figs. 1 & 2 of Exam ple 3. 22h.
Exam ple 3.21
illus trate s four elem ents used for moti vic
imit ation in the
intab ulati on of Strig gio's Nasc e la pena mia.

The intab ulati on of Guam i's

instr umen tal canzo na La
Diod atina recei ved a treat ment mark edly diffe
rent from all
of the above exam ples. Guam i deve loped his
melo dic mate rial
by takin g a figu ral elem ent from each imit
ative poin t and
using it for the head of each subse quen t poin
t, retur ning to
the initi al melqd y near the end of the canzo
na (b.36 >. The
imit ation of each melo dic poin t unfo lds freel
y by rhyth mic
or melo dic varia tion afte r the head has been
state d. Whil e
Guam i's canzo na is not a fully deve loped "var
iatio n canzo na"
such as those of Fres coba ldi publ ished in
the 1640 s, a7 a
kern el of varia tion techn ique is evide nt none thele ss.
Guam i's style is comp arabl e with the ricer
cari of Adria n
Will aert which deve lop melo dical ly by, the
muta tion of each
state ment of the poin t. ae

Terz i in his intab ulati on of La Diod atina , takes

Guam i's varia t ion techn ique a st ep furth er by leav ing the
head of each phra se unorn amen ted then
deve lopin g the
cont inua tion of the melo dy with diffe rent passa
ggi for each
entry (Exam ple 3.23 ). Terz i's techn ique, then,
is part way
betw een the muta ting varia tions of Will aert and the
syste mati c varia tion techn ique of Fres coba ldi.

57. Canz oni alla Fran cese in Part itura sel signo r
Girol amo
Fres coba ldi ... Libro Quar to ... (Ven ice, 1645
). For a
trans cript ion see Volum e 11, no. 34 p.257
58. See for exam ple "Ric ercar " No. 105, in Gesc
hicht e der
Musi k in Beis piele n, ed. A. Sche ring (Leip zig,
1931> ,
p.102 .
 orna ment ation 93

EXAMPLE 3.23
Guam i, La Diod atlna

SUMMARY OF TERZ I'S STYLE OF EMBELLISHMENT

Terz i's ornam entat ion is cons erva tive both in its
figu ratio n and its harm onic appl icati on. On the rar.e
occa sions that he added
disso nanc e to a minim beat he
usua lly did so in the form of a susp ensio n
befo re a caden ce.
The two-, three - and four- note elem ents which Terz i
used
predo mina nt ly, do not di ffer in melo dic
shap e from those
found in melis mas in the madr igals and
mote ts used as
mode ls. That is, they move main ly conj unct ly, with
occa siona l leaps which are care fully qui t t ed. Beca use
Terz i's ornam ents are in smal ler note value
s than melis mas
 ornamentation 94

of the models, he allowed himself greater rhythmic freedom.

Whereas in sixteenth-century vocal music it is rare to find
isolated pairs of crotchets on a strong beat, unless
followed by a dotted minim or syncopation, Terzi freely
placed such isolated pairs of notes of relatively smaller
values at strong parts of the bar or beat.

With the exception of the highly ornamented

intabulations, which either serve as contrappunti or carry
special indications such as con passaggi, Terzi's
ornamentation does not generally obscure the structural
elements of the model. Moreover, the ornamentation can be
seen to highlight the structure by such methods as:

(l),always leaving the opening bars of an intabulation

unornament ed,
(2) usually allowing the head of a melodic point to be
free of ornamentation,
(3) ornamenting with respect to the poetic form of the
text', and
(4) drawing attention to the polyphony by placing
ornaments at identical points of the phrase.

In the highly ornamented intabulations Terzi

It recomposed lt the music in the sense that he introduced new
motives which were generally independent of the models'
figuration, developed them for several bars, and then
employed another motive for development. The way in which
the intabulation unfolds motivically is suggestive of
variation technique, since more often than not there is a
similarity between subsequent motives.

It. is evident from examples of word-paint ing and one

example of textual rhyme. that in intabulating for the lute,
Terzi sometimes took into consideration poetic meaning and
form, even when the intabulations were published without a
text.
 ornamentation 95

Terzi ensured variety among his intabulations by

several means. Though constantly drawing upon-the same
vocabulary of two-, three- and four-note ornamental units,
he avoided monotony by combining them uniquely in each
intabulation. Even in cadential ornamentation, where he used
stock ornaments of the type found in any sixteenth-century
ornamentation treatise, he avoided monotony by:

(1) varying the ornaments within a single intabulation,

(2) refraining from habitually ornamenting every
cadence in the model,
(3) varying the approach to the groppo,
(4) occasionally ornamenting voices other than those
with the leading-note, and
(5) ,presenting intabulations with different proportions
of ornamental overlay.

Terzi preserved and developed some features of the

model by:

(1) choosing figuration that in some way reflected the

character of the model,
(2) developing some of the model's figural elements in
his passaggi, and
(3) illustrating the poetic imagery of some of the text
by means of characteristic figuration.
 ornamentation 96

Part three. A Survey of

Sixteenth-Century Lute Tablatures

EARLY SIXTEENTH-CENTURY PRINTED INTABULATIONS

From the five extant lute books pUblished by Petrucci

in the first decade of the sixteenth century it is possible
to see the origins of three distinctly different
intabulation styles. 59 The three performance media indicated
for the early intabulations - duets, solos, and lute songs -
undoubtedly reflect fifteenth-century practice, and are
further developed throughout the sixteenth century. The
amount of ornamentation varies depending on the function of
the genre, the duets having an unequal distribution of
,
ornamentation between the players, and the lute-song
accompaniments being generally plain.

1. Duets and free ornamentation

The vast majority' of the pieces in Spinacino's two lute

books of 1507 are intabulations of Franco-Flemish vocal
music previously published in Petrucci's Harmonice Odhecaton
A, Canti B, and Canti C. Although published in the sixteenth
cent ury, the Spinacino 1 ut e books record a st yle of
ornamentation which is backward looking, owing more to
fifteenth-century improvisation traditions than to
sixteenth-century ornamentation practice. It was common
practice from at least 1500 for one lutenist to improvise
freely upon the treble of a chanson while another lute, or a
harp, played either the unornamented tenore, or both the
tenore and contratenore voices. This practice has been well
documented from iconographic sources, and the writings of

59. Listed in H.M. Brown, Instrumental Music Printed Before

1600, a bibliography, (Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1965/R1979) as Spinacino 1507/1, Spinacino 1507/2,
Dalza 1508/2, Bossinensis 1509/1, Bossinensis 1511/1.
 ornamentation 97

theorists such as Tinctoris. GO Owing much to this earlier

tradition, Spinacino's intabulations for two lutes assign
the lower two voices of the model to the second lute (which
Spinacino calls the tenor) in almost unadorned form, while
the first lute has an almost constant proliferation of
quaver ornamentation on the higher voice or voices. Arranged
thus for two lutes is Hayne van Ghizeghem's three-part
chanson De tous bien pleineG' and the anonymous four-part
chanson Fortuna desperata. G2 In the four-part work the first
lute embellishes both the canto and alto in a free
improvisatory style. Not only do these duets have the
appearance of wri t t en improvisat ion, they also record the
evolution of l,ut e-t echnique from the quill to finger
plucking which occurred toward the end of the fifteenth
century.6,3 The embellished first-lute part could be played
equally well with the new "thumb under first finger"
technique or with the quill, but in either case such single-
line ornamentation clearly developed from fifteenth-century
imprOVisations on chansons. This becomes apparent when one
compares 'extant examp~es of writ t en improvisat ion, such as

60. For modern literature see: L. Nordstrom, "Ornamentation

of Flemish Chansons as found in the lute duets of
Francesco Spinacino", JLSA, vol. 2 (1969), p.2; T.
McGee, Medieval and Renaissance Music, a performer's
guide <Toronto, 1985), p.485; H.' M. Brown, "Instruments
and voices in the Fifteenth Century Chanson", in
Current Thought in Musicology, ed., J. W. Grubbs
(Texas, 1976), p.103; L. Lockwood, "Pietrobono and the
Instrumental Tradition at Ferrara in the Fifteenth
Century", RIM, vol. 10 (1975), p.130; D. Fallows,
"Fifteenth-Century Tablatures for Plucked Instruments:
A summary, a revision, and a suggest ion", LSJ, vol. 19
(1977), pp. 7-33. Also see discussion, this volume,
Chapter 2, pp. 19-24
61. Spinacino, Libro primo, <Brown 1507/1), fol. 16; Modern
edition in B. Disertori, Le Frottole per Canto e Liuto
Intabulate da Francesco Bossinensis (Milan, 1964),
p.210.
62. Brown 1507/2, fol.38v and Howard M. Brown, Sixteenth
Century Instrumentation; the music of the Florentine
Intermedii, Musicological Studies and Documents, no. 30
AIM (Dallas; 1973), p.185.
63. T.J. McGee, "Instruments and the Faenza Codex", EM, vol
14 no. 4 <1986) , p. 485.
 ornamentation 98

those in the Faenza Codex, wi th Spinacino's duets. G4 The

first lute has a single-line ornamentation while the second
lute requires the newly developed technique of plucking with
the right hand thumb and two fingers.

In the Spinacino duets we see a style of writing,

retained in essence throughout the century, in which the two
parts take an unequal share of both the original voices and
ornamentation. In spite of the fact that the new sixteenth-
century technique allowed writing where both parts of a duo
took an equal share, the older tradition is still visible in
most of Terzi I s duets. His duet s di ffer from Spinacino's in
stylistic details, of course, and Terzi's eontrappunti are
technically much more demanding than any of Spinacino's
first lut~ parts. Nonetheless the older style is prevalent.
However, Terzi did not write in this style exclusively; his
intabulation of Willaert's A11er m'y faut GS for instance, is
written so that the two lutes share equally in both the
original part-writing and the ornamentation. In the
Spinacino 'and Terzi duet s we see yet another simi lari t y.
Spinacino leaves his cadences unadorned in the duets,
preferring, as Nordstrom observes, "to gain emphasis by
slowing the mot ion rather than by increasing it. "GG Such
emphasis by underemphasis is a device still to be found
almost a century later in some of Terzi's con trappun ti
duet sG?" where the almost constant semiquaver passaggi are
relieved by longer note values at the cadence.

64. R. Huest is, Transcriptions from the Faenza Codex,

(Westwood: USA, 1971); and McGee, op. eit., passim.
65. Brown, op.eit., p.215.
66. Nordst rom, op. ei t., p. 4.
67. For example Non mi tog1ia i1 ben mio, Volume 11, no.
21, p. 218.
 ornamentation 99

2. Solo intabulations

The new sixteenth-century lute technique enabled the

lutenist to handle both passaggi and harmonic support in a
solo intabulat ion. In an intabulat ion of a piece such as
Agricola's Tand.ernaken,6e Spinacino constantly shifted the
attention from one part of the texture to another
ornament ing one polyphonic part at a time. This manner of
applying passaggi continued to develop throughout the
century.

Not all of Spinacino's solo intabulat ions carry

constant passaggi; others such as that of Obrecht's Ghriste
de si dedero are rather lightly ornamented. 69 His solo
intabulations are generally ornate, however, a typical
example being the intabulation of Brumel's Mater patris et
filia. 7O
Here, as he often did, he pr.eceded the intabulation
with an eight note ornamental figure, and treated much of
the opening as a harmonic structure on which passaggi could
be built. It is not until the eighth bar of the model that
Spinacino allowed a melodic voice to enter unadorned. (Terzi
also avoided obscuring the opening bars of solo
intabulations in this way). Yet in spite of Spinacino's
passaggi concealing many of the voice entries in both the
solos and duets, his tendency to slow down the movement at
cadences does indicate a sensitivity to the melodic
structure of the model.

The ornamental style of Spinacino's cont emporary,

Dalza,71 is similar in its concentration on "gap-filling"
passaggi, but Dalza was more likely to emphasise a cadence
by a leading-note groppo, as in his intabulations of
Tromboncino's Poi che volse la mia stella (Example 3. 24a)
and in Poi che'l ciel contrario adverso 72 (Example 3. 24b).

68. Brown 1507/2, Mod. ed. in Disertori, op. ci t., p. 193.

69. Brown 1507/2 fol.4v, Mod. ed., ibid p. 238.
70. Brown 1507/2 fol. 33v, Mod. ed., ibid p232.
71. Brown 1508/2.
 ornamentation 100

The groppi so prevalent later in the century are not yet

evident in Spinacino's music.

EXAMPLE 3.24-
Dalza
(a) (b)

The freedom with which Spinacino applied dissonance

belongs only to the first few decades of the sixteenth
century. Nordstrom observes that "Spinacino disregards
consonances on strong beats except at the beginning of each
measure, sometimes producing some striking dissonances." 7 3
The treatment of dissonance, and other features such as
frequent false-relat ions and large leaps wi thin the
passaggi, mark the main differences between the styles of
early and late sixteenth-century intabulations.

3. Song accompaniments

Many early intabulations are lute-song arrangements of

predominantly homophonic part songs. This genre is in marked
contrast to the duet and solo intabulations, because the
intabulations serving as accompaniment are usually
unornamented. Clearly, too much ornamentation would have
been in conflict with the supportive accompanying role of
the lute part. The two Bossinensis books of 1509 and 1511
and that of Tromboncino and Cara of the 1520s 7 4 contain a
large number of arrangements of frottole for solo voice and
lute accompaniment. Of a similar nature are Willaert's

72. Brown 1508/2, fo1. 52. Mod. ed. in Disertori, op. cit.,
p. 223 & p. 225.
73. Nordst rom, op. ci t. ,
74. Brown 1509/1, 1511/1, 152?/1.
 ornamentation 101

intabulations of Verdelot's madrigals 7S of 1536, after which

there is an apparent gap in literal arrangements of
partsongs until Gorzanis's and Antonelli's napolitane and
Fiorino's vilanelle of the early 1570's.76 Then from 1589 to
1595 we know of eleven published volumes devoted exclusively
to song arrangements, as well as
twenty songs in mensural
notation included in Fallamero's Primo Li bro of 1584. 77
There is no record of lute-song arrangements of this type
published in Italy between 1536 and 1570, but it would be
wrong to assume that this form of music-making went into
temporary decline. For one thing we cannot assume that what
we call solo lute intabulations were never used to accompany
vocalists, and secondly there are plenty of examples in
manuscript of intabulations for song accompanimen~8 But
since many factors contribute to the preservation of
manuscripts for posterity, quantitative assessments based on
extant manuscripts would invi te error. We can probably
assume though that since most manuscripts contain more
intabulations than any other genre, and often include a
text, that the amateur lutenist was more interested in song
accompaniment than in any other form of music-making on the
lute. The one consistent feature among these collections is
I

75. Brown 1536/8.

76. Brown 1507/1, 1570/5, 1571/4.
77 Brown 1584/3. See also Appendix 1. 3.
78. Ms. Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, Res. Vmd. ms.27,
(contains 89 accompaniments to vocal pieces, 48 of
which are Petrucci frottole); Ms. Verona, Biblioteca
della Societe Accademia Filarmonia, Ms. No. 223
(intabulations are texted and written in part book form
with the same lute accompaniment with each part);
Ms. Modena, Biblioteca Estense, Ms.C.311 (intabulations
include a vocal part in mensural notation);
Ms. Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale de Belgique, 11/275
(contains texted arie da cantare). There are also
simple intabulations of vocal music in: Ms. Florence,
Biblioteca Nazionale, Fondo Landau-Finaly Ms. Mus. 2;
Ms. Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Fondo
Magliabechiano, XIX. 168; Ms. Lucca, Biblioteca Statale,
Ms. 774; Ms. N~ples, Conservatorio di Musica, Ms. 7664;
Ms. Pesaro, Conservatorio di Musica, Ms. Rari b. 10.
 ornamentation 102

the almost entirely literal nature of the lute

accompaniment s. Only occasionally does one find' a small
cadential trill.

One can probably safely assume that the texted

intabulations of Terzi were intended as song
accompaniments 7 9 and it may well be that some of the
unt ext ed int abulat ions, especially the 1 i teral ones, could
have been included for accompanying purposes.eo Aside from
this question, it is clear that intabulation as song
accompaniment was a dist inct thread of development running
parallel to other forms of intabulation, and that the simple
nature of such accompaniments did not change significantly
from the beginning of the sixteenth century to its close.

MID CENTURY DEVELOPMENTS

1. Francesco da Milano, Bakfark and contemporaries

We might logically expect a gradual quantitative

increase in the application of ornamentation to
intabulations from early to late sixteenth century. While
this is true to some extent, the pattern of change is not
simple. Consistent developments emerge not so much in
increasing complexity of ornamentation but more in the
relationship between the passaggi and the structure of the
model, as well as in the intabulator's method of handling
dissonance, and other aspects of style.

79. For a fuller discussion on this subject see this

Chapter 5.
80. "The presence of a complete text beneath the music
indicates that the line can be sung but does not prove
that it nee9 always be sung, and the absence of a text
does not necessarily signal an instrumental part." H. M.
Brown, "Instruments and Voices in the Fifteenth Century
Chanson", in Current Thought in Musicology, ed., J. W.
Grubbs (Texas, 1976/ R1977), p. 90.
 ornamentation 103

A mature style of ornamentation is evident as early as

1536 in the pUblications of Francesco da Milsno. 81
His style
of writing for the lute signals a stylistic revolution
against the music of Spinacino and Dalza in his treatment of
dissonance, and in his sophisticated ornamentation.

Francesco did not apply ornamentation as freely as the

early intabulators. Indeed, some of his intabulations such
as that of Janequin's Martin Menoit 8 :2 are almost literal,
the only significant ornament being a scale figure filling a
semibreve chord (b.93). A feature in Francesco's work also
visible in Terzi' s i s the practice of reiterating a tied
suspended note. Such dissonances, and the writing of some
additional suspensions, are the only accented dissonances
that Fran'7esco employed - the accented passing notes that
Spinacino was fond of are absent.

Francesco departed most radically from the style of

Spinacino and Dalza by writing passaggi which were identical
or similar at entries of an imitative point. This is clear
in Janequin's Le chant des oyseau~S3 where Francesco applied
an ornament (Example 3.25) to the same point at the
repetition of a musical entry. In this respect he shares a
stylistic characteristic with Terzi. The two intabulators
also used similar ornamental units. A leap wi thin
Francesco's passaggi would either be consonant, or would
behave as in a cambiata figure and be immediately resolved.
Essentially there is little difference between Terzi's and
Francesco's styles of ornamentation, except that some of
Terzi's intabulations are ornamented more extensively. They
both used passaggi in some places to compensate for the

81. Brown 1536/3, 1546/6, 1546/7, 1546/8, 1547/2, 1566/1.

82. A. Seay, Thirty Chansons for three and four voices from
Attaingnant's Collection (New Haven, 1960), p.79j A.
Ness, ed., The Lute Music of Francesco Canova da Milano
(Cambridge, Massachuset t s, 1970), p.340.
83. Ness, ibid., " p.343. Mod. ed., of Janequin's chanson in
Janequin, Chansons Polyphoniques ed. A.T. Merritt & F.
Lesure (Monaco, 1965), vol. I, p. 5.
 ornamentation 104

1 ut e' s weaker sust aining powers, to emphasise cadences, and

to impart an instrumental style appropriate to the lute.
Nothing Francesco wrote is ever predictable or dull; he did
not, for example, find it necessary to ornament every
cadence with the same groppo. Rather than clutter an
intabulation with excessive ornamentation, Francesco would,
when appropriate; simplify it, as in Example 3. 26, if so
doing rendered a sect ion more technically accessi ble, or
musically viable on the lute.

EXAMPLE 3.25
Francesco da Mllano
Janequin. Le chant des OyseauXS 4

'"
........
I~

J
l..

DJ
'r
..I
=- L.--J
.~..r:rJ I
I- r
J .J
.
;-

EXAMPLE 3. 26
Francesco da Milano
Richafort. De mon triste desplaisirS s

c:::::l

S , ~",i"s I .t",,,
CT
~ .
....- I =1
5
A I
T
~
~I
! I:=l

lute

84. Example from Ness, op. ci t., p.343.

85. Vocal example from H.M. Brown, Theatrical Chansons of
the 15th and Early 16th Centuries (Cambridge,
Massachusetts, 1973), p.46, b.12 and lute example from
Ness, op. ci t., p. 354, bb. 23-24.
 ornamentation 105

The middle decades of the century saw the publication

of a variet y of int abulat ions ranging from 1 ight ly
ornamented to very ornate. Borrono's intabulations printed
in 1548 are virtually literal and Bianchini's works, from
the same period (1546), are only lightly ornamented at
cadences. ee. Light ly ornament ed int abulat ions were not
however exclusive to this earlier period. Fallamero's lute
book for instance, which was printed as late as 1584, uses
ornamentation very sparsely. El7 Conversely the mid-century
intabulators BarberiisEleand Rotta El9 applied ornamentation
liberally.

A mid-century intabulator who embellished his solo

intabulations considerably was Joan Maria da Crema. His
intabulation of Layolle's Lasciar i1 velo9 0 for instance
ornaments 40% of the model in a stop/start pattern. How this
arrangement di ffers from others of this period is that it
does not draw attention to the structure of the model either
with groppi or with diminished rhythmic activity at
cadences. Furthermore da Crema left out many of the
suspensions of the model. The units of embellishment are the
same as those found in any intabulations from Francesco da
Milano to Terzi, except that on one occasion (bar 10) da
Crema started and ended an ornament on the given note,
leaping on to the next note rather than proceeding to it
step-wise (Example 3.27). This practice, very 'rare among

86. A literal Borrono intabulation is J'ay mis mon cueur,

<Brown 1548/2, fol. H2v), and for a lightly ornamented
Bianchini intabulation see Berchem's 0 s'io potessi
donna, (Brown 1546/5, fol. Elv).
87. Volume 11, no. 10 p. 104, no. 16 p. 154, no. 17 p. 177, &
no. 39 p.305.
88. Brown 1546/2, 1546/3, 1546/4, 1549/1, 1549/2. Exampl e:
Fevin's Et in terra pa~ modern edition in J. Echols
Melchiore de Barberiis' Lute Intabulations of Sacred
Music, MA diss. (North Carolina, 1973), Vol I, p.53,
Vol 2, p. 11.
89. Brown 1546/15, for example Gombert's Levavi ocu10s meos
p.35v.
90. Francesco de Layo11e, Music of the F10rentine
Renaissance, ed. Frank D'Accone, CMM xxxii/3-6 <1969-
1973), p.l03.
 ornamentation 106

int abulat ors, can be seen in Giovanni Maffei's vocal

ornamentation of the same madrigal. 91

EXAMPLE 3.27
Maria da Crema, b. 10

/ I

r -
. !J-
I

Gintzler's intabulat ion of the same madrigal a year

after da Crema,92 makes an interesting comparison, for here
the intabulator emphasised cadences with a variety of groppi
placed either on the leading note or on other voices. While
Gintzler, like da Crema, ironed out some of the suspensions,
he also added further suspensions (bars 14, 34, 62) and an
accented passing note (bar 34).

Since during the course of the century there is such a

wide variety in the degree of ornamentation applied to
intabulations, and no simple progression towards increasing
complexity, ornamentation must have been largely a matter of
personal choice, dependent no doubt on the technical ability
of the intabulator as a lutenist but also on the intended
performance medium. The inclusion, within a single
publication, of both near-literal and also very ornate
intabulations is not unusual either. Such variety can be
seen in Terzi's two prints as well as in those of earlier
intabulators such as Francesco and Bakfark. It must be
remembered of course that the publicat ion of one author's
volume may represent the collected intabulations of half a
life-time and furthermore, that it may not necessarily
contain intabulations made by that author alone.
------------------------------------------------------------
91- ibid. , p.110.
92. ibid. , p.l07.
 ornamentation 107

The Hungarian Valentin Bakfark holds an important place

in the history of Italian lute music. He settled in Padua
for the last five years of his life (1571-1576), and his
music was disseminated throughout Italy by the publication
of two lute prints in Italian tablature. 93
These books
contain a larg~ number of intabulations. Three Bakfark
intabulations discussed below demonstrate this variety of
treatment. An intabulation in which Bakfark ornamented only
22% of the original is Janequin's Martin menoi t. 9 ....

Throughout this piece Bakfark almost exclusively used the

groppo of Example 3.28a and the dotted figure of Example
3.28b as cadent ial ornamentat ion, along with a few stepwise
passaggi on minims and semibreves. In contrast, he
ornamented his intabulation of Verdelot's Ul timi mei
sospi ri 9 5 on more than hal f of its original not es. In t hi s
intabulation Bakfark used the same ornaments as he did in
Martin menoi t (examples 3.28a & b)., the only di fferent
figuration being a new groppo (Example 3.28) which is in
fact similar to the groppo of Martin menoit.

EXAMPLE 3.28
Bakfark
(a)Martin menoit, (b)Martin menoit, (c)Ultimi miei sospiri

93. Brown 1553/1, 1565/1.

94. Brown 1553/1, fol. H1; D. Benko and I. Homolya, eds. ~
Bakfark, Opera Omnia (Budapest, 1976), no. 13; Seay, op_
ci t., p.79.
95. Brown 1553/1 fol. K2v; Benko and Homol ya, i bi d., no. 20;
H.C. Slim, A Gift of Madrigals and Motets (Chicago,
1972), Vol. 11, p.425.
 ornamentation 108

From this it appears that Bakfark did not prize variety

particularly highly. Indeed, the same ornaments can be seen
throughout his intabulations and fantasias.

Preserving the structure of the model, however, took

high priority. In his intabulation of U1timi mei sospiri,
Bakfark kept the first statements of new imitative points
free of passaggi. 9S
He further highlighted the structure by
emphasising cadences with groppi. Most of his ornamental
units are conjunct. Any incorporated leaps either outline
the harmony or occur on relatively weak beats and are
immediately resolved. Bakfark did not produce on-the-beat
dissonances other than the reiteration of the model's
suspensions and in this respect his style is identical with
Terzi's.
EXAMPLE 3.29
Bakfark
Arcadelt, Quand'io pens'al martire b.l & b.3.
(a) (b)

Bakfark's intabulat ion of Arcadel t' s Quand' i 0 pens' a1

martire 97 is almost as highly ornamented (80%) as Terzi's
solo intabulations marked con passaggi and a modo di viola
bastarda. 9a
In this arrangement Bakfark left the first chord
unornamented, folloWing it with ten bars of continuous
passaggi, then five contrastingly plain bars. The remarkable
aspect of this intabulation is that in spite of its highly
ornamental nature, neither the model's bass nor the treble

96. For example, U1timi mei sospiri, phrases "Chi mi las

sate" b.9&b.13, and "A chi morir' mi ved''', b24, and
"Dite 0 beltA, b31 etc. BenkB and Homolya, op. eit.,
no. 20.
97. Brown 1553/1 fol. 13, BenkB and Homolya, ibid., no. 18,
p.76; Seay, op. eit., p.96.
98. Striggio's Nasee la pena mia, Volume 11, no. 16 p.154,
and Chi fara fede, Volume 11, no. 18 p. 191.
 ornamentation 109

are unrecognisable - the original melodic material is always

audible. Similarly, he invariably preserved the form of the
model by leaving the beginning of each new imitative point
free of ornamentation. 99
From the beginning of Quand'io
pens'al martire, Bakfark utilised self-imitative figuration
unrelated to melodic elements of the model. All through this
piece he used the stock figures of Example 3. 28 (which occur
throughout his intabulations) and the additional ornaments
of Example 3.29. In this intabulat ion a figure appears which
we see later in the century in both Terzi's and John
Dowland's works. This is a sharpened leading-not e cadence
followed by a rapidly descending scale in which the leading-
note is sUbsequently flattened (Example 3. 30). 1 0 0

EXAMPLE 3.30
(a) Bakfark (b) Dowland (c) Terzi
.JI""'rR~ - ..... ~
~
J I / ni1=\~

J -- bY=! ~.
....';"~ 1.,/

'"
\ .\1
1 1 1
"'"
'"
1( I , I
\
,

Like Francesco, Bakfark reiterated the original

suspensions as well as writing further suspensions into the
passaggi. 101
The stepwise ornamental units in Bakfark's
intabulations are no different from any other to be found in
intabulations from 1536 onwards.

The mid-century Italian-tablature repertoire is free of

intabulations containing constant passaggi from the opening

99. Benko and Homolya, op.cit., pp. 83~86, entries of new

points at bars 12, 21, 30, 35, 37, 4-1, 51, 54-.
100. Benko and Homolya, ibid., p. 78, bb. 34- & 4-3; Dowland' s
Melancholy Galliard b. 32, modern edition in D.
Poulton's The Collected Lute Music of John Dowland
(London, 197.4), p.l02; and Terzi, Volume 11 p.130,
b.41.
101. Benko and Homolya, op. cit., pp. 76-79, b.3, b.18, b.22,
b.23.
 ornamentation 110

bars. Intabulations of this type which conceal the melodic

structure of the model are found in Hans Newsidler l s Der
ander theil des Lautenbuch~ printed in German tablature in
1536. Thibault colourfully described one intabulation from
this source as "prattling along gaily, dispersing generously
the too-well-known ornamental motives, and [Newsidler]
seeming to enjoy his own virtuosity".102 Other Hans
Newsidler intabulations apart from the 1536 volume are much
less ornamental, as are those of his son Melchior, pUblished
in two books of Italian tablature in 1566. 103 In his
intabulat ion of Ferrabosco l s madrigal Io mi son gi ovinet ta
for instance, Melchior l s ornamentation is light, occurring
mainly at cadences with occasional quaver passaggi. 104
He
focused attention on cadences by consistently employing the
same groppo (Example 3.32), and in this respect his style is
similar to Bakfark s.
l
In this intabulation at least,
Melchior made no attempt to secure variety at cadences, and
the only concession to VirtUOSity that Melchior allowed
himself was to extend the final cadence with two extra bars
of passaggi.
EXAMPLE 3.31
M. Newsidler, Io mi son glovinettB, b.20

\
. ..

102. G. Thibault, "Instrumental Transcriptions of Josquin1s

French Chansons" in Josquin des Prez, Proceedings of the
International Josquin Festival, Julliard, 1971, ed.
E. E. Lowinsky (Oxford, 1976), p. 466. There is also an
example of a Hans Newsidler intabulation in E. Ferand,
Improvisation in Nine Centuries of Western Music
(Cologne, 1956/R1961), p.33.
103. Brown 1566/2, 1566/3.
104. Volume II, no. 41 p.310.
 orna ment ation 111

2. Gali lei's intab ulati ons

A weal th of mate rial perti nent to the unde rstan

ding of
intab ulati on, and othe r aspe cts of lute music
, is prov ided
by Gali lei's Il Froni mo, 1 0 5 pUbl ished in 1568
and revis ed in
1584. Throu gh many intab ulat ion exam ples and val uable
expl anato ry text in the form of a dialo gue
betw een Froni mo
and his pupi l Euma tio, Gali lei eluc idate s matt
ers with an
atten tion to deta il not to be found elsew
here in the
sixte enth -cen t ury Itali an lute repe rtoir e,
and Il Fron imo
prov ides clea r state ment s that could other wise
be dedu ced
only by anal ysis. The value of Il Fron imo
to prese nt day
scho larsh ip has not yet been fully reali sed,
and certa inly
in the area of intab ulati on has scarc ely been
touch ed. lOG

Two prin ciple s pert inen t

to the int abula t ion proc ess
are expou nded throu ghou t Il Froni mo: first ,
the intab ulato r
shou ld be true to the inten tions of the orig inal
comp oser, 1 0 7 and secon d, ever ythin g shou ld be
done stric tly
with in the conf ines of conte mpor ary cont rapu
ntal theor y.
Gali lei made it plain (thro ugh Euma tio) that "it is
impo ssibl e to intab ulate musi c for the lute, or to

105. Brow n 1568 /2, 1584 /5, here after refer red to as
Gali lei
(1568 ) and Gali lei (1584 ). The 1584 editi on is
pUbl ished in an Engl ish tran slati on by C. MacC
lintoc k,
Vince nzo Gali lei, Fron imo 1584, AIM (Stu ttgar t,
106. 1986 ).
In so far as this study relie s on Gali lei's writi
ngs,
it does so only by way of cont rast and comp ariso
n with
aspe cts of Terz i's style and as such does not
prete nd
to be a full accou nt of Gali lei's work. See
bibli ogra phy for refer ence s to recen t resea rch
by
Clau de Palis ca and Nino Pirro tta, and earl ier
stud ies
by Fabio Fano and Osca r Chil esot ti.
107. In refer ence to the leng th note s shou ld be held
in a
part icula r exam ple, Froni mo sugg ested that they
ough t
to be full prov ided that the numb er of parts
does not
excee d the numb er of strin gs. i prin cipij si fatti
per espri mere magg iorme nte l'int enti one del
comp osito re,. devon o esse r pien i, non pero che
ecce dino
le corde , la quan tita delle part i ... Gali lei
(1584 ),
p51
 ornamentation 112

play it correctly on any other instrument without the

1l1oe
knowledge and practice of counterpoint.

EXAMPLE 3.32
Galilei (1584) pp.28-29
(a) esempi primi

(b) esempi secondi

.t. • , I , 3· . s· ,.
I 11 ,~

~"
11

.,.. ~
11

l'!
i ri I
b" ..e-
;rtf I rrrr
I I

7 s. , .,. 111· I If. (t.. t

I -&-- v
\ I ir~ .vJi rI
" I'
r
"J I \ I . ". +- .Llll"

Fronimo admitted to Eumatio that the imperfection of

the lute lies in the fact that, unlike the organ, it cannot
"hold the voice according to the value of the note"109 but
later he rates the lute higher in many respects:

--------------------------------------------------
108. Credo hormai, come si dice, havervi fat to toccar con
mano, esser cosa impossibi1e l'intavo1are la Musica nel
Liuto, 0 in qual si voglia strumento sonarla
rettamente,. senza la cognitione, &- prattica del
contraponto Oalile1 (1584), p.57, see also ibid.,
p.8.
109. Oalilei (1584), p.51.
 orna ment ation 113

[The famou s orga nists J Clau dio da Core ggio

[Mer uloJ and Oiose pho Ouam i .. not by failu r'e of
thei r art and know ledge , but the natu re of the
inst rume nt, have not expr essed and wi 11 neve r be
able to expr ess the affec tions of the harm onies ,
such as harsh ness, softn ess, sharp ness and
swee tness , and cons eque ntly shrie ks, lame nts,
comp laint s and weep ing, and ul t imat ely calm ness
and passi on, wi th such grac e
and wond er as the
exce llent play ers of the lute are able to dO." 110

Oa1i lei conce ded that

the textu re in intab u1at ions of
more than four voice s must be reduc ed when
the comp lexit y of
the mode l nece ssita tes it. He recom mend ed that the
intab ulato r leave out one or two note s with
in the textu re,
prov ided that neith er the third nor the fifth
of the chord
be omit ted. The best note to omit, he said,
would be an
octav e doub ling. 111 Oali lei also recom mend ed that the
intab ulato r ornam ent passa ges to fill in
the harm ony, 1 1 2

110. C1au dio da Core ggio & Giose pho Guam i .... i qua1
i tutti
non per diffe tto de1'A rte & sape r loro ma del1a
natu ra
de110 strum ento, non hann o possu to, non poss ano,n
potra nno mai, espri mere gli affe tti delle Armo e
nie come
la durez za, mo11 ezza, aspre zza & dolce zzai &
conse guen teme nte i grid i, i 1ame nti, gli strid
i,
pian ti, & u1tim amen te la quie te e l' furor e, con i
tanta
grati a, & mara vigli a, come gli Ecce 11en ti Sona
tori ne1
Liuto fanno , Oali 1ei (1584 ), p.51.
111. per accr escer g1i 1egg iadri a come di sopra vi
dissi ,
far tacer e a1cun a nota delle part i di mezzo , tutta
vo1ta pera, che el1a non viete ra a11a grav e la
terza , a
la quint a, a alcun a delle repli cate , per che
ta1i
conso nanz e (come nece ssari e) canta ndo a quat tro,
gli devon o mai manc are, ma potr ete 1asc iare a1cun non
que1 1e che faran no ottav a con qual si vog1 ia part a di
Gali lei (1584 ), p55.
e . ..
112. Dove te hora sape re che tutte le conso nanz e semp
lici &
comp oste, quand o ne11 e cant ilene si trova no incom
poste ,
sono state dai prat tici & dott i sona tori,
nel1 'inta vo1a r1e e sona rle, diver same nte comp
oste, &
per darv i sopra ques to qual che avve rtime nto,
che vi poss a .serv ire per comp ore ciasc uno incom
& rego la,
inter va1l o, dico che occo rre dovi, potr ete a11e posto
vo1te
pigli arvi 1ice ntia d'acc omod are i prim i essem
pij
[Exam ple 3.31a J ne1 modo che sono acco nci i
secon di
[Exam ple 3.31b J. Gali 1ei (1584 ), p28.
 orna ment ation 114

givin g exam ples in three and four parts (Exam ple' 3.32a >,
with their poss ible embe llishm ents
(Exam ple 3.32b >. The
ornam ental figur es that Gali lei gave as exam ples
move almo st
entir ely conju nctly , and are distr ibute d equa
lly amon g the
trebl e, inner , and bass voice s, as well as cros
sing from one
part to anoth er. With one exce ption (esem pi
secon di no.7>
the ornam ents are conso nant both at the begin
ning of a bar,
and on subse quen t stron g beats .

EXAMPLE 3.33
Gali lei (1584 >, p.35- 36
a. b.
. ,
. -
,...., c. d
M
I I I I
,
I , .. of- Q
. ~ .;-
., ~T I
I I I
I I
I . +
D

e. f.
I 1"'\-

I
1. J +
r r-
pr "
.. I "
,-
,-

t
-0
.p-' D

g.

Gali lei gave

very expl icit rules abou t the harm ony
which may resu lt from the appl icati on of passa
ggi. He state d
that every time an ornam ent move s by leap to
anoth er strin g,
the finge r shou ld be relea sed from the prev ious
strin g, and
that both note s outli ning that leap must be
conso nant with
all the othe r parts (Exam ple 3.33e >. 1 1 3 He furth
er said that

113. ogni volta che faret e muov ere qual si vogli a parte
di sal to, e nece ssar1 0 che quel la corda d'ond e la parte
moss a s1 leva, e quel la dove ella s1 posa siano
conso nant1 con tutte le part1 ... Gali lei (1584 ), p36
 ornamentation 115

a part must not leap from one discordant note to another. 114

Galilei gave examples, transcribed here as Example ~. 33, and

an explanation of their faults, of which the following is a
precis.

fig. (a) The soprano does not have regard for the intervals
of a sixth followed by a ninth which it forms with
the tenor.
fig. (b) This is better than the previous example because
the soprano Bb forms a sixth with the tenor.
fig. (c) This example is worse than the first because the
passaggi in the soprano form two dissonances with
the tenor, one after the other.
In none of the figs. (a), (b) or (c) did Galilei object to the
soprano G on the second minim producing a descending
accented passing note, presumably condoning it because it is
"unsounded" and on the weaker part of the bar.

fig. (d) Galilei considered fig. (d) to be the worst of the

given examples, but gave no explanation why.
Presumably it was the Eb-E false relation that he
disapproved of.
fig. (e) This demonstrates how both notes of a leap can be
consonant with all the other parts.
fig. (f) Galilei gave this as an example of the error of
using an augmented octave, or a diminished octave
between the voices, which he calls "errors truly
deserving much blame".
fig. (g) Finally, Galilei gave this as an example (in
mensural notation) of good counterpoint "in which

114. & questo e che molte volte la diminutione da loro

aggiunta al1e parti, la fanno inavvertentemente col
movimento separato apportare due disonanze una dopo
l'a1tra ad alcuna di esse parti, Galilei (1584),
p.35.
 ornamentation 116

the fourth crotchet in each case is consonant with the other

part S". 1 1 a

It is also, according to Galilei, "a gross error" not

to ornament by progressing from long notes to short notes in
a smooth manner. He complained that it is "a very great
error and one which is little considered by a great part of
the men who practise the profession, which is, to move from
the semibreve, to the chroma or semichroma as you see
here. " 1 1 6 He then ci t ed as a bad example (Example 3. 34> a
passage where a smooth progression of passaggi did not
occur and followed this example with two pieces "conceived
in a proportioned way", in which the passaggi progress
smoothly from 0 to J to .1 to J' to ! .117 The first of these
pieces is given here as Example 3.35.

EXAMPLE 3.34
Galilei (1584) pp.36

I \ \ I
===- \ I

I '"
~ 11 \ \
11

\:fm I
{\ f
J
( \ \ I

------------------------------------------------------------
115. la quarta semiminima di ciascuna casa, sia
consonante con l'altre parte, come udirete sonando
[qui] ... Galilei (1584>, p.36.
116. Quest'altro ancora e uno errore grandissimo; e poco
considerato da una gran parte degli huomini che fanno
tal professione; il quale e di passare dalla semibreve
alla croma 0 semicroma come vedete qui,
Ga111ei <1584>, p.36
117. Il che dovete fuggire, e fare che dalle parti e dal
tutto, ne nasca un modo proportionato di procedere,
come fara quello de due sottoposti essempi, nel secondo
de quali haverete una fugha al'unisono, da sonar con
due liuti, dopo sei tempi. Gal11e1 (1585>, p37.
 orna ment ation 117

EXAMPLE 3.35
Gali lei (1584 ) p.37

I ____ r \ I
j
\ I .-I \ \ \ \ \ \'-1 1

~
J IJ JJ. 1 , r r .. 1 ~ \
I'tl/~\
I
,
I I
\ .. I \ r--\ I ,.~
...... I \.\

"'-
fv
~ r \\.b~~ .11 1
~~
ll. 1 1 l\
.... .....I iiTIl tl l J
~
'" I \ \ I 1- l:::l:::l:::It::""-~1
~ ~ ""'\1'" \ ..
IJ "t11 ~. l'
-1' :-'"

ffFl ..l. rr--9

.
l
fD -
" I I
- -'""I I

..
IJ l.
G ~r, ~Lr
~ -f--t \ f
c
c
"i{
IL-J I I
r
3. Gali lei's revis ed intab ulati ons

In his 1584 revis ion of Il Froni mo, Gali lei prov ides us
with rare insig ht into the actu al proc ess of revis ing
intab ulati ons. Altho ugh some of the intab ulati ons in the
1584 editi on rema ined much the same as the
1568 editi on,
othe rs recei ved addi tiona l ornam entat ion. Intab
ulati ons of
Anim uccia 's Nasc e la gi01a mia, 1 1 8 and Rore 's
Non mi to1ga '1
ben mi01 1 9 for insta nce recei ved no furth er
ornam entat ion,
but had some revis ions of finge rings and
musi ca ficta
deta ils. Gali lei's revis ions of Strig gio's Nasc
e la pena mia
and Ferra bosc o's Io mi son giov inett a howe
ver recei ved
cons idera ble addi tion ornam entat ion.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- --
118. Gali lei (1568 ), p.26: Gali lei (1584 ), p.45.
119. Gali lei 1568, p.68: Gali lei 1584, p.107 ; Volum
e 11,
no.21 p.218 .
 ornamentation 118

(i> Striggio's Nasce la pena mia 1 2 0

An increase in Galilei' s applicat ion of ornamentat ion

to intabulations in the 1584 edition is evident in his
revision of Striggio's Nasce la pena mia where he corrected
some mistakes (b.43>, refingered certain passages (b.37>,
and added further ornamentation. 121 Similarly his 1584
intabulation of Palestrina's Vestiva i colli was revised
with substantial additional passaggi, particularly in the
seconda parte. 122 New passaggi in the revised version add to
the existing cadential ornamentation, providing musical
continuity in places of little activity, strengthening the
bass (b. 26, b. 28>, and increasing tension before a cadence
(b. 53>. Galilei's fingering revisions are interesting too.
In the Striggio madrigal, the revisions produce stronger
cadences, as in bar 33 where he rei t erat ed a suspensi on
which had previously been tied. Similarly, in bar 27 a new
left-hand position makes possible a suspension which
previously could only have been implied. A further revision
at bar 55 adds a note that had been previously omi tted, and
enables the voices to remain on the same courses.

Galilei's passaggi are distributed predominantly among

the treble and inner voices, with some part-crossing, in a
manner common to most sixteenth century intabulations.

textural distribution

treble . . . . . . . . . . . 25%)
inner parts . . . . . . . . . . . 38% 79%
bass . . . . . . . . . . . 16%
part-crossing ••••••••••••• of ••• t 21%

120. Galilei <1568>, p.24; Galilei (1584>, p.44; Volume 11,

no. 16 p. 154.
121. Nasce la pena mia in Galilei <1568>, p.24 receives 19%
ornamentation, in Galilei (1584), pp. 44 receives 27%
ornamentation. See Volume 11, no. 16 p.154, for a
transcription of both versions.
122. Galilei <1568>, p.15 and Galilei (1584), p.26. For an
(imperfect) transcription see F. Fano, La Camerata
Fiorentina, Vincenzo Galilei (Milan, 1934), p.33.
 ornamentation 119

The ornamental units Galilei employed most often in this

intabulation are those Terzi also used constantly (Example
3.36), And like Terzi, Galilei ornamented small intervals of
descending seconds, ascending thirds, descending thirds and
unisons.
EXAMPLE 3.36
Galilei (1584)
Ornamental units in Nasce la pena mia

~
~
FJ J1 w
* £1
,
iif ~ if

rm t5}
f17TJ I~
j
£J
The ornamental units are predominantly conjunct in this
d J It? 0
( J 0
j
0
, ",,7
c

int abulat ion. Gal ilei' s passaggi rarely contain leaps, but
where they do, they form the interval of a third in which
both notes are consonant with the other parts (b5, b14, b15,
b42, b43, b49). Oddly, Galilei broke his own rule regarding
the consonances of leaps, where at bar 53 of the revised
version of this intabulation the bass leaps onto a C# which
is dissonant with the tenor, (Example 3.37) but which is
then immediately resolved.

EXAMPLE 3.37
Galilei (1584) b.53
Striggio, Nasce la pena mia
J-.... I

I
./

~I
--
Terzi's and Galilei's practices differ with regard to
the harmonic aspect of leaps within passaggi. Both
intabulators, with rare exceptions, were careful to ornament
from minim to minim in such a way as to preserve the
original harmony, but whereas Galilei's leaps usually
outlined the harmony, Terzi's leaps were often dissonant
with the harmony. Since it violated his rule concerning the
consonance of leaps, Ga1ilei did not use the peculiarly
 ornamentation 120

instrumental figure such as the one employed by Terzi in his

intabulation of the same madrigal (Example 3.38).

EXAMPLE 3.38
Terzi, b.47
Striggio, Nasce la pena mia

Cl ....

Galilei's passaggi are distributed in a stop/start

pattern. He ornamented mainly at cadences, and added some
continuous quaver passaggi. Galilei and Terzi both used
similar cadential ornaments but neither intabulator regarded
the adornment of cadences as obligatory (Example 3.39).

EXAMPLE 3.39
Galilei's cadential ornaments in Nasce la pena mia
/ , ........ ~-=::FI

..;

"
-- -I
J
J
, tIt
I. g

J
w
i.l

I
....
J I J.
4JiJ.-c .,. ...
I J
'(
I
b.5 b.17 rb.22

Galilei organised his passaggi in groups of two to four

quavers or as semiquaver groppi at cadences. In grouping
notes of unequal value, Galilei used figures such as J n,
J 11 and J. 11
in which the smaller values fall on the weaker
part of the beat. There is only one instance in this
intabulation of a pair of quavers placed on the strong part
of the bar (b. 10). Galilei's passaggi are self-imitative
only once in this intabulation (bb.22-24). Imitation of
motives either from the model or the passaggio itself does
not seem to be an important aspect of Galilei's style. Since
Galilei never ornamented elaborately, the need did not arise
for figural self-imitation as a unifying device.

Galilei did not respond to the A B 1 B2 form of Nasce la

pena mia by embellishing the B2 sect ion considerably more
 ornamentation 121

than the Bl section. Rather, he conservatively retained

elements of the passaggi of the Bl section without repeating
them in any thematically systematic way. 123 Neither did he
make any attempt to represent the meaning of the text by
word-painting as Terzi has been seen to do. Twice in Nasee
la pena mia Ga11lei wrote passaggi on a note which, although
belonging to the harmony, rose higher than the written
soprano pitch (bb.23 & 24). An occasional pract ice of both
Galilei and Terzi, this seems to be a means of enlivening
the model's harmonically static breve and semibreve chords.
Such writing is more effective than merely reiterating a
chord (see b.42),

(ii) Io mi son giovinetta

It is valuable to our understanding of intabulation

style that Galilei published both Eumatio's intabulation of
Io mi son giovinetta and Fronimo's corrected version, as
well as a bar-by-bar commentary. Since it offers a unique
opportunity for comparison, the first half of the Ferrabosco
ballata is presented in Example 3.40 with the tablatures,
their transcriptions, and the vocal model which has been
transposed down a fourth from Einstein's edition to
accommodate the tablatures. 124
Einstein's musiea fieta
recommendations are given above the stave, and agree with
all of Fronimo's fieta interpretations, with the exception
of a sharp in bar 3 and another in bar 6. There are two
other versions of Galilei's intabulation in the 1568
printing of Il Fronimo - but the differences between the two
editions are slight. <In Example 3.40 any signs exclusive to
the 1568 print are placed in square brackets. )

123, cf. Volume II, p. 163 bb.25-40, & p. 168 bb.42-58.

124. Galilei (1568), pp. 27 & 34; Galilei (1584), pp. 47 & 56.
The vocal model used in the transcription of Example
3.40 is from Alfred Einstein, The Italian Madrigal
(1949), p.56. There is another modern edition of
Galilei in Fano, op. eit., p.89, which unfortunately
contains some errors.
 orna ment ation 122

EXAMPLE 3.40
Gali lei (1568 ) and (1584 )
D.Fe rrab osco, Io nU son glov inett a

e:t 1/0 1o,,", -

B

Eumatio

Fronimo

Eumatio

Fronimo
 orna ment ation 123

Exam ple 3.40 cont.

1; I I

J - 10.. Me.r ... ee. d'o..- IMO _t'e, M~r- c..<. e{ld,.. _ l\1or'e.r c:li dot ..
 ornamentation 124

Fronimo (that is, Galilei) began by admonishing Eumatio

for making "two great errors" in the first bar: '~the first
is that you have made the tenore move with the basso, from
the minor third to the octave without the semitone, and your
second error is to make the contralto move from the tenth to
the octave with the lowest part, likewise without [the
semitone]." The tenore C in bar 1 is sharpened in Fronimo's
version to comply with the application in the model of the
musica ficta rule of approaching a perfect interval from the
nearest imperfect interval. Secondly, for the same reason,
Fronimo sharpened the contra1 to F in the last beat of bar
1. 126 In the second bar he rearranged the rhyt hm signs,
omitting the G which was not in the vocal model at that
octave. In the third bar he cancelled a ficta interpretation
of Eumatio's which did not conform to the rule applied in
bar 1. Galilei did not interpret the G as a subsemitonium
modi.

Fronimo objected in the third bar, third beat, to the

"two twelfths between the parts of the bass and that of the
soprano". The interpretation of this passage is not entirely
clear. Galilei could have been objecting to the soprano
rising above the model to a' (a 12th above d), but (more
probably) he mistakenly wrote twelfth for tenth, -thus
objecting to the doubling of the third of the chord by the
tenore and canto. The ornament at the end of the bar was
also simplified in revision, with an ornament that was
"without doubt simpler and more melodious".126 Fronimo
altered the fingering of the chord on the third beat of the
second bar which he called "difficulty without any purpose",

-------------------------------------------
125. Voi ci havete fatto due g-randissimi errori, I1
primo de quali e i1 fare andar la parte del Tenore con
quella del Basso, dalla Terza minore all'ottava senza
i1 semituono, & il secondo commettete nel far venire la
parte del Contralto con la grave, dalla decima
all'ottava, pur senza ... Oalilei (1584), p.48.
126. non vedete voi che le sono due duodecime tra le
parte del Basso e quella del Soprano, non era meglio
acconcia cosi. Che era senza errore piu semplice, e piu
armoniosa. Oalilei (1584), p55. See comment in Fano,
ibid., p. cviii.
 ornamentation 125

preferring the open strings. Elsewhere in the revision of

this intabulation Galilei also rewrote the tablature in ways
which simplified the technical requirements of the left hand
without altering the pitches, as in the second beat of bar
3. It is not necessarily more difficult to play in the
higher left-hand positions but it can be more difficult to
make a musically smooth transition to a subsequent lower
position. Besides, the tuning is easier to control with a
longer string length. One can see such left hand
simplifications in almost all of Galilei's revisions from
the 1568 Il Fronimo. Where he substituted a higher position
in a revision he did so in order to realize a suspended
note.

In bar 4 Fronimo altered a simple slip (cipher 2 in

place of cipher 3 on the third course) and refingered a note
(fourth crotchet) from an open course to a fingered course,
so that the note "does not occupy the part of the
contralto".127 (Frankly I cannot see what he means at this
point since the original fingering did not interfere wi th
any other voice.) However, gi ving the same advice at bar 7
he refingered an arrangement of Eumatio's which clearly did
interfere with the part-writing.

Fronimo corrected Eumatio's misreadings in bar 5 which

had produced a parallel octave (A to G) on the second beat,
and in bar 6 Eumatio had apparently "taken too much licence"
by interpreting a sounded suspension as a tied suspension.
In the following bar Eumatio made the opposite mistake of
reiterating a suspended note. 128 Galilei fastidiously

127. Non fate mal che una parte occupl i1 luogo de11'altra:
non vedete che quel zero che voi fate su la mezzana, ha
da essere un quattro su1 Tenore; per non occupar la
parte del Contralto, Galilei (1584), p55.
128. Troppa licentia vi sete presa in questa sesta casa. Per
haver lasciato un dua nella corda del canto sotto quel
quattro del Bordone, & nella settima. Galilei (1584),
p.55.
 ornamentation 126

respected the model, but where necessary he compromised. The

suspended D in the alto of bar 5 for instance is omitted
because the difficulties in executing it would not have
rendered a worthwhile musical result.

In bar 8 Fronimo corrected a parallel octave (Bb to G)

by altering the tenore b flat to d in the first chord. The
tenore alteration g to d in the next chord seems unnecess~ry
and could well have been a misreading by Gali1ei or the
publisher (right cipher on the wrong course). In the
penultimate bar of the first half of this intabulation
Fronimo added some passaggi to the cadence, and in the final
chord he supplied the raised third.

4. Summary of Galilei's style of embellishment

Galilei's intabulations are more literal than Terzi's,

and appear to reflect a different philosophy. Ga1ilei
intabulated merely to facilitate a realisation on the lute
that was as true as possible to the original polyphony,
never to improve upon or recompose the material in any way.
A modest amount of passaggi was added simply to assist the
melodic flow where the lute's sustaining powers declined,
and to intensify cadences. It is made very clear both from
his comment ary and from examples of int abulat ions, t hat he
avoided the type of ornamentation that could blur the.
polyphony. In this respect he was more concerned than Terzi
to produce a lute arrangement that was as true as possible
t o t he original and which adhered to st rict cont rapunt a1
rules. In spite of a notable increase in the application of
passaggi to some of Ga1ilei's 1584 revisions in Il Fronimo,
he clearly aimed for clarity. Fronimo disagreed with
Eumatio's suggestion that he should have included newer and
more difficult canzoni in his first lute book which "would
better demonstrate his art". Fronimo replied that "his art
was revealed best by those. simple old songs, since it was
just as difficult to intabulate them so that they sounded
well on art i ficial instruments. Then they would be praised
 ornamentation 127

for exactly the same reason as an ugly old woman would be,
who by means of make-up and a beaut i ful dress was made to
appear young and beautiful. "129 Galilei emphasised
simplicity and clarity above novelty, difficulty, and
density of passaggi. Rather than a vehicle for technical
display, ornamentation was for Galilei a device to represent
a polyphonic work by way of maintaining individual
polyphonic strands where the lute would otherwise have
difficulty sustaining them. Where he did not consider
ornamentation necessary he did not use it at all. The
intabulations of Qual miraco10 Amore, and Non mi tog1ia, for
example, are ent irely free of ornament at ion except for a
simple groppo at the final cadence of the latter. 130

Galilei was careful to ensure that melodic points did

not become obscured by passaggi. He consistently kept the
heads of imitative points free from ornamentation. It may
seem odd that the theorist who criticised the contrapuntal
style so strongly in Dia1ogo de11a musica antica et moderna
of 1581 should be so careful to preserve the polyphony in
his lute intabulations. On the other hand, since the source
of his objection (the conflict of vocal polyphony with the

129. Eumatio: Mo1to bene in veri ta, ancora che a me, come a
mol ti a1 tri pareva che gli havesse havuto per far cia,
a torre canzone piu nuove, & piu difficili, perche con
i1 loro mezzo saria maggiormente venuto a most rare la
sua arte. Fronimo: Anzi e venuto a far conoscere
maggiormente la sua arte col mezzo di que11e canzoni
antiche, e faci1i, per esser ne11'intavolar1e di
maniera, che udendo1e poi negli artificiali strumenti
grate siano a11'udito l'istessa difficu1ta, che sarebbe
mediante i be11etti, & un ricco, & vago habito, ornare
di maniera una Donna vecchia, & di non molte leggiadre
fattezze, che vedendola poi, giovane e be11a, l'occhio
la giudicasse. Galilei (1584), pp. 47-48.
130 Galilei (1584), pp. 14 & 170. Modern editions of both
pieces in Fano, ibid., p.21, and of Non mi tog1ia in
this dissertation, Volume 11, no.21, p.218.
 ornamentation 128

sense of the text), is absent in intabulations, there is no

conflict between Galilei's monodic theories --and his
upholding of the polyphonic ideal in intabulations. It is
likely that Galilei's dislike of ornamental flourishes for
their own sake in lute intabulations, stemmed from his
belief that in vocal music "the niceties of imitative
count erpoint" should be subordinate "t 0 the expression of
the text". 131

To summarise,

(1) Both Terzi and Galilei took great care with

dissonances resulting from passaggi, Galilei being the
more conservative in this respect.
(2) Galilei, in intabulating for the lute, did not
consider the meaning of the text in the literal way
that Terzi did on occasion.
(3) Galilei took more care than Terzi not to obscure
the polyphony wi th passaggi.
(4) Whereas Terzi wrote some intabulations that
delighted in virtuoso embellishment for their own sake,
Galilei always wrote with respect for the original
work, adding passaggi for pract ical reasons only. This
difference between the two intabulators could well owe
something to Galilei's continuing involvement with
lute-song, whereas Terzi seemed more interested in
creating solo and instrumental ensemble intabulations.
This aspect of intabulation will be evaluated in
Chapter 5.

131. C. V. Palisca, "Vincenzo Galilei", New Grove, vol. 7,

p.97.
 ornamentation 129

MANUSCRIPTS AND ORNAMENTATION

In the manuscripts consulted for this study the

ornamentation is very light, often non-existent, and at
times the model is simplified. If the lute music found in
manuscripts reflects the technical expertise of amateur
lutenists, then we can assume that the printed lute books
show the upper level of technical abilities of a few. A
Florentine manuscript'32 omits notes from chords, presenting
a predominantly three-part texture'33 as does a manuscript
from Genoa, but in a more random fashion. '34 Since the
omission of a voice in a four-part texture was practised by
Tromboncino in making 1 ut e-song arrangements, <al bei t
because he claimed to be in a hurry), '35 it is likely that
these manuscript intabulations were also written as
accompaniments, and that possibly the compiler of the book
sang one of the vocal lines.

Two manuscripts consulted which contain a significant

number of highly ornamented intabulations are the
beautifully pres~nted book of Capirola's lute music of about
1517, '36 and a later manuscript compiled by Pietro Paulo
Raimondo of Como, dated 1601. '37 Les Rottner in his thesis
on Capirola's intabulations, observed that Capirola used
ornaments motivically, and that in some intabulations he
"shows a conscious attempt at assimilating the ornament to
the original melodic figurat ion". ' 38 In other words,
Capirola placed ornaments at the same part of an imitative
point at successive entries of that point. In this respect

132. Ms. Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Fondo

Magliabechiano, XIX. 168.
133. For example, Volume 11, no. 37 p.279.
134. Ms. Genoa, Biblioteca Univeritaria, Ms.F. VII/I.
135. A. Einstein, The Italian Madrigal, Vol I, p.48.
136. Compositione di Messer Vincenzo Capirola, facs. ed.,
SPES <Florence, 1981).
137. Ms.Como, Biblioteca Comunale, senza segnatura <Raimondo
1 utebook).
138. L. R. Rottner, Vincenzo Capirola's intabulation
practices with special emphasis on musica ficta,
MA. diss., <Hartford, 1967), p.15.
 ornamentation 130

he anticipated Francesco's style rather than reflecting

Spinacino's, although he did share Spinacino's tendency to
initiate elaboration from the first bar. Another stylistic
difference between the two early intabulators is that where
Spinacino wrote long continuous sections of passaggi in
notes of one rhythmic value, Capirola provided greater
rhythmic variety. 1 3 9

Striggio's madrigal Nasee la pena mia, intabulated in

the Raimondo manuscript, of 1601, is worth examining as an
example of a fairly ornate manuscript intabulation. 140

Raimondo left the first two bars free of ornamentation,

simplifying two chords in the second bar. From bars three to
eight he gradually increased the stepwise quaver passaggi
until the ninth bar, after which, until bar 35, the passaggi
are almost continuous. At the breve chord in bar 41,
Raimondo took the opportunity, as Terzi did in the same bar
of his intabulation, to provide a virtuoso semiquaver and
demisemiquaver ornament. Up to this point the heads of
imitative points are relatively free of ornamentation, but
from the beginning of the long repeated section, (bars 42-
58), the character changes somewhat into passaggl of
absolutely continuous quavers, constantly shifting from one
voice to another. Although in his intabulation of this
madrigal Terzi increased the intensity of the passaggi a
little in the repeated section, the sense of "variation" is
not as obvious as it is in the manuscri pt. Raimondi
concluded with a four-bar coda, a pract.ice not unknown, but
rare. 141

139. Compare for instance the two intabulations of

Agricola's Si dedero in Compositione di Messer Vincenzo
Capirola, op elt., p. 115 and Spinacino (Brown 1507/2,
fol.29v), and the two intabulations of Obrecht's
Chrlste de si dedero in Compositione di Messer Vineenzo
Capirola, op eit., p.70 and Spinacino (Brown 1507/2,
fol. 4v).
140. Volume 11, no. 16 p. 154.
141. See for instance, M. Newsidler's, Io mt son giovinet ta,
and Gostina's, Susanne ung jou~ both transcribed in
Volume 11, no. 41 p.310, & no. 44 p.315.
 ornamentation 131

LATE SIXTEENTH CENTURY PRINTED INTABULATIONS

The last quarter of the sixteenth century saw the

publication of almost as many lute-song intabulations as
solo or duo intabulations. 142 Apart from Galilei's revision
of Il Fronimo in 1584, and Terzi's two books, the only
printed solQ and duo lute intabulations in Italian tablature
are by Barbetta, Fallamero, and Molinaro. '43 Fallamero's
intabulations in his Primo libro of 1584 are, as previously
mentioned, very lightly ornamented, if at all. 144 We cannot
assume, however, that the simple nature of the solo
intabulations indicates that they were for song
accompaniment, since Fallamero had also included twenty
intabulations for solo voice in mensural notation. <In any
case Fallamero's frequent careless omission of bars would
preclude performance with singers unless the omissions were
rectified. )146

Barbetta in his Novae Tabulae Musicae of 1582

ornamented his intabulations a little more than Fallamero
but no more imaginatively, employing the same groppo at most
cadences with very little variety (Example 3.41). Neither
did he respect the melodic structure of the model, since
stepwise passaggi cross from the end of one imitative point
to the beginning of another, with the result that all the
intabulations resemble each other somewhat. 146

142. For data refer the summary of Appendix 1.3.

143. Brown 15821/1, 158413, 1599/7.
144. See Volume 11, no. 10 p.104, no. 16 p.154, no. 17 p.177, &
no. 39 p.305.
145. See Volume 11, no. 1'6: p.157 (b. 10) & p.164 (b.29)j and
no. 17 p. 177 (b. 3).
146. See transcriptions in B. Thomas, The Lute-books of
Giulio Cesare Barbetta, Ph. D. diss. (Texas, 1973):
examples: Martin menoit p.542, Susanne ung jour p.592,
In dubio di mio stato p.384. See also Liquide perle
p.391 (also transcribed in the present dissertation,
Volume 11, no. 17 p.177).
 ornamentation 132

EXAMPLE 3.4-1
Barbetta's groppo

The intabulation by Gostina of Lassus's chanson Susanne

ung jour, included in Molinaro's publication, is worthy of
at tent ion not only because Terzi and many others arranged
this popular chanson, but because it is one of the few
examples we have, apart from Terzi' s, of a print ed solo
intabulation from the final decade of the century. a47

Gostina's Susanne ung Jour is a very highly ornamented

intabulation. Although it carries about as much
ornamentation as Terzi's highly ornamental "con passaggi"
arrangement of Striggio's Nasce la pena mia, it is simpler
and more accessible technically than Terzi's. Unlike the
other intabulations in Molinaro's publication, Gostina added
ornaments to the first bar. The style of this intabulation
is so similar tocontrappunti and in concerto
Terzi's
intabulations that it would not be too far fetched to
suppose'that this could also have been written for ensemble
performance of some sort.

Gostina's style resembles Terzi's contrappunti

intabulations in two important respects. First, he
ornamented imitative points motivically (Example 3.42), and
second, he adopted an ornamental figure such as one in
Example 3.43 and used it for several bars, exchanging it for
another figure in subsequent bars. Example 3.42 illustrates
Gostena's motivic elaboration on Lassus's pair of opening
imitative points. The first and third, and second and fourth
entries are ornamented with similar figuration. Gostina

----------------_-..:._-------------------------------
147. Volume 11, no. 44 p.315.
 ornamentation 133

ornamented motivically also on "Fust en son coeur triste"

(bars 28 to 35>, and at the entries of "de ce cQrps mien
vous avez jouissance" (bars 61 to 68>. Thus he highlighted
the melodic structure of the model while in other respects
he wrote over the original melodic material, disregarding
the structure. In Example 3.44 for instance, he used the
harmonic structure of the model on which to hang his own
figuration. Gostina treated dissonance more freely than
Terzi, frequent ly omi t t ing the original suspensions (bars
12, 13, 19, & 27>, and writing new ones elsewhere (bars 143
& 64>. Also in Example 3.44 he changed the modality from
G minor to G major.

EXAMPLE 3.42
Gostina, Susanne ung jour, bb. 1-6

~ .... ; ....
first entry, canto second entry, contratenore

third entry, qulnta parte fourth entry, basso

 ornamentation 134

EXAMPLE 3.4-3
Gostina, Susanne ung jour
(a) bb.1-6 (b) bb.7-15 (c) bb.16-17 (d) bb.25-27

(a)

EXAMPLE 3.4-4-
Gostina, Susanne ung jour, bb.71-72

~ c"esr ~A,-t del

•
-~~ \ c"')ee.t ~ ~o.; l:- I, c.)es+
J JZ.! \t ~
.
f
ee, c?.e.sf

\......--.. \ \ \
"""""" ..
,.
"
- C

1- L I
J
r
.",
I \ \
I \ \
 ornamentation 135

Part four. Didactic Manuals for Ornamentation

Extant ornamentation manuals of the sixteenth

century'46 do not specifically mention that their tables of
ornamental formulae are suitable for the lute; neither is
there any indic~tion that would lead us to believe that they
should not apply to the lute. In fact many authors of the
didactic manuals, if they specify instruments or voices, are
just as likely to indicate that the music is equally
suitable for both:

Motetti, Madrigali, et canzoni Francese

diminuiti per sonar con ogni sorte di stromenti, &
anco per cantar con semplice voce da Giovanni
Bassano. (Venice, 1591). '49

It is clear all the same that some of the books were

directed towards singers more than to instrumentalists
(Maffei, Bovicelli) while others were directed towards
instrumentalists alone (Ganassi, Virgiliano). But as Brown
points out, "even when a book is written with one specific
instrument in mind, like Ganassi 's Fontegara on the
recorder, the author is careful to insist that his advice
can be more widely applied." uso

Common to most didactic manuals are tables of cadential

ornaments, or tables of the numerous ways to connect each
melodic interval ornament ally. Most of the ornaments are
common to all of the authors. There is nothing unique about
the elements of elaboration used by the lute intabulators;
the passaggi and groppi used by Terzi, or any other lutenist
of the sixteenth century for that matter, can be found in

148. H.M. Brown lists the main didactic manuals referred to

here, in Embellishing Sixteenth-Century Music, Early
Music Series 1 (London, 1978), pp. ix-xii; see also
E.T. Ferand, "Didactic Embellishment Literature in the
Late Renaissance: A Survey of Sources", in Aspects of
Medieval and Renaissance Music, A Birthday Offering to
Gustave Rees~ ed. Jan la Rue (Cologne, 1956) pp. 157-
159.
149. Brown 1591/2.
150. H.M. Brown, op.cit., pp.xl-xii.
 ornamentation 136

anyone of the ornamentation manuals. The ornaments used for

the lute are. however. generally much less ambitious than
those of the didactic manuals. The total number of ornaments
used by the lutenists is minute compared with the large
compilat ions in the manuals. Terzi employed only a tiny
proport ion of those tabled by. for instance. Ganassi.
Bassano. and Francesco Rognioni. '5'

There are two ways that the didactic authors approached

the ornamentation of a melodic interval. One. which is
really a "grace". was to start and conclude an ornament on
the given note. and the other was to ornament from one pitch
to another. filling in the interval as it were. The second
method. that is the application of passaggi. is by far the
most common. as it produces a smoother melodic line and is
more likely to be used in continuous ornamentation. The
application of passaggi which proceed mainly conjunctly from
one note of the model to another can produce some harmonic
barbarisms. Hence Ganassi admonished his readers .. to begin
and end their passaggi on the main note of a melody so that
the counterpoint· will still be correct as composed." '5::Z

Ortiz also gave attention to single-note ornamentation.

(that is, beginning and ending the ornament on the given
note) as a means of avoiding parallel octaves. but in
practice it was more common to fill the interval
ornamentally. In most elaborations in the manuals it is
possible to find a few examples of single-note
ornamentation, just as one sees them occasionally in Terzi.
but in both the manuals and lute tablatures this is the
exception rather than the rule. A good example of the use of
single-note ornamentation can be seen in Bassano's
elaborat ion on Marenzio's Quando i vostri begli occhi in

151. Brown 1535/1, Brown 1598/1. Francesco Rognioni. Selva

de Varii Passaggi (Milan, 1620), a photocopy of which
was kindly sent to me by Professor Howard Mayer Brown.
152. H.M. Brown, op.eit.• p.23.
 ornamentation 137

EXAMPLE 3.45
Bassano, Quando i vostri begli oeehi bb.44-(7
I I I ..
C -

-- -"-
A -.....-
I l'~
T
5
B
~ 1 I ~~ F,,.: ~
~
../

I (model)

rtJ]-~-I~~
which some of the original interval leaps are retained
(Example 3. 45). Bassano was equally capable of doing the
exact opposite, that is, of ascending by st ep from a given
pitch, then leaping downwards to the next original pitch
(Example 3. 46a), This ornament and another incorporating
octave leaps (Example 3. 46b) are of the type also found in
Terzi's intabulations of instrumental canzonas.

EXAMPLE 3.46
Bassano, Caro Dolee b.4, b.7.
( Cl ) .......... 1 (b) !
C
A
T
5
J -lit- ~r J .... i: IJ .t£
B
y
-
I
(model)

"
-=:t~ Iz $ ~~
The treatment of dissonance varied depending on whether
the author conceived of ornamenting from semibreve to
semi breve, minim to minim, or crot chet to crot chet. Imogene
Horsley has pointed out that "Ganassi prefers to use the
whole note as the time-unit being ornamented",153 either
ignoring any intervening notes, or incorporating them as
part of the ornament. Other manuals treated the minim as the
basic unit, but at times changing to the crotchet or
semibreve unit, whereas Bassano generally preserved the
crotchet harmony.

-------------------------------------------------------------
153. I. Horsley, "The Diminutions in Composition and Theory
of Composition", AcM, vol. 35 (1963), p.126.
 ornamentation 138

In the examples cited here from ornamentation manuals

and lute intabulations, it is clear that the authors aimed
to preserve the basic consonances of the model, but in
faster passage work they take certain liberties in the form
of accent ed passing not es and leaps which depart from the
immediate harmon~. Horsley makes the observation that it was
not until the seventeenth century that there was the close
correlation between theory and practice in instrumental
music that there was in vocal music. "This was part icularly
true of music for lute and keyboard instruments, where the
departure from strict counterpoint included a freer use of
dissonance on long notes as well as the writing-in of
coloratura passages. "16A.

INSTRUMENTATION

It could be said that for the w,hole of the sixteenth

cent ury there was one pract ice and one common source of
ornamental formulae from which any instrumentalist or singer
could draw his or her elaborations, and that there was no
differentiation in style between vocal and instrumental
practice. But as Horsley observes, "the fact remains that,
even if the ornaments are the same, special skills are
required in playing them on the different instruments. "166

The instrumental techniques shaped particular arrangements

so that even in the cases where the arranger did not specify
the instrumentation, stylistic characteristics are evident.
Elaborations for voice tend to be a little lighter in
ornamentation and avoid awkward leaps within the pBssBggi,
and some authors such as Dalla Casa and Bovicelli 1 6 6
carefully observed principles of relating passaggi to the
text. Conversely, the work of other authors, such as

154. I. Horsley, op. cit., p.128.

155. I. Horsley, "The Solo Ricercar in Diminution Manuals:
New Light on Early Wind and String Techniques",
Act. Mus. t vol. 33 (1961), p.30.
156. Brown 1584/1, 1584/2, 1594/3.
 ornamentation 139

Vi rgi 1 iano, is obviousl y inst rument al in st yle, and in all

arrangements for the viola bastarda one encounters angular
outlines absent in texted elaborations.

In spite of emerging stylistic differences, it is not

until Virgiliano' s Il Dolcimelo of approximately 1600, and
Francesco Rognioni' s Sel va de varii passaggi of 1620 that
the music is presented separately for voice and varieties of
instruments. Virgiliano' s book 1 5 7 is in three parts. The
first book gives incomplete tables of ornaments for each
interval. The second book contains ricercari, madrigali, and
canzoni, presented according to the instruments' ranges,
with such titles as Ricercata per Viola Bastarda e Lauto, lse

and Ricercar di Flauto: Cornet to: Viol ono: Trasversa; e

simili. 159
The third book was to give instructions on the
tuning and playing of various instruments, including the
lute, but it remained unwritten.

Francesco Rognioni' s book is di vided int 0 t wo part s,

containing in the first book, tables of ornaments and music
examples for the voice, and in the second book, examples for
inst rument s. Rognioni discussed the technical pecul iari ties
of wind instruments, particularly the cornet to, the viola
bastarda, lira da gamba, lira da brazzo, viola da gamba, and
viola da brazzo. Then, to follow, he gave tables of
ornaments suitable for all the instruments, concluding with
six arrangements based on madrigals in which he specified
the instrumentation. His distinctions were not absolute
though, for he offered some choice of instrumentation. An
elaboration of Lassus's Susanne ung jour for instance is

157. Il Dolcimelo d'Aurelio Virgiliano dove si contengono

variati passaggi, e diminutioni cosi per voci, come per
tutte sorte 9'instrumenti musicali; con loro accordi, e
modo di sonare. (unpublished MS, ca. 1600) in facsimile
ed. M. Castellani, (Florence, 1979)
158. ibid., p.52.
159. ibid., p.72.
 ornamentation 140

for either violin or trombone in the style of the viola

bast arda. 160 To an arrangement of Susanne ung jour written
specifically for viola bastarda, he added the clause "0
altro instromento" , 161 and he further blurred the
distinction between vocal and instrumental music by writing
that the first book, besides "demonstrating the art of
polished and gracious singing", was "also useful to players
for imitating the human voice":

Nella prima [parte] de quali si dimonstra il modo

di cantar poli to, e con gratia Cosa ancora
utile a Suonatori per imitare la voce humana.
Nella seconda poi si tratta de passaggi difficili
per gl'instromenti ... 1 6 2

All the same, Francesco Rognioni made it clear that he

was operating under two sets of rules, one for voices and
one for instruments, by specifying that a Mortara canzona
was elaborated on vocal principles, and Palestrina's Vestiva
i colli and others to follow, were not. 163 Indeed, many of
the theorists <Zar1ino in particular), believed instruments
to be inferior to voices and that the best thing an
instrumentalist could do in compensation would be to imitate
the human voice. Ganassi advised the recorder player to
imitate the rise and fall of the human voice and the nature
of the words 1 6 4 and Bovice11i suggested to singers that,

in singing one must as much as one can,

imitate the words; that is, sad words are not to
be adorned wi t h passaggi but are to be
accompanied with stresses and a plaintive voice.

160. Modo di passagiar per i1 Viol one Over Trombone 131113

8astarda, <11: p.61>,
161. i bi d., <I I : p. 63).
162. ibid., title page.
163. Modo di pasegiar [sic] con regola naturale 131 Canto
<11: p. 57), . Modo di Passeggiar [sic] con di verse
Inventioni Non rego1ate 131 Canto <11: p.59).
164. adunque debbe imitare la voce humana cioe che essa
ale [sic] vo1te creste e mancha: per imitare la natura
de le parole ... <Brown 1535/1, capitulo.24).
 ornamentation 141

If the words are happy, use passaggi and thus give

them vivacity. 1 6 5

Statements such as Francesco Rognioni's, that "the

charm of the song consists principally in expressing well
and distinctly the words that one sings" are common among
the didactic manuals. 166 If, then, the duty of a singer was
to imitate the words, and the duty of the instrumentalist
was to imitate not only the nature of the voice but also the
meaning of the words, it is not surprising that we should
find examples of word-painting in Terzi, even in the absence
of a text. In this respect Terzi's intabulations reflect the
spirit of the Renaissance rather than looking forward to the
Baroque period. If a study were to be devoted to this
phenomenon in all sixteenth-century lute and vihuela music
it would, I suspect, not be found to be a rarity. Thibault
for instance says of Narvaez's intabulation of Josquin's
Mille Regretz, that "were the words to be sung, they would
fall exactly as in the vocal versi on, and when some
embellishments are added, it is not to produce a decorative
effect, but with the intention of underlining the sense of a
word ... "167

STYLE AND ORNAMENTAL COMPLEXITY

It is immediately obvious that lute intabulations are

much simpler than the ornamentation manuals. For example, a
comparison of six lute intabulat ions of Rore's Anchor che

165. Cosi nel cantare si devono piu che si pUG, imitare le

parole; cioe parole meste, non adornarle con Passaggi,
ma accompagnarle, per cosi dire, con accenti, e voce
flebile; se le parole sono allegre, usar Passaggi, e
darli an co vivacita ... (Brown 1594/3), facs. ed. by
Nanie Bridgman (Basel, 1957), p.15.
166." la Vaghezza del canto principalmente consiste,
nell'esprimere bene, & distintamente la par~la che si
canta ... F. Rognioni, Sel va de varii passaggi, (Milan
1620), I: p. ~1.
167. G. Thibault, "Instrumental Transcriptions of Josquin's
French Chansons", Josquin des Prez, ed. E.E. Lowinsky
(Oxford, 1976), p.466.
 ornamentation 142

col partire1 6 8 with ten versions from the didactic

literature, clearly demonstrates the less ornate style of a
lute intabulation. Any solo lute intabulation of Terzi's is
less ornate than a single-line elaboration of Bassano 169 or
Bovicelli. 170 On the other hand, a Terzi con trappunt 0
intabulation, such as Palestrina's Vestiva i calli, competes
very well with a Bassano or Bovicelli version in density of
elaboration. Naturally the first lute in a lute duet is
capable of a great deal more ornamentation than a solo
intabulation, since it can elaborate in a single continuous
line, accompanied by the second lute representing the
polyphony in unornamented form.

The most significant stylistic differences between

Terzi's contrappunto intabulations and the didactic
arrangements are rhythmic. The use of continual dotted
rhythms, called clamatione or accenti by Diruta,171 a style
developed extensively in the seventeenth century, is totally
absent from Terzi' s work (Example 3.47). Francesco Rognioni
employed such figures sequentially in his elaborations of

EXAMPLE 3. 47
Girolamo Diruta, Il Transilvanq vol 11, p.13

::-f-!-:~:t-:E:!~I=t:E-~:'=+*~t:~i:l:t:t-=f:I-:t-:::
-- - - - _ - - - -~--- - -
- -
b- - - :.. .: --.-.-
.. - - - --- := :::
-_.
-- ---------- .:.-- .:. . - -- --- - --'
~--
-
p- ~-------------- - ------------------ .!.._-.,7- - - - '
Clamatiom. Accenti.

-----------.. .-------..---!---t-----.
-- --- . . . .1---------- -,---
-- ---
~ ~----Q:_------0;7-----
------------------- ---i---..J----~-----
-_....
-----~-------~-----
-~----
-- ---- -- -----
--- --- --- ----- - ---
_---~----- --~_._-
_....----~---

1:-
,-~----~--.-----------
______ Y:__ . /
....-*---~---~---~--- ---§- - ---
--- ---- ---I---I---~-~-
~-,..-. ~--_+-_-~- - -_
---------.--...------- ·------4,--- ---l---t---- - -

168. Volume II, no. 37 p.279, & no. 38 p.290.

169. Volume II, no.9 p.97.
170. Volume II, no.3 p.30.
171. H.M. Brown, Embellishing Sixteenth-Century Music, Early
Music Series 1 (London, 1978), p.4; Girolamo Diruta, I l
Transil vano (Venice, 1593), vol. II, p. 13.
 ornamentation 143

Vestiva i colli 172 as did Bartolomeo in his basso solo

arrangement 173 and Bovicell i in Anchor che col part ire. 174-
Terzi however, never used dotted figures sequentially in
this manner, and neither did he write passaggi in groups of
triplets or septuplets such as we find tabled by Ganassi. 175
Such irregular rhythmic groups were used also by Bartolomeo
de Selma in Vestiva i colli,176 and Richardo Rogniono and
Dalla Casa in Anchor che col partire. 177

Just as there is some variety of style and practice

within the lute intabulation genre, so there are stylistic
differences between authors of the didactic manuals. Common
to the diminution manuals is the tendency, as Brown argues,
for performers "to prize independence and variety above
uniformity - yet another indication that performers in the
sixteenth century are little concerned with making obvious
the structural features of the music. "178 Individual
arrangers disgUised structural features to greater and
lesser extents, as the folloWing comparison between Bassano
and Richardo Rogniono illustrates.

In the two Richardo Rogniono elaborations of Anchor che

col part ire, one marked "per sonar con ogni sorte di
stromento" and the other "per la viola bastarda",179 the
ornamentation is as complex and dense as any contemporary
elaborat ion. In fact the wri t ing is so dense wi th
demisemiquavers 180 at times that it is hard to imagine any
instrumentalist being able to cope with it at anything like
the required speed. But, if Dalla Casa's comment that "all
the ornaments are struck note for note and in their correct

172. Erig and Gut man, op. ci t., pp. 351-2 & 366.
173. ibid., pp. 351-2.
174. Volume 11, no. 38 p.290.
175. Brown, op. ci t., p. 24.
176. Erig and Gutman, op. cit., bb.72-80.
177. Volume 11, no. 38 p.290.
178. Brown, op. ci't., p. 56.
179. Volume 11, no. 38 p.290, R. Rogniono versions 2 and 4.
180. Hemidemisemiquavers in transcription, ibid., bb.35-42.
 ornamentation 144

tempi" is universal, to play an elaboration such as this at

speed would have been the intention. lel

Richardo Rogniono made no attempt to retain the melodic

structure by allowing imitative points to' enter
unornament ed. On the contrary, he oft en began passaggi on
the opening note of a point, and even went out of his way to
avoid using an ornament which may have coincided with a
repeat of mel'odic material. In this arrangement he used two
ornaments (Example 3.48 a & b) several times at the
beginning of a point, (one of which approached a note from
the third below in a way that Bovicelli favoured) but he
avoided using the same figure at repetitions of melodic
material. In fact he swapped the ornaments of one version
with those of another to avoid any thematic consistency.le2
At other repetitions of melodic/poetic points he aimed, it
seems, for variety rather than consistency of figuration by
varying the ornaments considerably, adding to their
complexi t y.
EXAMPLE 3. 48
R. Rogniono
(a) (b)
,..,(model) /

I I I I I

'\ I --
(Rogniono b.33)

In the Dalla Casa arrangement of this madrigal for

viola bastarda, les: the embellishment wanders freely among

-----------------------------------------------------
181. Dunque ogn'uno batti la minuta a nota per nota, e porti
le quat tro figure [that si,croma, semicrome,
treplicate, and quadruplicate] tutte con il suo tempo,
se desidera far buon profitto, (Brown 1584/2" fol. Al>.
See also similar comment by Rognioni - Bisogna che il
passaggio sia di note eguali, & si senta a nota per
nota, che non sia ne troppo presto ne troppo tardo. ma
si tenga la strada di mezzo ... R, Rognioni, op.cit"
p.3); See also similar comment by Zacconi in R,
Donington, The Interpretation of Early Music (London,
1963/R1977), p.165.
182. See the phrase partir da voi, in Volume 11, no, 38,
bb. 22 & 33 (pp, 297 & 301).
183. Volume 11, no. 38 p.290, Dalla Casa 1.
 ornamentation 145

the voices in a manner that is similar to other arrangements

for this instrument. The Dalla Casa version and the two by
Richardo Rogniono, also for viola bastarda, disguise the
melodic structure of the model so entirely that one would be
hard pressed to recognise the original madrigal. Unlike the
other embellishments of this madrigal, these three
arrangements ignore the intervening rests from the end of an
imi tat i ve point in one voice, to the beginning of a point
in another voice, connect ing them wi th long flourishes. In
the third and fourth bars for instance, Dalla Casa's
arrangement leaves the pitch of the basso, and rises to the
first note of the imitative point of the canto in a highly
ornamental fashion. Richardo Rogniono's viola bastarda
arrangements do the same but less dramatically. Later,
however, Rogniono's embellish~ents are every bit as dramatic
as Dalla Casa's earlier interconnecting embellishment. 1e4

It appears that the viola bastarda, because of its

technical versatility, appealed more than any other as the
instrument to display the art of virtuoso diminution. This
instrument, which Rognioni calls "the queen of all the
instruments, "lSS is imitated in one of Terzi's most complex
solo intabulations. His intabulation of Striggio's Chi fara
fede "a modo di viola bastarda"lSe. i.mitates the viola
bastarda's style of wandering freely between the treble and
bass pitches of the model. This intabulat ion is 'clearly not
written for a viola bastarda, because the notes forming
chords are not written on adjacent strings as they would
have to be for a bowed inst rument. In fact it di ffers from
vi.ola bastarda music by its very inclusion of the vertical
element. Like Dalla Casa and Rogniono, Terzi treated this
madrigal as an harmonic structure on which to graft

-----------------------------------------------
184. Volume 11, no. 38, bb.13-14 (p.294)
185. La Viola Bastarda, qual e Regi.na delli altri
instromenti, per paseggiare [sic] ... R. Rognioni,
op. cit., 11: p.2),
186. Volume 11, no. 18 p. 191.
 ornamentation 146

as many passaggi as possible, totally disregarding any

polyphonic aspect of the model.

Bassano's arrangements could be equally ornate at

times, but he usually emphasised the beginning of imitative
points by leaving them free of passaggi. Of his three
versions of Anchor che col part ire, version two, because of
its ornamental complexi ty and angular lines, appears to be
instrumentally conceived. The other two are texted, and
their simpler style, <like the texted versions by Bovicelli
and Dalla Casa), suggests vocal performance. The most ornate
of Bassano's arrangements has the rubric "per sonar piu
parti" which would seem to suggest that it was based on two
or three voices of the model. On the contrary, it is an
embellishment of the basso with only a slight excursion into
the tenore at bar 37. Otherwise the embellishment preserves
the pitch of the basso at the beginning of each minim beat,
(crotchet beat in transcription), wandering far from that
pitch before the beginning of the next beat. This example of
Bassano differs considerably from others of his which carry
similar indicat ions. For instance his elaborat ions on two
Marenzio madrigals Quando i vostri 1e 7 and Liquide
perle1ee both marked "per piu parte", are ornamented on
successive polyphonic entries of the basso~ quinto, and
tenore, in a manner which always makes the polyphony clear.
Both Bassano's arrangements of Quando i vostri and the "per
sonar piu parte" version of Anchor che col partire cover a
range of an octave and a fifth (A-f') - perfectly managable
vocally - whereas versions by other composers specifically
marked " for viola bast arda" have a much wider range of two
octaves and a fifth. le9 In one case the range is as much as
three octaves and a sixth. 190 That the Bassano version is

187. Volume 11, no.9 p.97.

188. Volume 11, no. 17 p.177
189. Volume 11, no. 38 p.290: Dalla Casa 1: E-b',
Rogniono 3: E-c".
190. ibid., Rogniono 4: D-b".
 ornamentation 147

more likely to have been written for voice than for the
viola bastarda, is suggested by its smaller range and the
inclusion of the text. 191 While the presence of a text can
never be taken as conclusive evidence of vocal performance,
it appears significant that none of the other viola bastarda
versions carry a text.

Not every author agreed wi th Zacconi' s advice to set

forth opening passages "simply and clearly, so that the
en try of each part may be bet t er heard." 1 92 Bovi cell i' s
vocal elaboration of Anchor che col partire, while not as
ornate as some of Rognioni's versions, nonetheless conceals
the beginnings of imitative points with ornaments. Bovicelli
had a predilection for a slide from a third below the first
note of a polyphonic point. This he used without regard for
imitative entries, thus disguising the melodic structure.
However, he did leave sufficient melodic material unadorned
overall, to facilitate recognition of the original madrigal.

In general, as would be expected, the texted

elaborations are simpler than the untexted ones, while the
viola bastarda versions are the most complex and the least
related figurally to the original melodic material. In
highly' ornamented examples like these, the arrangers,
especially Bovicelli and Rogniono, used motivic interplay as
a means of unifying what would otherwise have been mere
unrelated ramblings and in so doing they "recomposed" the
model melodically, in a style approaching free fantasia.
They attained a degree of unity in their elaborations, using
the same method as Terzi in his highly ornamented
intabulations, which was to employ a figure sequentially for
two or three bars. Terzi's use of figural self-imitation
such as that seen in S'ogni mio ben'havete is, however, much
more consistent and structured than the examples discussed
here. This technique is actually documented by the theorist

191. This is contrary to Brown's suggestion, op. cit. , p.47.

192. Donington, op. cit., (1977 edition), p.165.
 ornamentation 148

Zacconi, who "encourages the per former to add to a

composi t ion in his improvisation a new element of mot i vie
int erplay, qui t e independent of the composer's
intention. 1119;3

Consistent figural embellishment of successive melodic

entries, which in effect emphasised the original st ruct ure,
was rare in the didactic manuals, whereas Terzi employed the
technique often. Some authors ornamented with regard to the
model more than others. Diruta in his 1593 treatise I1
Transilvano clearly advocated respect for the polyphony when
he wrote:

"You must first understand that when you

embellish, you do so in the parts that do not
carry the imitation, but when you do want to
embellish the imitation, you must take care to use
the same embellishment for all the identical
imitative points. 11194

VIRGILIANO

A clear set of gUide lines on how to embellish was left

by Virgiliano in his manuscript I1 Dol cimel o. 196 This book
serves as a useful comparison with Terzi's style of
ornamentation for two reasons: Virgiliano was a contemporary
of Terzi, and his musical examples are specifically
inst rument al. Below is a translation of his rules of
embell i shment.

193. Brown, op.cit., p.51.

194. Dovete primieramente sap ere, che l'intavo1are
diminuito, si deve fare ne11e parti, che non fanno la
fuga, e quando anche si vo1esse diminuire la fuga, si
deve avertire, che que11a diminutione la facciano tutte
que11e parte, che fanno l'istessa fuga Il
Transilvano, (Venice, 1593), facs. ed., L. Cervelli
(Bologna, 1969), 11: p.l0.
195. Il Dol cime1 0; Dove si contengono variati Passaggi e
Diminutioni (unpublished Ms. c.1600), facs. ed.,
(Bologna, 1967) .
 ornamentation 149

Rules of embellishment 1 9 6

1. The division should run as much as possible in conjunct

motion.

2. All the minute [passaggiJ must be one good and the

other bad. [ i e. consonance must alternate with
dissonance. ]

3. Those minute that leap must be all good [consonant].

4. The gi ven not e should always be played at the

beginning, in the middle, and at the end of t he beat.
When it is not convenient [to return to the given note]
at the middle, one must at least always play [a note]
nearby that is consonant and never dissonant with that
note, except as a fourth above it.

5. When the given note rises, the last note of the minute
should also rise, and vice versa.

196. Virgiliano, I1 Do1cime10, fol. 3:

Regale della Dlminutlone

1. La diminutione caminar deve per grado i1 piu

che sia possibi1e.
2. Tutte le Minute debbono essere una buona, e
l'a1tra cattiva.
3. Que11e Minute che sa1tano, debbono essere
tutte buone.
4. La nota del soggetto vuo1e esser sempre
toccata ne1 principioi ne1 mezzo, e ne1 fine
de11a battuta. E quando ne1 mezzo non
tornasse commodoi si deve a1meno toccar
vicino in 1uogo, che gli sia consonante, e
non mai dissonantei eccetto nel1a quarta di
sopra.
5. Quando i1 soggetto camina in SUi l'u1tima
nota delle minute deve ancor el1a caminar di
giu in su: e cosi peer] contrario.
 ornamentation 150

6. It will be stylish to make a scale-movement spanning an

octave, ascending or descending, and to return [to the
given note] when convenient.

7. When one leaps an octave, it must be to the octave

above, and not the octave below, to avoid collision
with the other parts.

8. The division should never depart from the given note by

more than a fifth below or above.

9. Only in the case of these two semibreve G's s

may the divisions be allowed to depart seven steps
above or below the given note; but it is allowed only
in a rush of semiquavers.

10. When one finds two successive thirds stepping upwards,

it is permissible to use the fourth

below [the G] , since it is the oct ave of the final
third,

thirds
as:

, p
descending,
S
: it
Contrariwise,
is permissible
when one finds two
to do the same,

_____ ~~~_._~ra:sp:se the l:t not=--=-=-octave~'E~eE~6~~:~

6. Sara bella maniera correre un'ottava di lungo
o in gi 1.1, 0 in su; quando torni c6modo.
7. Quando si salta un'ottava; si deve fare in
quella di sopra, e non in quella di sotto;
per non incontrar l'altre parti.
8. Non deve la Diminutione discostarsi mai dal
soggetto piu d'una Quinta sotto, 0 sopra.
9. Solo in questi due, SOL, di mezzo [example]
si pub la Diminutione discostare dal soggetto
sette gradi di sopra, e sette di sotto: Ma si
concedera solo in una furia di semicrome.
10. Quando si trovano le due Terze di sopra; come
[example) si concedera di potersi servire
della Quarta di sotto, perche sara l'ottava
dell'ultima Terza come [example). Cosi per
contrario, quando si troveranno le due terze
di sotto, far si potra 10 stesso: come
[ example).
 ornamentation 151

The only arrangement of a polyphonic p~ece that

Virgiliano included Palestrina's Vest i va i colli
provides a revealing comparison with Virgiliano's rules. 197

Although he said that conjunct motion was preferable, he

often employed large leaps (Example 3.4-9a) in his passaggi,
as well as sections of sequential thirds (Example 3. 49b),
and very instrumental figures beginning and ending on the
same notes (Example 3.49c).

EXAMPLE 3.49 198

Virgiliano, VestivB i colli
(a) (b) (c)

His second rule appears not to imply that the first of

every pair of notes in the passaggi must be consonant, but
rather that the passaggi must be consonant at the minim beat
as in Example 3.50. But he breaks this rule too by writing
an accented passing note a few bars later (bar 12) on the
first beat of the bar.
EXAMPLE 3.50 199
Virgiliano, VestivB i colli
A

..... -.. -.- ...J

tJ _ tor
- ·1 no--
A

,~ -tor in- - - - - - • tor - - • - - • • - . - - - - •

A

)'
~~~~~~.~~~~*~~~
IFe

.. . • sti· • v'i col - • - • • . . - • li e

Fe - - '.. • sti • . v'i

J
- - .
~, . -

Rule three seems to apply to leaps occurring in quaver

passaggi, but not in faster note values, where greater

------------------------------------------------------------
197. Erig and Gutman, op. cit. , p.347-377.
198. i bi d., pp. 356, 358, 359.
199. i bi d., p. 349 bb 7-9(
 ornamentation 152

freedom is allowed <b. 9, Example 3.50). Just whatVirgiliano

meant by rule four is not clarified by his arrangement of
Vestiva i colli, as he only occasionally returned to the
original note before ornamenting the next, and neither did
he follow his own edict that the direction at the end of a
note's embellishment should be the same as the model's.
Octave spans running up and down he obviously relished. They
are an important part of his vocabulary as indeed they are
of any of the didactic authors.

His warning against descending an octave by a leap

because of the danger of colliding with the other parts,
does not of course apply in this case where the polyphony is
reduced to a single-line embellishment. Virgiliano did not
adhere to the rule of not deviating from the original
pitches by more than a fifth. In bar 33 for instance
<Example 3.51> he wrote passaggi an octave above the canto
pitch of the model, and there are no examples of the
passaggi ascending a minor seventh above the original as in
rule nine. The type of octave transposition mentioned in
rule ten he applied often, indeed as did any of his
contemporaries. Oddly, this elaboration breaks off at bar
41, to resume a few bars later without ornamentation.
Perhaps the performer was expected to elaborate further by
improvisat ion.
EXAMPLE 3.51 2 0 0
A

-
Iv . . . . . . . . . . . . - . . - ri . . . . --
A I dn

:::::::
,V

11 .......
dn • . --. . - . . - • ta d'her --. . . Ib'e di fron· . --
-J -
l~ . . - --. - -. -- - -
11
-
• ta d'her be e di fron Id'H
J
r - ri,
1-

200. ibid., p.357, bb.32-34.

 ornamentation 153

Part Five. Conclusion

While there is a gradual increase in the application of

passaggi to l,ute intabulations through the course of the
sixteenth century. this is not the most significant
stylistic development pertaining to ornamentation. There are
isolated indications of an increasing use of ornamentation
in. for example. Oalilei ' s revisions in the 1584- edition of
Il Fronimo, and it is certainly true that Terzi's most
ornate arrangements are more complex and virtuoso than those
of Francesco da Milano some fifty years earlier. However, no
simple pattern is evident of a development from literal
intabulations at the beginning of the century to highly
ornate intabulations at the close of the century. Rather,
there is a great variety in the degree of ornamental density
to be found. not only between examples of early and late
sixt eenth-cent ury int abulat ions, but also within single
sources. By far the most obvious patterns of development
emerge in relation to style. Significant stylistic changes
can be seen in the harmonic treatment of passaggi, and where
they are applied within the texture.

From Francesco da Milano onwards. dissonance is treated

with greater care. consistent with evolving polyphonic
theory and pract ice. Accented passing notes on strong beats
are very rare. and any dissonance additional to that of the
model is more commonly the result of reiterating a suspended
note at a cadence. Such al teration was clearly considered
necessary by the intabulators in order to compensate for the
inability of the lute to sustain some notes for the required
length. The beginnings of strong minim beats are almost
always consonant with the harmony. although in the very fast
passage work, 1 i bert ies are allowed such as passing
dissonances on the relatively weak minim or the crotchet
beat. It is usually against sustained harmony that such
dissonances occurj in ot her words, it is "unsounded"
dissonance that is permitted. Just as the greater momentum
of passaggi allows harmonic freedoms not to be found in the
 ornamentation 154

vocal models, so the rhythmic patterns in lute passaggi are

freer, particularly in placing a pair of relatively small-
value notes on a relatively strong beat.

Clearly there is a stylistic change from the

intabulations of Spinacino and Dalza to those of the last
decades of the century, but the most significant stylistic
development occurred between the publications of the early
intabulators and those of Francesco da Milano. The earlier
style is characterized by a freer treatment of dissonance,
shown in large leaps, false relat ions, and accent ed passing
not es. Such freedom of harmonic st yle did not exist aft er
the middle decades. A particular characteristic of
Spinacino's duet intabulations is preserved almost a century
later. Like Spinacino, in most of Terzi's duets one lute
reproduces the polyphony unadorned, while the other performs
an improvisatory-like elaboration.

Some mid-century intabulators such as Bakfark varied

their figuration very little, relying on the same stock
ornaments regardless of the melodic character of the model.
Terzi, on the other hand, while also relying heavily on
stock stepwise formulae common to a'll sixteenth-century
int abulat ions, nonethel ess characterized the int abulat ions
so that each was slightly different. This characteristic of
musical consistency is shared with Francesco da Milano, with
whom Terzi also shares artistic excellence.

From the intabulations of Francesco da Milano the best

intabulat ors began to characterise their elaborat ions wi th
motivic interplay. The new figural consistency within
passaggi, which was not necessarily related to figuration of
the model, introduced musical elements which led in the most
ornat e pieces towards a recomposi t ional process. This is
especially clear in Terzi's contrappunti intabulations.
Taken to extremes, which in Terzi's elaborations is often
the case, the recompositional process actually takes
precedence over the preservation of the polyphonic character
 ornamentation 155

of the model. EXisting beside this extreme in Terzi's work

is its opposite of literal intabulation. Whatever purpose
the arrangements served, almost all of the middle and late
sixteenth-century lute intabulators included both lightly
and more heavily ornamented intabulations within the same
publication. Terzi epitomized this tendency to include a
wide variety of elaborations; a pract ice which is no less
than the expression of musical individuality and variety.

Existing alongside those intabulations which completely

or almost completely disguise the model's polyphony, is a
tendency to elaborate in a way which preserves or emphasises
the structure of the model. Particularly in the works of
Terzi and Francesco da Milano, we find examples of
consistent imitative motivic structure, that is, the
application of an ornamental motive at the same point in
successive imitative entries. While a process such as this
might disguise the melodic character of the model, at the
same time it highlights the structural features. Within the
category of light to medium elaborations, the intabulator
consistently respected the melodic features of the motet or
madrigal. Almost all lute intabulators during the sixteenth
century (an exception being Barbetta) left the opening bars
free of passaggi, as well as most of the heads of imitative
entries. Almost without exception (excluding Terzi's
contrappunti elaborations) the passaggi kept within the
bounds of the range of the vocal model. The result was that
even fairly ornate intabulations, such as some of Bakfark's,
outlined the upper voice of the model in a way that
preserved the melodic structure. Furthermore, recognition of
the model was ensured by the bass which was the least
ornamented part of any intabulation.

Because of the importance placed on cadential

ornaments, the lightly-ornamented intabulations throughout
the century had their ornamentation concentrated at cadence
points. The resulting stop/start pattern of distribution is
more common than that of more or less continuous application
 ornamentation 156

of ornamentation. Thus the sectional structure of the model

is as pronounced in such a lute intabulation as it would be
when performed as an unornamented madrigal or motet.

It is of further significance that with two exceptions,

Terzi's very ornate intabulations belong to either
contrappunti or in concerto elaborations. Because the
original polyphony is preserved by another lute, or
supported by other instruments, what at first appears to be
a heavily disguised intabulation, while one cannot deny the
extravagance, is not so. Certainly the most ornate lute
intabulation has nowhere near the exuberant virtuosity found
in the didactic manuals, which in any case must have been
examples by the authors of the utmost in technical display
and are not necessarily representative of normal improvised
pract ice.

The examples within Terzi's work of representations of

the meaning of the text are similar to the word-painting
techniques of the "mannerists". While not a constant feature
of his work, evidence of word-painting technique reflects a
willingness to continue to respect the vocal origins of the
intabulation despite its new instrumental medium. Such
treatment indicates that the transition to instrumental
thinking was not yet complete by the end of the century,
that solo instrumental music was not absolute.

In conclusion, the lute intabulations of Terzi and

other sixteenth-century lutenists, while sharing many
stylistic features do not collectively reflect a simple
progression through time, of a growing tendency to use the
model merely as a harmonic basis on which to drape parasitic
elaboration. While that tendency was certainly evident in
some lute intabulations, as it was in the didactic
elaborat ions, it coexist ed wi th the converse tendency to
respect or even highlight the polyphonic structure of the
vocal model, even at times allowing poetic allusions.
 ornamentation 157

It is indicative of the sixteenth-century musician's

apparent freedom of musical expression that there should be
the two extremes of the literal intabulation coexisting with
the highly ornamented intabulation. 201 In the literal
intabulation the essential musical structure of the model is
.
mirrored in an instrumental medium, the only transformation
resulting from differences in timbre, volume and pitch. In a
ornamented arrangement the intabulator is collaborating in
the composi t ional process by adding figurat ion which may
ei t her highl ight or disguise the st ruct ure. Indeed, some of
the very ornate intabulations are no less original or
instrumental in style than fantasias written specifically
for the instrument, not all of which were entirely original
in any case as is demonstrated in Chapter 6.

Another factor accounting for v?riety of intabulation

style within a single pUblication is undoubtedly the
function of the intabulations. The music may have been
arranged for all sort s of pract ical reasons and purposes:
for the enjoymen~ at first hand of a vocal work to accompany
a singer, singers, or other instrumentalists, and for
technical display by a highly competent soloist, all of
which call for different degrees of ornamentation. The
function of intabulations is the subject of investigation in
the Chapters to follow.

201. For further discussion on the ornate intabulations see

Chapter 6, pp. 304-306.
 CHAPTER FOUR

MUSICA FICTA

Part one. Introduction

TABLATURES

Lute intabulations, unlike vocal music, would not seem

to give editors or performers the task of applying musica
ficta, since in most cases the tablature can be taken as
read. Because of their precise relative-pitch notation one
could easily assume that lute tablatures would offer
indisputable ficta interpretations applicable to their vocal
models. It could also be assumed that there is little need
to apply musica ficta editorially to the lute tablatures
themselves. However, lute tablature arrangements of
polyphonic vocal works can not necessarily be taken
literally. For one thing, some tablatures in printed sources
need editorial ficta, either because the intabulator did not
apply it accurately, or because he or she actually failed to
apply it through a lack of knowledge of contemporary music
theory. Secondly, musica ficta is not a problem to which
there is one solution. Rather, like ornamentation, it is a
performance practice that could vary according to time,
place and personal taste. Besides, there is little agreement
among modern scholars about the degree to which instrumental
practice may be applied to contemporary vocal music, for
even if we agree that instrumental and vocal practices share
the same theoretical basis, we need to take into account
variables such as the specific locations and the decades
 musica ficta 159

from which the tablatures arise, as well as the competence

of each intabulator.

Among present-day scholars, Howard Brown and John Ward

are almost alone in unequivocally agreeing that lute (and
vihuela) tablatures can be utilized as evidence for musica
ficta application to the vocal models. Brown, ci t ing
evidence from Gafurius, Burtius, and Ganassi, justifies
applying musica ficta from lute intabulations to vocal music
on the grounds that "instrumentalists and vocal music both
shared the same theoretical basis in the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries". 1
Of the opposite view, Margaret Bent
is adamant that intabulations should not be taken as
evidence of musica fict~ on the grounds that they "are not
so much transcriptions as arrangements. "2 Neither does she
agree with Brown that instrumentalists and vocalists
operated under the same set of beliefs and principles, or at
least even if she agrees that the theory was shared, she is
convinced that the techniques force separate practices:

Neither modern notation nor tablature can provide

the only, or the most correct, or even an accurate
represent at ion of what singers ope rat ing under a
totally different set of constraints and options
would have produced. 3

This view is supported by Lewis Lockwood, who says that

"there is no reason to assume that the practices followed by
instrumentalists were carried over into the vocal
literature, where the tradition of solmization and musica
ficta particularly applies. "4

1. H.M. Brown, "Accidentals and Ornamentation in

Sixteenth-Century Intabulations of Josquin's Motets",
Josquin des Prez Proceedings of the International
Josquin Festival, Juilliard, 1971, ed. E. Lowinsky
(London, 1976), p.477.
2. M. Bent, "Diatonic Ficta", Early Music Series no. 4, ed.
1. Fenlen, (London, 1984), p. 42.
3. ibid.
4. New Grove, vol 12, p. 807.
 musica ficta 160

Several scholars take tablatures into consideration

under restricted conditions. Although Edward Lowinsky is
encouraged that one of his readings is confirmed by the
musica ficta within a lute intabulation,5 he warns that
instrumental transcriptions of a work should be "used with
caution, more as signposts than as models. lIe. Like Lowinsky,
Genevieve Thibault used tablatures as evidence in her
discussion of vocal musica ficta practice, while cautiously
bearing in mind that "they may have been written too many
years after the original, when tastes and conceptions
changed". She views Spinacino's intabulations of Josquin's
chansons for example, not as "works of art but as a faithful
testimony of the use [of musica fictaJ at a given period"7
but stresses the need to restrict one's interpretation to
the precise period in which the tablature was written.
Clearly, the greater the distance in time between the vocal
model and the intabulation, the less accurate the tablature
is likely to be as a guide to musica ficta interpretation.
But just how wide the time-gap can be before stylistic
discrepancies show is yet to be established. Like Thibault,
Charles Jacobs believes that rather than being involved in
the search for one perfect solution, we should expect to
find many different practices. Jacobs reminds us that
"musica ficta has to do with performance practice, therefore
it is logical that there should be a divergence of practice"
attributable to "differing musica ficta practices in the
various countries or to deficiencies in the sources, or
both. lie

5. Brown, op. ci t., p.520: Ochsenkun's intabulat ion of

nAbsalon f i l i mi n agrees in most details with
Lowinsky's edition.
6. E.E. Lowinsky, "Problems in Editing the Music of
Josquin des Prez", Josquin des Prez (London, 1976),
p.745.
7. G. Thibault, "Instrumental Transcriptions of Josquin's
French Chansons" I Josquin des Prez (London, 1976),
p.470.
8. C. Jacobs, "Spanish Renaissance Discussion of Musica
Ficta" , American Philosophical Society Proceedings,
vol. 112, (1968), p.277.
 musica ficta 161

Of course it is t rue, as Bent says, that 1 ute

intabulations are arrangements. However, this in itself
surely need not imply that an arrangement of a vocal work is
any less informat i ve of contemporary musica ficta pract ice
than a transcription, especially when one considers how
careful intabulators were to include as much of the original
polyphony as possible. In the same vein, scholars have
suggested that tablatures are invalid sources of evidence
because they are full of mistakes. This John Ward strongly 9

refutes regarding the vihuela repertoire, saying that they

"were, as a rule, concerned wi th accuracy, and frequent ly
printed tables of errata." 10 This claim is supported in
Terzi's case by bollettini corrections in two copies of his
Libra Primo held in Bologna and Florence. 11 These editorial
emendations clearly demonstrate Terzi's (or Amadino's>
intention to produce the most accurate reading possible.
However, not every lute print is as free of mistakes as
Terzi's, and manuscripts are even more likely to contain
copyist's errors. Simple errors, though, are relatively easy
to detect, consisting as they usually do, of a wrong cipher
on the right line of tablature, or the right cipher on the
wrong line, or a misplaced rhythm sign. Of a more serious
nature are not mere mistakes, but those individual
intabulations (or even whole sources) which demonstrate
incompetence on the part of the intabulator. As we shall
see, not every intabulator is as careful or as knowledgable
of contemporary musica ficta theory as Terzi, and this must
be taken into account in the assessment of each source's
reliability.

Keyboard tablature of the sixteenth century offers an

interesting parallel to lute tablature. The old German

9. Alluded to C.W. Fox, "Accidentals in Vihuela

Tablatures", Bulletin of the American Musicological
Society, vol. 4-, (194-0>, p.22 and J. M. Ward, The Vihuela
de Mano and its Music, PhD. diss., (New York, 1953>,
p.106.
10. Ward, ibid.
11. See Appendi x 1. 11.
 muslca flcta 162

keyboard tablature in common use from the mid-fifteenth

century to about 1530, stands precisely mid-way between lute
t ablat ure and keyboard score as a semi-mensural and semi-
tablature notation. Perhaps not surprisingly then, muslca
flcta needs to be applied in many cases, as John White found
in his edition of Johannes de Lublin's keyboard
intabulations in German tablature:

The problems of muslca flcta are ever present,

despite the conventions of tablature notation in
indicat ing accidentals. Cont radict ions abound.
Parallel passages and parallel versions of the
whole compositions within our collection show that
many more accidentals were played than indicated,
at least on occasion, but some of the
intabulations so contradict their vocal models
that the modern performer may feel somewhat secure
in following his own discretion. 1 2

EXAMPLE 4-. 1
Anchor che col partlr~ bb.26-29. 13

-. I I ~

J I
_ t61" "'--= J -;-
T"," - to SO" cl.ol - c..l ~It r. (\~ rn." ~,

G)
I-<
0
I! '. -Cl ---
to." - to so" 01. 0 1 - c.; 51, ,..~ - +or- '" mll!. ~

po:

I~ T"" - +0
~ I.
0101 -
I,
C.I ~I; ri-for-"; ",,:e.-\ E
SO"
--... ~

to." - +0 SO" 0101 - ~i el j ~,

I r-= 1 I

.... - r l-J.. . - ,
J
~ rt .J. -J ... I I f
'!i I! ~J·I.\ 1\
..... J 7. .L

( , I

12. Johannes of Lublin, Tablature of Keyboard Music, ed.

J. R. White, AIM, Corpus of Early Keyboard Music, vol 5,
( 1967,) , p. i K.
13. Vocal model ~fter C. de Rore: Opera Omnia, ed. B. Meier,
CMM, Kiv (1959-), vol. 4, p.31. Keyboard eKtract from
Ammerbach: Orgel Oder Instrument Tabulaturbuch, ed. C.
J acobs (OKford, 1984), p. 254.
 musica ficta 163

In a later example, notated in the "new" German

keyboard tablature, Ammerbach's intabulation of Rore's
Anchor che col partire is in places clearly deficient in
musica ficta (Example 4.1>.

Spanish keyboard tablature with its numerical systems,

is similar to lute tablature in its pitch-relative
precision, and more especially in the way the hexachord
system is hidden from the performer by the numbers. This
would lead one to expect precise and consistent musica ficta
in intabulations, but such precision cannot to be taken for
granted. Eubank, for one, found that " acc identals in
Henest rosa, Ort iz and Cabez6n are unclear and inconsist ent,
whereas those for vihuela are unequivocally consist ent". '1 ....

It could be then that the Spanish keyboard tablatures, most

of which were set out so that each voice had its own line,
enabled the performer to solmize each polyphonic part
mentally, so that the intabulator could expect certain
musica ficta adjustments to be made by the performer.
Polyphonic layout, also a property of German keyboard
tablature after 1570, '15 could account for musica ficta
deficiencies in Ammerbach. If so, it does not account for
the earlier sources such as Johannes de Lublin.

Well into the seventeenth century, additional musica

ficta continued to be needed in keyboard music as well as in
some vocal publications. Editors of English keyboard music
such as Hilda Andrews, Alan Brown, J. A. Fuller Maitland and
W. Barclay Squire have all found it necessary to add
editorial accidentals to their editions. '16 We do not know of

14. L.E. Eubank, Spanish Intabulations in the Sixteenth

Century, PhD. diss., <Indiana, 1974), p. 104.
15. For instance Bernard Schmid's Tablatur Buch,
(Strasburg, 1607), facs. ed., (Bologna, 1969).
16. William Byrd, My Ladye Nevells Booke of Virginal Music,
ed. Hilda Andrews (New York, 1969); The Fitzwilliam
Virginal Book, eds. J.A. Fuller Maitland and W. Barclay
Squire, (New York, 1899/R1963) Musica Bri tannica
(London, 1969), William Byrd, vols 27 & 28.
 musica ficta 164

course whet her, 1 ike modern editors, cont emporary keyboard

musicians added their own editorial accidentals to conform
with vocal practices, or whether they played as written,
following a different instrumental practice.

Inconsistent and deficient musica ficta interpretations

in some lute tablatures lead to the question of whether the
performing lutenist was expected to apply musica ficta to
the intabulat ions. But it is inconcei vable that the
sixteenth-century performing lutenist was expected to add
musica ficta to tablatures according to contemporary vocal
conventions, for the simple reason that they were
tablatures. It would take a lutenist well schooled indeed in
polyphonic theory to reconstruct mentally from tablature,
the original four-part, five-part, and in some cases six-
part polyphony, accurately enough to apply musica ficta
rules. In the case of the lute, the intabulator in
possession of the vocal original in mensural notation would
have been in the best position to interpret the rules of
musica ficta on the performer's behalf. Since this is also
true of keyboard tablature, <although to a lesser extent) we
must reason that marked differences in interpretation
between intabulations and their vocal models can only be
interpreted as variants of taste, dependent on time and
place, and in some cases, as evidence of "instrumental
style".

Acknowledging the need for caut ion in applying 1 ut e

tablat ure musica ficta indiscriminately to vocal music, it
is in my view negligent to ignore the prolific evidence of
tablatures simply because there are problems inherent in
considering it. Certainly it would be mistaken to disregard
tablatures on the grounds that instrumental and vocal music
did not share the same theoretical basis. All the evidence
points to the fact that the theorists did not begin
seriously to differentiate between music for voices and
music for instruments until near the end of the sixteenth
century. This is true at least as far as instrumental
 musica ficta 165

arrangements of vocal music are concernedj dance music on

the other hand has on the whole existed independ.ently of
polyphonic music. Brown also reminds us that there must have
been a consensus of practice, at least some of the time,
since "lutenists often played with vocal ensembles and with
solo singers, [and] they had to fit their parts to music
that was sung. "17 Admittedly, in the period we are most
concerned with the end of the sixteenth century
instrumental and vocal styles were beginning to diverge.
Indeed, one of the aims of this investigation is to
ascertain to what extent, if any, intabulations pointed
toward a development of instrumental style independent of
vocal music, by their departures from the accepted
polyphonic musica ficta practices.

A further aim of this chapter is to determine how a

modern editor may apply musica ficta from intabulations to
vocal music. One method of doing so would be to form a
picture of agreed practices through analyses of many
tablature sources from a specific period and location. We
may hope that the gradual accumulation of research will make
such study possible in the future, but until then the best
we can do is assess each individual source. Even if we do
agree that tablature sources are relevant to vocal music, it
seems expedient to exercise caution in the direct
transference of musica ficta from a single tablature to its
source. It would surely invite inaccuracies to attempt to
apply accidentals from an intabulation to an original which
may have been composed say hal f a century previously, or in
a different part of Europe where vocal styles may have
differed. In Terzi's case, for example, the motet Beatus
homo by Rore 1s was first pUblished almost 50 years before

17. Brown, op.cit., p.478.

18. Cypriani Rore Musici Excellentissimi Motetta nunc
primum summa diligentia in lucem prodita (Venice,
1545), p. 1., ·modern edition, B. Meier, C. de Rore:
Opera Omnia, CMM xiv (Rome, 1959-) vol. I, p.34.
 musica ficta 166

Terzi intabulated it. Obviously, it would be dangerous to

use the Terzi intabulation as an unqualified demonstration
of musica ficta practice applicable to this motet. If modern
scholars take into consideration the three variables - time,
distance, and reliability of sources - intabulations may yet
prove invaluable,

This chapter takes as its point of departure the

following quotation from Howard Brown, in which he indicates
a positive role for intabulations in the rediscovery of
vocal musica ficta practices.

Certain aspects of performance practice emerge

more clearly from intabulations than from any
other source They offer a vast and largely
unexplored repertory for the investigation of
musica ficta. That they were made by a wide
variety of musicians some good and some bad,
some early and some late, and some northern and
some southern - increases the profi t and insight
one can draw from their study. ~9

It is hoped that the following discussion of Terzi's musica

ficta may contribute, in conjunction with other studies of
lute intabulations, to the growing picture of (as Lockwood
succinctly puts it) "well-informed relativism on the
matter. "20

GUIDELINES FOR THE APPLICATION OF MUSICA FICTA

Rules or more properly guidelines, applying to musica

ficta have been drawn from sixteenth-century and earlier
sources by various modern scholars. Lowinsky has presented
perhaps the most thorough set of musica ficta guidelines,
classifying them under the headings causa necessitatis and
causa pul chri t udinis, pertaining to perfect and imperfect
intervals respectively.2~ The following musica ficta

19. Brown, op. ci t:, p, 4.76,

20. New Grove, vol. 12 , p. 807.
21. E,E, Lowinsky, introduction to Musica Nova, ed., C.
Slim, MRM, vol 1, p. ix.
 musica ficta 167

guidelines are presented here as a brief summary of

generally agreed principles which apply to the discussion of
lute intabulations. 22

1. Causa Necessitatls

(i) Mi contra fa prohibits the simultaneous sounding of

imperfect oct aves, f i ft hs and unisons. Al though t he rule
prohibiting the sounding of mt from one hexachord with fa
from another hexachord excludes simultaneous false relations
(except as ornament s), 23 it does not prohi bi t successive
false relations. 24 The mi contra fa rule does not apply to
passaggi, nor any submetrical notes since "all notes not
treated as main harmonic notes on any given tactus are
excluded from this rule. "25

(ii) Fa super la. To prevent a melodic tritone in

outline, a note extending beyond la is sung fa. A melodic
tritone may be tolerated however when it results from the
application of the subsemitonium modi. "The melodic leading-
note function, with its harmonic implication, is the
strongest melodic reason for inflection and must be honoured
before melodic tritones can be eliminated. 1126

2. Causa Pulchrltudlnls

(i) Subsemitonium modi. Sharpened leading-notes are

produced at cadences, or in mid-phrase progressions by
raising the lower note of a returning-note figure when the
upper note is D G or A, or C with one flat in the

22. For a comprehensive summary of musica ficta see N.

Routley, "A Practical Guide to Musica Ficta, EM, vol. 13
(1985), pp. 59-71.
23. Brown, op. cit., p.489.
24. Routley, op. cit., p.64.
25. ibid., p.65.
26. M. Bent, "Musica Recta and Musica Ficta", MD, vol. 26
(1972), p.91.
 musiea fieta 168

signature. 27 Lowinsky points out that this rule applies to

all cadential formulae whether or not thay occur on the
final of the mode and regardless of where they occur within
the phrase. 2s "A rest that intervenes between the second and
third notes of a returning-note figure appears not to affect
the rule according to which the lower note is sharpened. 1129

(ii) Propinquity. Perfect consonances are approached by

the nearest imperfect consonance. That is, a harmonic minor
third approaching a fifth, or minor sixth approaching an
octave becomes major; and a major sixth approaching a fifth,
or major third approaching a unison becomes minor. The
inflection may be on either the upper or the lower note of
the interval, but where one voice leaps, the voice
progressing conjunctly should be inflected. 30 This rule is
related to the subsemitonium modi which likewise approaches
a perfect interval from the nearest imperfect interval. 31

Like the subsemitonium modi, propinquity can produce a

cadential leading-note, but it is the application of the
latter rule which produces a phrygian cadence. The practice
of treating these two rules separately arises from their
historical derivation as melodic, and later as harmonic
rules. Melodically Jean de Muris "instructs us to sharpen
lower returning notes" of F C and G,32 and harmonically,
"thirds and sixths preceding fifths and octaves [should be]
major, where the upper note of the first interval rises a
single step to the second one. 1133

Often it is impossible to classify a fieta accidental

exclusively by one or the other of these two rules,
especially where passaggi are involved. The musiea fieta
that applies to passaggi and to submetrical notes generally

27. Routley, op. eit., p.67.

28. Lowinsky, op. eit" p. ix,
29. Routley, op.eit" p,67.
30. New Grove, vol. 12, p.808.
31. Lowinsky, op"ei t., p. ix.
32. Bent, op. ei t., p. 89.
33. ibid., p.95.
 musica ficta 169

is purely decorative and often falls outside the accepted

musica ftcta rules. 34

(iii) The Tierce de Picardie is the raising of the

minor third of the last triad in a final cadence. In this
position it appears to be obligatory, or at least very
common in the sixteenth century, but it is considered by
Routley to be optional in intermediate cadences, 35 However,
from his article itA practical guide to mustca ficta", he
appears to base his conclusion on the example of a single
bar in two intabulations of a Josquin work. 36 The wider
selection of examples in this study may be able to confirm
or deny the obligatory nature of the picardie third in
intermediate cadences.

PRIORITIES IN THE APPLICATION OF RULES.

Musica ficta problems arising in modern interpretations

of sixteenth-century polyphony are the same as those faced
by medieval and renaissance musicians, namely, how to apply
the rules when more than one may be relevant, or when they
contradict each other. 37 Some priorities have been clearly
indicated by the theorists of the time, and others have been
established by modern research. We know for instance that
the singer was expected to stay within the system of musica
recta where possible, so that given a choice between a ficta
F# and a recta Bb, the Bb would have been preferred,38 and
where there is a choice between correcting a melodic tritone
or a harmonic tritone, the latter was corrected in
preference to the former. Tinctoris for one indicated that
he would rather tolerate a melodic tritone than a harmonic

34. Brown, 0p. ci t., p. 489.

35. Rout ley, op. ct t., p. 65.
36. ibid., p.67.
37. L. Lockwood, "Musica Ficta", New Grove, vol. 12, p.808.
38. Rout ley, op. ct t., p. 62.
 musica ficta 170

tritone. 39
Aron too, in his Aggiunta to the 1529 edition of
his Toscane11o in Musica attached greater importance to the
correction of harmonic tritones. 4o Further, Bent argues that
the leading-note function has priority over the avoidance of
melodic tritones, citing examples from Prodocimus's Libe11us
monocordi. 41

Routley suggests that it is often helpful to follow the

rule that applies to the melodic structure of the passage,
rather than to look first at the harmonic structure (apart
that is from the occasional necessity of giving the mi
contra fa rule precedence over fa super la). 42 This makes
sense when one considers that a group of singers would first
of all solmize their own parts, making the necessary
hexachord mutations, and on subsequent rehearsal apply
further recta or ficta inflections as required harmonically.
That sixt eenth-cent ury musicians ope rat ed with gUidel ines,
at times contradictory in practice, rather than a set of
ready-made all purpose rules, is clear from the written
records of various disputes during rehearsal. 43 Such records
should warn us that there was no single musica ficta
practice in the sixteenth century even among the most
learned musicians. The most we can expect to discover are
workable, flexible principles, rather than hard and fast
"rules".

Brown noted that a conflict exists in whether a

leading-note should take precedence over a phrygian cadence.

39. J. Tinctoris, Tractatus de Musica, ed. E. de

Coussemaker, CS, vol. iv, p.22.
40. M. Bent, "Diatonic Ficta", Early Music History Series 4
(Cambridge, 1984), p28.
41. M. Bent, "Musica Recta and Musica Ficta", MD, vol. 26
(972), p.91.
42. Rout ley, op. ci t., p. 70.
43. See L.Lockwood, "A Dispute on Accidentals in Sixteenth-
Century Rome". Act. Mus, (965), passim, and L.
Lockwood, "A Sample Problem of Musica Ficta: Willaert's
Pater Noster', Studies in Music History, ed. O. Stl~unk
(Princeton, 1968) p. 167.
 musiea fieta 171

He says that "whether cadences should be Dorian or Phrygian

can often be deduced from the context, but occasionally
either form serves equally well. 4 .... Perhaps "conflict" is too
strong a term to use in this context, for as Brown is
careful to point out, since musiea fietB was a performance
technique, "performers could make choices among equally
legitimate alternatives." 45 In two-part progressions, Bent
notes that "where there is an equal choice between
inflecting the top part, and inflecting the tenor or lowest
voice, it is the upper added part which should be inflected"
and that the tenor takes priority for the application of
melodic rules, the lowest voice for harmonic
considerations. 46 As these principles do not apply to the
more vertically-orientated music after the mid-fifteenth
century such guidelines do not apply directly to the music
intabulated by Terzi. All the same, preferences for phrygian
or leading-note cadences may derive from such prior edicts.

Both Bent and Jacobs agree that simultaneous false

relations occur legitimately. "The conflict usually occurs
between a leading-note function of the upper voice and
tritone avoidance in the lower."4?" Jacobs goes so far as to
suggest that "simultaneous cross-relations are by no means
to be removed, except possibly if one of the members of the
cross-relat ion forms part of an ascending line and can be
sharpened to remove the clash, or forms part of a descending
line and can be flattened to the same purpose." He cites
many examples of such clashes in Cabez6n,46 and implies that
there is a rule whereby ascending notes may be raised, and
descending notes may be flattened. Lowinsky warns against
accept ing this,49 but as we shall later discover, it does
have some application in Terzi' s passaggi fieta.

44. Brown, op. eit., p.490.

45. ibid., p.484.
46. M. Bent, op. ei t., p. 76.
47. ibid., p.95. .
48. Jacobs, op. el t., p.288.
49. Lowinsky, op. eit., p. x.
 musica ficta 172

Another aspect not entirely agreed upon by scholars is

whether successive imitative entries or repetitions should
be solmized the same way each time. There are indications
that to do so was the ideal, but that other voices often
prevented it. What has not been established is whether the
ideal of uniform solmization takes precedence over the
application of other musica ficta rules. Rout ley draws a
dist inct ion between degrees of strictness of imitation in
the music of Josquin's period and later, depending on the
context.

If the imitation takes the form of exact canon,

the imitation should be as exact as possible.
When imi t at ion is less exact the claims of
ficta become more pressing. It should be
emphasised that the desire for strict canon or
imitation should not override the rules that call
for musica ficta where context demands it. 5 0

Jacobs, in his study of Spanish sources, concludes that

differences in interval size resulting from successive
statements of a motive in different voices, was not
uncommon. 51 However, earlier in his career Lowinsky based
many of his readings on a firm belief that imitative entries
in music of the Flemish masters should be solmized the same
each time, and in many pieces this was possible with far-
reaching results. 52 Lowinsky later modified this view
somewhat in light of criticism: "My critics have gone to
great lengths arguing that identical solmlzation in ostinato
repeats cannot be taken for granted. In this they are
right. "53 Just how readily the vocal pieces of a period
later than Josquin accept ident ical solmizat ion of melodic
entries, remains to be seen.

50. Rout ley, op. ci t., p68.

51. J acobs, op. ci t., p. 283 fn. 38 & p. 287.
52. E. E. Lowinsky, "The Goddess Fort una in Musi c", MQ,
no.29 (1943), p.50j See also E. E. Lowinsky, "Problems
in Editing the Music of Josquin des Prez", Josquin des
Prez <London,' 1972), p. 752.
53. E. E. Lowinsky, "Secret Chromatic Art Re-examined",
Perspectives in Musicolog~ eds, B. S. Brook, E. Downes,
S, Van Solkema, <New York, 1972), p.l05.
 musica ficta 173

In the discussion to follow, the musica ficta in

Terzi's intabulations is classified according to ~he above
guidelines. I attempt to establish whether Terzi and his
contemporaries display preferences for types of cadences, or
for one rule more than another, and whether there is any
evidence of identical solmization of imitative entries.
Terzi's intabulations will be compared with their vocal
models, including where available, modern editions of the
models, and other lute intabulations of the particular
piece. Where Terzi's passaggi or his rearranging of the
voice-leading may have forced different interpretations from
that which would normally be applied vocally, I have not
taken it as evidence applicable to the vocal original. The
most pertinent issue is whether Terzi's application of
musica ficta, apart from his ornamental passaggi ficta,
departs significantly from accepted vocal practice
sufficiently to recognize an emerging instrumental style.
 musica ficta 174

Part Two. Terzi's Ficta Accidentals

FICTA APPLIED TO NOTES OF THE MODEL

The following discussion centres on Terzi's application

of musica ficta to notes of the original vocal sources. For
this analysis I have selected a sample of eight
intabulations whose vocal models have not as far as I know
been previously published in a modern edition. 54 The vast
majority of ficta and recta accidentals in Terzi's
tablatures fall under the heading of causa pulchritudinis -
alterations for reasons of beauty. In the eight
int abulat ions of the sample, 49 of Terzi' s accidentals are
for causa pulchritudinis whereas only six fall within the
category of causa necessitati&

1. Ficta before the subsem1.tonium modi

In the vocal models the varieties of ornamental figures

which precede the subsemitonium belong to one of two types -
figures in which the seventh degree is anticipated (Examples
4.2b and 4.2d), and those which anticipate the seventh
degree but also include the sixth degree (Examples
4.2a,c,e, f & g).55 In all of the "anticipated leading-note"
ornament s of Example 4. 2, Terzi raised the seventh degree
notes if they were not already so notated in the original,
thus avoiding melodic augmented seconds. It is quite common
for a polyphonic composer (or printer) to notate a raised
leading-note but not its anticipation, leaving such an
obvious interpretation to the performer. In fact the need to

54. Sample: Volume 11, nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, 18 & 19.

The numbering in the examples to follow refer to
transcriptions in this dissertation, Volume 11. For
statistical data see Appendix 1. 12
55. See Volume 11, no. 1, bll (p15).
 musica ficta 175

raise the seventh retrospectively in a cadential ornament

continues in music of the seventeenth century. 56

Where the seventh but not the sixth degree was raised
in a cadential ornament in the model, Terzi invariably
inflected the sixth degree also (Example 4. 2c), and where
the model contained no leading-note accidental, Terzi
sharpened both leading-notes and the sixth degree where
applicable (Example 4.2 e & f).

EXAMPLE 4.2
Cadences of the models5 7

(a ) (b) (c )
~ f J.

"i t.i'1i f fJ J
~~ \
+'
..4- ..Q. r J -:r U
:P::
r ~
;

\ I
(d) (e) (f)
\ A it ...... ~ ~ ~

J
~ ~ 1=
\
J.
A
J .... I_U
11
Ir I

A
J "'r.., 0 -\ ~-\9I-
..
:
(g)

I'" wI 111
*I \
·0
I

. I
./
I

(a) no.2 b.11 (b) no.6 b.? (c) no.? b.22 (d) no.? b.42 (e) no.? b.1?2
(f) no.8 b.86 (g) no.18 b.3

------------------------------------------------------------

56. Fortunately, the time has passed when modern editors

fail. to apply retrospective accidentals to sixteenth-
century music. However, an example of such an omission
by Raffaele Casimiri can be seen in an edition of a
Palestrina motet. See Volume 11, no. 1, b.11 (p.15).
57. The accidentals marked within the staves are those of
the vocal original. Those marked above or below the
notes are Terzi's.
 music a ficta 176

2. Subs emito nium modi, Prop inqu ity and Pica rdie third s.

By apply ing the rule of subse miton ium modi, Terz

i often
wrote a viib -I caden ce (to put it in tona l
term s for the
sake of conv enien ce) and did so rega rdles s of the
proh ibiti on again st the resu lting harm onic
trito ne. Long
befo re the end of the sixte enth centu ry, mi contr
a fa was in
any case perf ectly acce ptab le as part of
a cade ntial

EXAMPLE 4.3
Type s of cade nces. se

(a) , (b) (0 )
11 J , \ I D' 11

~ !'W ..e- r] , ..
~ l
J
IJ . 0/ J fl I
-J:
. A .R.
. l: $. 1= .f..
d r (r) f

r
(g) ( 1 )'
I I ~ \ \ ~ 4t'
. ..
0
fJ r IT' .. *'
t .J il
I~ L~\ v 'f,
J ~ ~ \ ~ ..I ~' &IJ

\
.
"(k) \ \ I
, '\

,
_\ ........
- /1' II

J I I \ I
"'J
1J;: .-. 0+.- ,,~
I}
:

(a) no.2 b.25 (b) no.? b.2? (c) no. 19 b.18 (d) no.? b.12?
(e) no.6 b.7
(r) no.18 b.24 (g) no.16 b.8 (h) no.19 b.116 (1) no.6 b.12 (j)
no.? b.164
(k) no.18 bb.32- 33 '

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
---- ----
58. The accid enta ls mark ed with in the stave s are of
voca l origi nal. Thos e mark ed abov e or below the the
note s
are Terz i I s.
 musica ficta 177

progression (as in Examples 4.3a, b & c). Of these three

examples of vii-I cadences, 4.3a is used as an end-of-phrase
cadence, and 4.3b as an intermediate cadence. Al though the
same harmony, Example 4.3c does not act as a cadence, but is
the result of the application of the propinquity rule to a
sixth-octave prqgression during the course of a phrase. The
position of a progression within the phrase determines
whether or not it functions as a cadence, not whether the
ficta is the result of propinquity or the subsemitonium
modi.

In the cadences of Examples 4.2a and 4.3b one might ask

why Terzi has not flattened the lower notes in the
penultimate chords to give phrygian cadences. In the case of
Example 4.2a the original composer has written the cadence
in such a way as to exclude the possibility of a phrygian
cadence. Other voices would require Ebs to avoid mi contra
fa, which in turn would cause a snowballing of flats. 59

Similarly in Example 4. 3b, an Eb in the basso would require

an Eb also in the tenore, resulting in an undesired
augmented second; Eb-F# progression. In both examples the
suspension of the leading-notes makes the subsemitonium
cadence the only real musical choice. In the mid-phrase
progression of Example 4.3c, instead of forming propinquity
with an F#, Terzi could equally have written Eb and Bb, but
the simpler sol ut ion requiring fewer accidentals, is chosen.
Where there is a choice between a phrygian progression
involving several flats, or a leading-note cadence with one
sharp, the simpler solution is always preferred. Certainly
in a vocal performance, a solution requiring musica ficta by
the least number of singers is the most likely, especially
if such a solution called for any retrospective adjustments.

59. See Volume 11, p.23.

 musica ficta 178

other applications of propinquity result in perfect

cadences, as illustrated in Examples 4.3e, 4.3f, 4.3g and
4.31. In an end-of-phrase cadence (Example 4.3e) we find an
oft-used progression, viib-I immediately followed by a
perfect cadence. 6o A similar "double" cadence is shown by
Example 4.3g in which a perfect cadence on D is dovetailed
on to another perfect cadence a fifth below on G.61 The
ficta F# in Example 4.3f is affected by passaggi in Terzi's
intabulation. It is however, the passaggio which implies the
original harmony. Here the application of the subsemitonium
modi produces a perfect-cadence progression in the middle of
the phrase.

Generally, Terzi used only a few phrygian cadences,

because the vocal composers had left very few opportunities
for him to do so. In the sample of eight intabulations, I
have found only one real phrygian cadence <Example 4. 3h)
resulting from a Terzi accidental. In this intermediate
cadence, the returning-note figure D-C#-D is already given
in the canto of the model, then the rule of propinquity
prevails over a possible interpretation A-Bb-A in the basso
which would have given a phrygian cadence. Terzi retained the
previous C# as a picardie third on the final chord of this
cadence. Another phrygian-like progression occurring in the
model (Example 4. 3i) is essent ially Cl "double" cadence in
which the progression Eb to D is followed by Terzi's
subsemitonium F# to G.

By far the most common progression requiring a sharp is

the "single" perfect cadence of Example 4. 3j. 6:2 It is this
situation more than any other which the vocal composer or

60. For another example of this progression see Volume 11,

no. 13, bb.20-22 <p.143).
61. For other examples see Volume 11, no. 16, bb.9, 15, 21,
<pp. 157-161>i no. 18, b.6 <p.191).
62. See also Volume II,no.6 bb.23, 28, 31 <pp. 66-70)i no. 8,
bb.81, 86 (p.96)i no. 16, bb.13, 17, 22, 28, 36, 46, 53,
60 <pp. 158-175); no. 18, b.37 <p.197).
 musica ficta 179

printer entrusted to the performer, no doubt because it was

the least open to misinterpretation. The application of the
picardie third was not often entrusted to the performer.
Since it was a relatively new fashion of the sixteenth
cent ury, the composers of these pieces must have considered
it preferable to notate those they wanted, in case
performers did not choose to do so. In only a few cases,
Terzi added a major third to the final chord of a cadence as
in Example 4.3k. 63 It is notable that Terzi did not employ a
picardie third at absolutely every opportunity; there are
plenty of examples where he left the minor third in the
final chord of a phrase, either because it was only an
intermediate cadence or because a sharpened third would have
caused a further problem such as the formation of a tritone
with another part. 64

3. Causa necessi tatis

There are few causa necessitatis accidentals in Terzi's

intabulations, because the vocal composers had notated most
of them. In the eight intabulations I can find only four
examples of accidentals solely for the purpose of avoiding
mi contra fa <Example 4.4a & 4.4b)66 and only one accidental
to indicate fa super la <Example 4.4c). Terzi's two recta
flats in Example 4.4a are clearly needed to avoid in turn an
imperfect octave, an imperfect unison, and then a tritone,
even though this means eschewing a leading-note E natural to
F. The Bb of Example 4.4b avoids harmonic tritones with F,
and the Bb of Example 4.4c avoids a melodic tritone in the
<91 to.

63. See also Volume 11, no. 19, b.116 <p.211); no. 18 b.37
<p.197).
64. For further examples see Volume 11, no. 18, b. 16
<p.193); no. 7; b.8 <p.71>, b.23 <p.73), b.69 <p.77),
b. 151 <p. 85), b. 165 <p. 86) .
65. See also Volume 11, no. 19, b.11 <p.201>.
 musica ficta 180

EXAMPLE 4.4
Recta flats. 66
(a)
t

c·
J

b
A
IJ '4- :F -t t, i- +-
~ '-
I \ , 11
T
~ I
, ""--' /
/
I /

• ,
I

B
v Q

(b) ../ no.2 bb.39-40

(c)
c c .
J ,.../ .J

A 5
I 0
=i 0 I
I
.. "'fI: 0
~ J
, I l l

T
, .. . ......
1
I I
..
A
I ... -----J
f I ..
5 T

-
.;
« I , I 0 j U
1 ~.' I ..f:.
I I
B B
\ no.2 bb.15-16 I
no.19 bb.95-96

4. Beyond the "rules"

Only on rare occasions did Terzi write accidentals

which fell outside the known musica ficta rules of the
period and which were clearly not typographical errors. The
second F# in the qUinto of Example 4.5a is not called for by
any known musica ficta rule and serves no purpose other than
to strengthen the "D major tonality" at this point. Later in
the same intabulation (Example 4.5b) Terzi wrote a C# in the
tenore where it was not needed, and could only be

66. The flats written above the staves are Terzi's.

 musica ficta 181

justified if he were thinking of the tenore C# as leading to

the alto D, (which of course it does on the lute).

EXAMPLE 4.5
(a) '! ,0

. -.
I I l:::!\

5
\
.\

*
I

A
I --'
. nO.19 bb.8-9
-t/

(b) "3 __ --- "9 70 7/

A
,
+
N.~
"
" -
:It...
...... I'~" _&0....
I
Iv..o,'<-o
, '
0 0
s .... MO" • +....
T
I _ so...
• No" eo - ...... Cot>

B
"""-,,"".. r
"' ~
".0
-
./

no.19 bb.67-71
Noo.
I
e. - ("Do.. ,....".,("', ,... Lo - .s....

PASSAGGI FICTAS'7

Terzi applied musica ficta to his passaggi with

considerably more freedom than he applied it to notes of the
original. The most striking departure is in his very
frequent sharpening of a note in an ascending passage and
the flattening of a note in a descending passage.

The sharpening of a note wi thin an ascending scale as

an ornamental device can be justified more often than not as
a raised note seven degrees from ei ther the bass of the
present harmony, or from the bass of the chord to which it
leads. In Example 4.6c the F# is the seventh degree of both
the present harmony and the subsequent chord. In Example
4.6d the F# is not only the seventh degree of the following

----------------------------------------------------
67. Data in Appendix 1. 13
 musiea fieta 182

EXAMPLE 4.6
Passaggl £1 et a

(a) } (0)
\ 1 (bi I .
-IV
IJ J J,/
I
I J. I. t

I) T
• .E- I
.
I I I

IJ
r-c=

-
--=, ~ ~

-
I 1 J
. --
'~ J
j

J. ~
J
. ~ ...... - .tl ~""" :
fff1
,I I ... I 1..-:1-I-' I...,.lii"

(cl) J (e) (f)

IJ J J \0

, ) I I I IT
f
:
l 1 .:d ~ 5
.
1u t e II· c:=::::::l FFEB3
-
IJ w
J
~
J
·~ ... t 7bIJ.. ~"'"
~ Jf!1Jff1 ~n
I
(g) I I (h) 1 .A i) I

IJ "'I 1
I I I 4- -~

......
J J J ~ I
- , -.
11 ...,I i I
r
/ . I

I I I t""-1--

J , - J
... - ~b:bbJ
J
t
Udl
........... ~ . +o-Po A d / ~ 11. /

... I I~~

"
 musiCd fictd 183

Example 4.6 cont.

( j) J
f (k)1 1) ~

iJ

- J
Q W J I I
~j .J.). l ..1- l ..L ..;

!; u 3 J \
A .YI /

I I J
.
IJ
..,. ) J I r u-r I

. 1 .t:""1 n \ J 1 1•• ; 1 :.
. ~

,f I
(m) ,/ "
c
I I
I I I

A
I
u ..I
5
1 I
\
\

,,
\
T " I

• I
\
\ I ;
I

/
B

I"'"
- \
\~ ~
I

. ..
I tf1J~±~' ',. ~
~~....
r--- I

I I '-:J T
(n)
C
, - - - of ~ --..... I
A •
5 J ...... r.. . . ,
T
B
~('" , 'ft
~~
,,
\ "'-

~
......,-

I1 -
-
/UdJ"
L 'I
IOU I
. .A .... ~

i..{ . ====='
 musica ficta 184

Example 4.6 cont.

(0) (p)
I

J J '" w
_\ I --...\ *,
-, 3 I

IJ .......
-
r .U t
&
.,./
J
~~ .~. . ~ b!JJ. ""
\' .1 ..... ....- \ I 'J::..J ~.~
(q ) 1 ..... 1 \

-J I
..... ,::.
\
-vi-
"s..
"'"
\
\
"'\ \

H
H
ID
+'
~
I
-- l.J~ ~.::..
I I J}1 r \r~
r-l

"

chord of G but also it serves two other functions of

avoiding mi contra fa wi th B, and forming propinqui ty with
the bass A. Whatever the justification, and often there is
none in normal musica ficta terms, the raising of the
seventh turns it into a secondary leading-note, which may
even at times be superimposed upon a harmony with a
different tonal centre, as in Example 4.6e. In this
madrigal, Striggio had notated a picardie third F# at the
end of one phrase, giving an inganno cadence, D major to C
major, into the .beginning of the next phrase. In the second
lute part Terzi added a B natural in a groppo, effectively
cadencing to C, thus operating under two modal centres. Less
 musica ficta 185

frequent are examples of flat t ening a not e Bb (or Eb in a

key signat ure of one flat) in a descending scale . . In eight
out of ten cases in the sample, the flattened note avoids a
passing harmonic tritone. In the case of Example 4.6i,
Terzi's Bb not only avoids mi contra fa but also creates fa
super la, whereas the Bb in Example 4. 6j serves nei ther
purpose but forms a propinquity minor sixth going to a
perfect fifth.

Since it is not required that musica ficta be applied

to submetrical notes of ornamentation, Terzi raised and
flattened notes in ascending and descending scales simply
to strengthen a particular "tonality" or make a passing
reference to another "tonali ty" by way of colouring. This
matter of raising in ascent and lowering in descent was at
one time accepted by modern scholars as being a musica ficta
rule, but has long since been refuted. Lowinsky says:

There are bolder rules of musica ficta such

as the rule: raise the tones in ascent and lower
them in descent. The reason why we do not accept
this rule into the canon of musica ficta lies in
the sparseness of its occurrence. And we surmise
that it occurs so rarely because it is dangerously
general and is not derived, as are all the other
rules, from specific melodic and harmonic
situations. ss

In the case of Terzi's passaggi ficta however, such freedom

of application does apply.

Another type of accidental frequently seen in Terzi's

passaggi flattens the highest note of an upper auxiliary-
note figure, usually where an ascending scale turns to
descend (Example 4. 6a). Almost invariably the flattened B
(or transposed Eb) occurs against a background harmony
containing F (or transposed Bb) and thus is a result of
applying the mi contra fa rule as well as the fa super la
rule. Even though. the Bb occurs submetrically it assumes an

68. Lowinsky, op. ci t., p. x.

 musica ficta 186

aural importance due to its melodic posi t ion, so it is

logical that it must receive ficta as though it were a
tactus note.

In similar fashion Terzi often raised the bottom note

of a lower auxiliary (Example 4.6 b), and again this
situation is no different from its equivalent in non-
passaggi ficta, because the accidentals are applied to
conform to the rule of the subsemitonium modi. As in his use
of the flattened upper auxiliary, Terzi did not inflect
every lower returning-note, as doing so would sometimes
produce odd harmony. In Example 4. 6j for inst ance, a G# in
the tenore passaggi would not be appropriate. Just as in
cadent ial ornaments given in the model, Terzi
retrospectively sharpened the sixth and seventh degrees in
passaggi (Example 4.6f and 4.6g), and raised the sixth
degree next to the subsemitonium modi (Example 4.6h). He
took a great deal of care with his passaggi ficta to avoid
harmonic tritones, as illustrated by his use of Bb in
Examples 4.6k and 4.61.

Terzi sometimes allowed false-relations between

passaggi and other notes within the tablature to colour his
intabulations, as in Examples 4.60 and 4.6p. A different
type of false-relation is that which occurs between the
intabulation's passaggi and notes of the model (assuming
simul taneous performance). There are good examples of this
in Striggio's Chi fara fede (Example 4.6m and 4.6n) where
F#s of the model clash with submet rical F nat urals of the
tablature in both cases. Should the lute intabulation be
used to accompany a vocal performance of this madrigal, the
outline of a D minor triad against D major of Example 4.6m
would provide some colour in its passing major/minor clash.
Considering the Terzi arrangement on its own, it makes
perfect sense to suppress Striggio's perfect cadence in a
descending scale. Furthermore this bar provides further
evidence of Terzi's tendency to lower in descent those notes
previously sharpened. In Example 4. 6n Terzi raised the
 musiCd Ficta 187

suspended leading-note <G#), only to lower it again in

descent. He sharpened the G in the following bar in
agreement wi th the model's accidental, and sharpened the
sixth degree in ascent to the cadential trill. The examples
of the tablatures forming false-relations with the harmony
of the model could imply that Terzi did not intend this
intabulat ion at least, to be accompaniment. But proof that
this sort of false-relation does not preclude ensemble
performance, is to be found in examplE:)s of the same sort of
clash between the two lute parts of Terzi's duets. In
Example 4.6q the Eb of lute 11 is perfectly acceptable in a
descending scale, and the B natural of lute I is of course
necessary as a subsemitonium accidental. Writing such as
this is effective in its unpredictability, and such false
relations would of course be tolerated, occurring as they do
submetrically.69

69. For further examples see Volume 11, no. 21, b.59
<p.226), no. 17, b.35 <p.185).
 musica ficta 188

Part 3. Models in Modern Editions.

VOCAL MODELS

1. 0 bella Ninfa mat Palestrina. 70

Terzi's musica ficta in his intabulation of

Palestrina's 0 bella Ninfa mia agrees in almost every way
with that of Espagne and Haberl's edition. Apart from musica
ficta occurring wi thin passaggi, the only di fferent reading
is caused by Terzi countering the Eb accidental in the basso
of bar 12. Of course Terzi may well have been reading from a
different source from that used by Espagne and Haberl, but
in any case an Eb in t he original is needed if a linear
t ri t one is to be avoi ded. This is an int erest ing example
since the E natural makes better sense in Terzi's reduction
to four parts. The only other editorial accidentals needed
for the madrigal, which the editors and Terzi provide, are a
pair of subsemitonium modi sharps in bars 28 and 47.

2. Quando i vostri begli occhi, Marenzio. 71

In his madrigal of 1580, Marenzio did not leave much

musica ficta interpretation open to the performer, so Alfred
Einstein in his modern edition has not needed to add any new
accidentals. Terzi did not deviate from Marenzio's notated
accidentals except in a small way in bar 60. On an
unaccented quaver, Terzi sharpened an F for the sake of
propinquit~ even though it was on a relatively unimportant
note. It is the sort of ficta he would use in any similar
ornamental figure. This does not mean however that Terzi
interpreted similar figures in this same madrigal in exactly
the same way. In bar 29 for example, the identical figure
wi thin the same harmony is not inflected, F#-G. Clearly it

70. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 212-217.

71. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 97-103.
 musica ficta 189

is the sort of situation where personal taste prevails, and

where no obligation exists to apply the rule of propinquity
in like situations.

3. Tu es Pastor avium, Palestrina. 72

The Palestrina motet needs quite a few editorial ficta

accidentals. Both the modern editor Raffaele Casimiri and
Terzi provided the same subsemitonium sharps (bb. 11, 21,
23, 37, 42 & 54) but besides these, the interpretations of
Terzi and Casimiri differ considerably.

b.11 Terzi inflected the seventh within the ornamental

figure preceding the leading-note, as was his
habit, but Casimiri in his edition decided against
the retrospective F#.

b. 19 In the middle of a phrase, Terzi sharpened an F

for a propinquity sixth, lowering it in descent in
the following ornamental figure. Casimiri however
left the F as a natural.

bb.62-64 In contrast wi th bar 19, in the near-ident ical

progressions of bars 62 and 64, Terzi did not
sharpen the Fs, whereas Casimiri did. This looks
like an illogical inconsistency on Terzi's behalf
except that in these two cases, the Fs are written
to sound simultaneously with Cs, whereas in bar 19
the C is sustained against the F. It appears then
that to Terzi's ears, the tritone in such a
posi t ion, that is mid-phrase, was more accept able
as part of sustained harmony than it would have
been if struck together. Neither did Terzi allow
for identical solmization of " regn i coe16rum" in
the alto and in the canto of the preVious bar.

72. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 15-21.

 musica ficta 190

Harmonic considerations, then, take precedence, in

this intabulation at least, over' melodic
consistency.

bb.69-72 The ascending stepwise melodic points of

imitation, prolific in the Palestrina motet,
provide many further opportunities for an editor
to apply the rule of propinqui ty. From bar 70,
every entry D-E-F-G of "regni coe16rum" would be
capable of retaining the melodic "tone-tone-
semitone" structure of the entries starting on G
if the rule of propinquity were to be applied.
Oddly, from bar 70 until the close of the motet,
Terzi did not use a single F# but preferred to
further the melodic activity with passaggi,
undoubtedly because he was familiar with the
monotony which would ensue from such close
imitative writing in a lute reduction. By
ornamenting the imitative points, Terzi's
figuration actually renders an F# reading
impossible in bar 71.

b.78 A few bars later we have the same harmonic and

melodic situation as in bar 71 (with an added
voice), where Terzi again declined an opportunity
to apply the rule of propinquit~ Either he wished
to avoid the sounded harmonic tritone, even though
submetrical, or he was avoiding mixolydian-like
progressions. The motet is in the Ionian mode but
Terzi allowed it a strong mixolydian flavour with
eight F#-G progressions up to bar 55. From there
until the final cadence in bar 82 however, he
gUided the mixolydian modality back towards the
Ionian.
 musica ficta 191

4-. In Deo spera vi t cor meum. Merulo. 73

For this motet we are able to make a comparison of

Terzi's musica ficta with two modern editions of the vocal
model. Because the earlier edition of the motet was
published at the turn of this century, the editor Luigi
Torchi did not have at his disposal the informat ion that
scholars have since taken for granted. It is not surprising
to find then, that James Bastian's 1970 edition is nearer to
our present concept of editorial practice, although there is
of course some accord between the two editors. In the third
bar both editors indicated Bb to prevent a melodic tritone
in the tenor~ although Torchi wrote the flat on the stave
.as though it was Merulo's accidental. Both editors and Terzi
agreed in raising the leading-note in end-of-phrase cadences
in bars 13, 16, 20 and 39. In the following bars the editors
and Terzi gave different readings.

b. 7 Bast ian and Terzi indicated subsemi toni um sharps

in a mid-phrase cadence overlaping two phrases,
but Torchi did not cadence here, even though
Merulo had written a typical cadential ornament.

b. 9 Here the same situation applies, although the

progression is a little different in that the
subsemi t oni um does not lead t o t he final in the
same voice. In effect the melodic sense crosses
from tenore to quinto, to cadence C# to D. This
did not deter either Terzi or Bastian from
cadencing however.

b. 15 Terzi wrote an F# for propinquity at the end of a

crot chet scale ascending to G. Gi ven that t his is
purely decorative ficta within passaggi, it is not
surprising to find that neither modern editor

---------------....._----------------------------------
73. Music example in Volume II, pp. 40-46.
 musica ficta 192

indicated F#, although it would not have been

incorrect to do so.

b. 25 Both Bastian and Torchi flattened the quaver

passing-note B for no apparent reason other than
that there are several Bbs surrounding it. Terzi
did not consider it necessary to flatten this note
since the surrounding Bbs do not cause false
relations.

b. 37 Torchi flattened a B in the canto, but neither

Terzi nor Bastian agreed with this interpretation
since there is no reason for the Bb according to
known musi ca Fi cta rules. Indeed, if it is left as
a natural the entry solmizes the same as
t1 a ll e l u ia" in the canto at bar 35.

b. 4-6 In a double cadence on to a D major then a G minor

chord, Torchi alone did not sharpen the leading-
not e C#, even though Merulo's ornament al figure
and the picardie third F# make a cadence
obl igat ory.

b. 4-8 In contrast to the previous cadence where Torchi

eschewed the subsemitoniulDt in this, the final
cadence of the motet, he alone sharpened the F in
a cadent ia1 ornament. The cadence is plagal,
however, and Torchi's F# serves merely as a
chromatic ornamentation, a passing dissonance with
which neither Terzi or Bastian wished to alter the
stark final cadence.

The only instances where Bastian and Terzi differ in

their interpretation are in places of decorative musica
Fi eta, that is, on crot chet or quaver passing not es. Where
Torchi gave different readings, one could confidently say
that in some cases they are plainly wrong <such as bb. 37,
4-6 and 28) and in others he misguidedly ignored cadential
 musica ficta 193

progressions other than those at the ends of phrases <bb. 7

and 9).

5. In te Domine speravi, Merulo. 74

In another Merulo motet, Terzi's musica ficta agrees

with Bastian's in thirteen cases of either propinquity or
subsemitonium modi 7s and in one application of a flat, in bar
2~ needed to avoid a melodic tritone in the alt~

In two bars the Bastian and Terzi versions give

di fferent readings. Bast ian avoided a perfect cadence on to
G in bar 49, and similarly shunned a viib--I cadence in bar
55. There does not appear to be any reason for these
omissions, especially considering that they mark the ends of
phrases in the bass on both occasions.

6. Beatus Homo, Rore. 76

Bernard Meier and Terzi usually agree in this Rore

mot et, but the t wo places where t hey do not are of int erest.
In the sixth bar Terzi wrote a G# in the canto, giving a
harmonic major third and a melodic tritone which makes good
harmonic, if not polyphonic sense. This may be a
typographical lapse, but in any case it is, strictly
speaking, incorrect as we understand the rules of musica
fict& On the other hand, if we regard the G#-C as the end
of one phrase and the beginning of another, it is perfectly
acceptable. In bar 20 Terzi did not flatten a basso B,
whereas Meier did, probably preferring the colour of such a
bass progression.

74. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 30-39.

75. bb. 7, 14, 15, 19, 23, 30, 34, 36, 38, 47, 52, 54 & 57.
76. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 47-55.
 musica ficta 194

INSTRUMENTAL MODEL

La Nartinenga, Maschera. 77

In my edition of Maschera's canzona La Martinenga, I

used for the instrumental ensemble the facsimile publication
of a manuscript copy of Maschera ' s L1. bra Primo held in
Brussels. 78 Since then I have been able to consult the
edition by William McKee 79
in which there are a few
differences. McKee does not state which source he used 8 0 so
it is not possible to decide the origin of such differences.
In the manuscript facsimile the recta flats are marked on
the stave, in front of the notes concerned, whereas the
ficta sharps are placed under the stave, beneath the notes
to which they refer. One cannot be sure without consulting
the original manuscript, but it appears that the sharps
beneath the notes are by a different hand, or at least using
a different pen. Certainly they give the impression of
having been added later. The bars mentioned below show
disagreement between the McKee transcription, the Maschera
manuscript copy (hereafter referred to as Maschera), and
Terzi's intabulation of the canzona.

b. 7 Terzi raised the F for a propinqui ty maj or sixth

to octave on a crotchet passing-note, but neither
of the other edi t ions has an F# here. <Ident ical
on repeat b. 18).

77. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 232-236.

78. Libro Primo de Canzoni da sonare a quatro voci di
Florentio Maschera, facs. ed., (Brussels, 1979) fo1 lv.
79, W. McKee, The Music of Florentio Maschera (1540-1584),
PhD. diss., (Texas, 1958) p. 141.
80. Libro primo de canzoni da sonare, a quattro voci, di
Florentio Maschera Organista nel Duomo di Brescia.
(Brescia, 1584). According to H. M. Brown, Instrumental
Music Printed Before 160~ (Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1965/R1979), p.339 there are two printed copies in
Bologna, one in the Biblioteca comuna1e annessa a1
Conservatorio musicale, and the other in the Archivio
di S. Pet roni o.
 mvsled fleta 195

b.11 McKee alone failed to sharpen the leading-note at

the end of the first section and at the repeat of
the section in bar 22.

b.24- Terzi's intabulation lacks the propinquity F#

given by McKee and Maschera. In the following
chord the subseml t oni um B was gi ven by all but
Maschera.

b.35 At the end of the second section, the F# leading-

note was not indicated by either Maschera or
McKee. This is clearly a place where edi t orial
muslea fieta is needed, just as it is in the
cadences in bars 11 and 22.

b.4-7 Terzi alone flattened an E to avoid false

relations. In the following bar the McKee and
Maschera editions avoid editorial F#s for the
cadence on to G. On the repeat of this section,
the Eb (of b.4-7) given by Terzi was also supplied
by McKee as an editorial flat (b60), but the
following cadence (b.61) remains as it was in
b.4-8, without F# from either Maschera or McKee.

Terzi's passaggl fieta in this intabulation served to

avoid false relations as in bars 51., 52 and 60, to flatten
the upper note of an auxiliary figure as in bars 53 and 58,
or as a passing subsemltonium modi (b. 4-9). Although this is
an inst rument ally-deri ved int abulat ion, Terzi does not
appear to apply rouslea fleta in any significantly different
way from his vocally derived intabulations.
 mt/sica ficta 196

Part four. Terzi and Other Lute Intabulations

A COMPARISON OF TWO INTABULATIONS

1. Fera gentil, Rore. 61

Rore's madrigal Fera genttl, first pUblished

posthumously in 1565,62 was intabulated in Terzi's Libra
Prima of 1593, and in Fallamero's I1 Prima Libra of 1584.
There is also a late sixteenth-century intabulation of the
madrigal in an anonymous manuscript held in Genoa. 813 The
three versions of Fera genti1 demonstrate a wide variety in
the interpretation of musica ficta, even though they all
belong to the last two or three decades of the century.

Scotto's 1574 edition of Rore's madrigal provided many

accidentals, especially where more than one musica ficta
rule could have applied, or where an inflection such as a
picardie third would otherwise have been optional. Most of
the recta flats that could be applied using known rules were
notatedj in bar 6 for example the basso B clearly needs a
flat to avoid mt contra fa with the canto F as well as to
produce fa super la with the F from the previous bar. The
tenore B in bar 6 was also flattened to avoid false
relations, both inflections giving a gracefully prepared
phrygian cadence. Scotto also sharpened the C of the
following bar for a tierce de picardie in the end-of-phrase

81. Music example in Volume 11, pp. 104-123.

82. RISM 1568/18. Mod. ed. in Cipriana de Rare: Opera Omnia,
ed. B. Meier, CMM xiv, (Rome, 1959-), vol. v, p.43.
83. Ms. Genoa, Biblioteca Universitaria, Ms.F. VII/i.
(Hereafter referred to as Ms. Genoa VII/I.) This undated
manuscript contains intabulations of compositions by
Striggio, Rore, Lassus, D. Ferrabosco and Verdelot, and
is therefore probably from the same period as the
printed lute.intabulations considered here. Further
information regarding the manuscripts cited below may
be found in chapter 5, pp. 247-278.
 musica ficta 197

cadence, a function which many accidentals serve in this

madrigal. s4 Recta B flats are notated in bar 25 in' both the
alto and basso to avoid mi contra fa. Many of the
accidentals of the model raise the leading-note for a
cadence, ss and others result from propinqui ty. se> In other
instances where interpretation could be open to doubt, the
lower note of an auxiliary figure is sharpened in places
that give melodic consistency.se> In bar 62 Rore (or Scotto)
wrote a B natural to cancel the "una nota super la" rule,
thus preventing the quinto from attempting a phrygian
cadence on A.

The majority of accidentals added by the three

lutenists apply to cadential leading-notes where the
interpretation of clearcut cases had been entrusted to the
singers. Al though it seems that Rore (or Scot t 0) had taken
every precaution necessary to avoid conflicting solutions,
there are surprisingly many places where the lute tablatures
disagree, or where ficta is added which one would not
normally expect. We would imagine for instance that in both
bars 54 and 56, the G-F-G figure would be sharpened to
cadence on A. In two int abulat ions, Terzi' s a n d the
anonymous Ms. Genoa VII/I, this figure is sharpened (except
where Terzi has simpli fied the ornament). Fallamero however
avoided cadencing in both instances, leaving the Gs and Fs
uninflected.That he did so twice excludes an interpretation
of the omission as a mere slip. To ignore such obvious
cadential points, further indicated by Rore's C# picardie
thirds, suggests that Fallamero was insufficiently versed in
contemporary music theory to give anything other than a
literal transcription. In a subsequent phrase (bar 62)
Fallamero did not sharpen a G to cadence on A, even though
the original's cautionary B natural calls, by default, for a
viib-I cadence. Fallamero made similar omissions in bars 75,

84. bb. 15, 17, 19, 39/40, 56, 7 1/72, 81, 85, 89 and 109.
85. bb. 22, 36, 55, 78, 84, 94, 100, 104, and 120.
86. bb. 97, 114, 117 and 123.
 musica ficta 198

80, 88, and 126. At an obvious cadence point in bar 80 the

author of Ms. Genoa VIllI, for no apparent reason, also
neglected the subsemitoniu~ Such an omission could possibly
belong with the many copying errors found in this
manuscript, whereas Fallamero's omissions of this type are
more consistent. That Fallamero indicated the subsemi t oni um
in one cadence (b. 108), suggests that his failures to do so
elsewhere (bb. 39, 90, 101 and 108) were conscious. Given
that lute tablature gives exact fingerings it is improbable
that Fallamero expected the performer to apply further
musi ca fi cta.

Both Fallamero and the anonymous author of Ms. Genoa

VIllI give very confused readings at a viib-I cadence in bar
16. In the original madrigal a notated G# cadences to A,
thus precluding a Bb-A phrygian cadence. Terzi sharpened the
preceding F in the tenore to avoid a linear augmented second
- a reading wi th which Meier agreed in his edi t ion of the
madrigal. In an unusual move, Fallamero displaced the
unsharpened F upward by an octave for no apparent reason,
while Ms. Genoa VIllI is so full of error in this bar that it
is hard to know what might have been the scribe's intention.
This bar, among many others, undermines these two tablature
versions as reliable sources of musica ficta. Terzi on the
other hand consist ent ly raised the sixth. degree in
conjunction with the seventh when cadencing. He similarly
avoided a linear augmented second at the end of the prima
parte (bar 39) by sharpening the F before the accidental G#
picardie third, as did the other two lutenists. Terzi always
extrapolated back from the leading-note to the anticipatory
cadential ornament, as at bar 22. An interpretation such as
this is also given in Ms. Genoa VIllI as well as in Meier's
edition. Indeed modern editors now usually inflect within
those ornaments preceding a cadential leading-note.
Fallamero on the other hand did not sharpen the leading-note
within the orname~t. In those cadences where a subsemitonium
is not given in the model, Terzi and Ms. Genoa VIllI
consistently sharpened the anticipatory ornament along with
 musica ficta 199

the subsemitonium. Fallamero used no musica ficta at all

<bb. 55 and 126) and he alone failed to inflect the. lower of
a returning-note figure at bars 36 and 38 where we would
expect applications of the subsemitonium modi rule.

The propinquity rule when applied at bar 30 produces a

"double cadence" on C, an interpretation agreed on by the
author of Ms. Genoa VIllI, Terzi and Meier, but not
Fallamero. Later, in bars 58 and 60, Terzi alone applied the
propinquity rule to the phrase "ch'ad ogn'hor". Here he gave
precedence to a "major-sixth to octave" progression, rather
than retain consistent melodic intervals at successive
imitative entries. Consequently "ch'ad ogn'hor" is set on an
ascending semitone-tone phrase (b.57 canto) as well as tone-
semitone (b. 58 quinto and tenor~ b.61 qUinto) and tone-tone
<bb. 59-60 basso). Lat er in Terzi' s int abulat ion however it
seems that an inflection serves to retain imitative
consistency: in bar 89 of the model the picardie C# is
retained after the intervening rest, so that the entry "che
solo" begins with an ascending semitone. The sUbsequent
entry of " c he solo" in the canto retains the identical
interval structure with the sharpened G. Only in Ms. Genoa
VIllI is the G left as a natural. At the repetition of this
material at bar 110, the readings of the three versions
remain the same as at bar 90, al though here the G# is also
evident in the model where it was not previously.

Strengthening the impression of the unreliability of

Ms. Genoa VIllI as a musica ficta source is the omission, for
no apparent reason, of the notated accidental F# (b.32). The
many mistakes within this manuscript make it difficult at
times to know when a ficta accidental is intended and when
it is not. Some instances have already been cited, but in
further cases it is less clear whether or not they are
scribal errors. The C# in bar 46 for instance may be an
intentional simultaneous false relation or <more likely), an
error. The C# in b.26 is probably a scribal error, and in
 musica ficta 200

bar 70 the chromatic line G-F#-F-E is doubtless

unint ent ional.

Unusual ficta interpretations are not the sole

prerogative of Fallamero and Ms. Genoa VIllI however. Terzi's
G# in bar 33, also present in the manuscript, is not
required by any known rule of musica ficta unless the G# is
regarded as crossing to the canto A. The G# makes perfect
harmonic sense in an intabulation as Cl sUbsemitonium of a
perfect cadence, even if it does not actually make
polyphonic sense for the vocal original. This is an instance
where to use the example of the lute intabulation for a
vocal edition would be misguided because the intabulators
have allowed harmonic sense to mask the polyphony. Terzi
also allowed false relations to occur submetrically within
his passaggi. In bar 7 for instance, a C in the bass
passaggio forms a false relation with the C# picardie third.
A passing clash such as this is perfectly acceptable in
passaggi and is one Terzi allows as additional colour in
nearly every intabulation.

Some of the musica ficta interpretations in the

intabulations of Pera gentil stem from the personal whim of
the intabulators. In bars 12-13, Terzi raised the F for
propinquity and followed this with a chord of G minor - an
application of "una nota super la" in a non-obligatory
situation which adds character to that passage. The
anonymous intabulator of Ms. Genoa VIllI similarly gave ficta
interpretations outside the usual rules. Such liberties are
taken more by some lutenists than by others. In the
manus~ript version there are two examples of a minor chord
altered to major, even though propinquity does not apply
(bb. 37 and 52). These bars are part icularly clear examples
of harmonic thinking taking precedence over the preservation
of polyphony in lute intabulations.
 musica ficta 201

2. Nasce la pen a mcra, Striggio. e7

Striggio's madrigal, first published in 1560, was

int abulat ed by at least four Italian lutenists Terzi,
Galilei (two versions), Fallamero, and Becchi - in published
versions spanning a period of 31 years. ee We also know of
four extant Italian manuscript intabulations of the madrigal
compiled in the late sixteenth century.e9 Comparisons among
these nine intabulations of Nasce la pena show a remarkable
variety of musica ficta treatment. As in the previous
example, most of the musica ficta accidentals function as
leading-notes at cadences. But in addition, some of the
intabulations of Nasce la pena contain musica ficta that
does not conform with any known rule, and there are also
omissions where we would normally expect musica ficta to be
applied.

Like Rore in Fera Gentil, Striggio (or his editor

Gardano) often did not sharpen leading-notes in end-of-
phrase cadences, leaving such inflections to the performer
to realize. He did however notate less obvious recta flats
(bars 8, 10, 14, 22 and 37), picardie thirds (bars 8, 9 and
11) and propinquity sixths and thirds during the course of a
phrase (bars 15, 21 and 38). Rarely do all the lute
intabulations raise the leading-note at an important
cadence. One or more intabulators usually fail to cadence
with a subsemitonium, and this raises the question whether
such omissions result from personal taste, or incompetence
on the part of the intabulator. In bar 5 for example, all
versions notated perfect cadences except Ms. Brussels 11/275

87. Music example in Volume 11 pp. 154-176

88. For sources see Appendix 3.
89. Ms. Brussels, Bibliotheque Royale de Belgique, 11/275
(Cavalcanti lutebook) (hereafter referred to as Ms.
Brussels 1I/275)j Ms Genoa Vll/lj Ms. Modena, Biblioteca
Estense, Ms.C.311, Arie e canzone in musica di Cosimo
Bottegari (hereafter referred to as Ms. Modena C.311);
and Ms.Como, Biblioteca Comunale, Ms. senza segnatura
(hereafter referred to as Ms.Como ss.
 musica ficta 202

and Ms. Genoa VIllI; and in another perfec~ cadence at bar 10

Fallamero failed to raise the leading-note C while both
Cosimo Bottegari (the author of Ms.Modena C.311) and Becchi
omitted the leading-note altogether. At an important cadence
in bar 13, all the intabulators agreed in supplying the
subsemitoniu~ while in an intermediate perfect cadence
(b. 15), Fallamero alone failed to sharpen the leading-note.
Applying the rule of propinquity in bars 20 and 21 produces
two successive G#s, the second of which leads to a mid-
phrase cadence on A maj or, just i fiable not only by
propinquit~ but also by the avoidance of a harmonic
tritone with the model's picardie third C#. But not all of
the arrangements supplied the earlier G# at bar 20;
Cavalcanti (the author of Ms. Brussels II/275) omitted the G
altogether, and in the next bar (b.21), Fallamero alone did
not cadence G# to A. At the end of this phrase (b. 22), a
perfect cadence on D is produced by a ficta C#, upon which
all intabulations agree. In another end-of-phrase cadence,
all intabulators except Becchi supplied the subsemi toni um
(bar 28), and all raised the leading-note in bar 36. In a
further application of subsemitonium modi (bar 8) all the
sources except Fallamero sharpened the lower note in the
ret urning-not e figure D-C-D in the sest 0) voice. The final
cadence at the end of the madrigal, naturally enough,
elicited sharpened leading-notes in all versions. From these
examples there is evidence of a greater degree of freedom in
the application of the rule of propinquity at intermediate
cadences than there is at important end-of-phrase cadences.

A large section of music repeated in Striggio's

madrigal (bb. 23-40, 41-58), afforded the intabulators an
opportunity to vary the ornamentation. Terzi, Galilei, and
Raimondo (author of Ms. Como s. s. ), increased their
ornamentation on the repeat, whereas Fallamero, Cavalcanti
(Ms. Brussels 11/275), Ms. Genoa VIllI, Bottegari (Ms. Modena
C.311) and Becchi varied their intabulations very little.
The repeated section also gives us the chance to compare the
musica fictB practices of each intabulation to determine to
 musi ca fi ct a 203

what extent the intabulators varied their musica ficta

interpretations. Inconsist~ncy within an intabulat:Lon could
demonstrate that the intabulators sought variety in their
application of musica ficta as well as in their
ornamentat ion, but it is more likely to be the product of a
lack of musical and theoretical insight. The first repeated
cadence requiring ficta is in bar 46, the equivalent of bar
28. In both bars Becchi omit t ed the subsemi t ani um, whereas
in the repeated section only, the author of Ms. Genoa VIllI
failed to sharpen the leading-note. The perfect cadence at
bar 53 however is the same as its equivalent at bar 37 - all
lutenists have sharpened the leading-note (except for
Ms. Brussels 11/275).90 Ficta occurring in both sections,
however unusual (such as bars 27/45 and 33/51 in Ms. Brussels
11/275), must be regarded as intentional, but those which
vary on the repeat, as in Ms. Genoa VIllI (bars 36 and 54)
and Ms. Brussels 11/275 (bars 31 and 48), are probably
unintentional. Judging by consistency, the three most
unreliable sources of musica ficta are Fallamero,
Ms. Brussels 11/275, and Ms. Genoa VII/I. We find a further
indication of Fallamero's unreliability in a missing half-
bar (b. 29), which is completed in the repeated section at
bar 47. Were this an intentional omission we would expect
the same treatment in each section.

Striggio notated many picardie thirds, but despite this

the intabulators managed to give different readings for the
final chords of perfect cadences. The final chord of the
cadence at bar 23 for example sees a variety of treatment.
Here the third of the final chord is omitted, precluding the
picardie third altogether from a vocal performance.
Nevertheless, Galilei in both of his versions added the
minor third, and Raimondo (Ms.Como s.s.) added a major third
to the final chord of the cadence, while all the other
lutenists left the fifth bare. The application of picardie

90. Mistakes in the original give an unclear reading. See

the notes to Nasce la pena mia, Volume 11, pp. 154-176.
 musica ficta 204

thirds additional to those of Striggio's madrigal invites

further disagreement in bar 14, and in bar 36" and its
equivalent, bar 54. The only intabulations to notate the
picardie third at the cadence into bar 14 are Raimondo
(Ms.Como s.s.) and Cavalcanti ( Ms. Brussels 11/275). As this
is an intermediate cadence, a pi cardi e third is not
necessary, and it does in any case result in a very
chromatic line for the tenore The cadence on A at bar 36 is
more important, occurring as it does at the end of a poetic
line, and would invite a picardie third had not Striggio
written a bare fifth. All the same, the temptation was hard
to resist for Raimondo, the author of Ms. Genoa VIllI, and
Cavalcanti, who all added the major third. Both Raimondo and
Ms. Genoa VIllI were careful not to extend the C# into the
beginning of the new phrase "s'io mir'ho male" of the
tenore, but Cavalcanti ignored the polyphony in this bar,
preferring a more homophonic reading. At the equivalent bar
in the repeat (bar 54), Ms. Genoa VIllI did not notate the
picardie third, whereas the other two manuscripts are
unchanged.

Musica ficta to avoid mi contra fa is not required in

this madrigal on accented beats, but was applied by two
lutenists, Galilei and the author of Ms. Genoa VIllI, to an
unaccented passing note in bar 4. Terzi did not need to
apply ficta here because his ornamentation sidesteps the B-F
harmony. Two other intabulators who did not raise the F -
Raimondo and Cavalcanti also omitted the preceding B,
thereby obviat ing the need for an F#. The other sources,
Fallamero, Bottegari and Becchi, while retaining the B, did
not deem it necessary to avoid the tritone on an unaccented
beat.

Two of Striggio's ornaments received a variety of

musica ficta in the intabulations. In an ornamental figure
in the quinto of. bar 28, Terzi alone applied the rule of
propinquity, flattening the B so that the interval of the
fifth was approached by a minor sixth.
 musica ficta 205

In Striggio's madrigal there is only a single incident

of a two-note ornament in anticipation of the leading-note
(b.21). Terzi replaced this ornament with another, but
Galilei, Raimondo, the author of Ms. Genoa VIllI, and Becchi,
all sharpened both the leading-note and the sixth degree in
anticipation of the cadence. Fallamero however missed the
cadence altogether, sharpening the sixth degree (F#) as a
returning-note figure, but not the seventh degree (G) to
cadence on A.

The musicB ficta inconsistencies in Ms. Genoa VII/I's

arrangements of both Nasce la penB mia and Fera genti1, cast
doubt on the reliability of this source. Not only does the
manuscript miss important cadences, it also omits a Striggio
accidental C# in bar 9. Of all the arrangements of this
madrigal however, Caval cant i' s int erpret at ion is the most
wayward. He also cancels an original accidental (bar 8), and
on many occasions the third of a chord (usually in the chord
of A), is sharpened for no apparent reason (bars 1, 3, 6,
16, 19, 20, 27, 33, 42, 45, 48, 51 and 58). Clearly these
unusual accidentals are not errors, for the repeated bars
are treated much the same (except for a C# in bar 48 which
is not found in its equivalent bar 31>. While Cavalcanti
fai thfully represented the basso, on several occasions he
supplied harmony different from that of the model (bars 9,
35 and 42). This tinkering with the harmony, rare among lute
intabulations, also points to the unreliability of the
arrangement as a musica ficta source. By deviating from
contemporary musicB fictB rules and showing such a strong
partiality for the chord of A major this intabulation, which
serves as an accompaniment to a bass singer, has altered the
model from a six-part polyphonic madrigal to a chordal
accompaniment (particularly in bars 48-49).

The other manuscript intabulations, and the Fallamero

print, contain .musica ficta outside the usual rules.
Raimondo's and Caval cant i' s manuscript versions also give
some harmonically influenced readings: in bar 58 of Ms. Como
 musica ficta 206

s. s. a C#-D cadence would be possible wel~e the progression

conceived chordally but makes no sense polyphonically. In
Ms. Genoa VIllI the B wi thin a chord of G in bar 7 is
flattened by a wide application of the rule of propinquit~

This recta sign is not considered necessary by any of the

other intabulators. A ficta sign added by Fallamero (bar 35)
in an undoubted misapplication of the subsemitonium modi
rule does not serve any known purpose whatsoever. Since
Fallamero did not keep to this interpretation at the repeat
in bar 53 we could assume that it was a typographical error,
were it not for Fallamero's unusual musica ficta
interpretation in general.

We can conclude from comparison of lute intabulations

of Nasce la pena mia and Fera gentil, that of the printed
tablatures, Fallamero's is the least reliable, while Terzi's
and Galilei's are the most consistent and the most in
conformity with contemporary musica ficta practices. Of the
manuscript sources, Raimondo's and Bottegari's are the most
consistent while Cavalcanti and Ms. Genoa VIllI give the
least accurate readj.ngs. It is also clear that in some
tablat ure sources, part icularly those of Fallamero and
Ms. Genoa VIllI, the standards of musica ficta practice vary
considerably from one intabulation to another. Ms. Genoa
VIllI for instance has many more mistakes in Fera gentil
than in Nasce la pena mia, and Fallamero failed to raise the
subsemitonium more often in the former than in the latter.
Generally speaking one could say that manuscript sources are
less reliable than printed sources, but until each is
researched thoroughly, the merits of each intabulation and
each source must be considered separately.
 musica ficta 207

Part five. Conclusion

Of the musica ficta that Terzi applied to his

intabulations, the most frequent inflections were applied to
leading-notes in end-of-phrase cadences and, less often,
mid-phrase propinqui ty. In a search for aspect s of Terzi' s
musica ficta style, it may initially appear that he
preferred to write leading-note cadences rather than
phrygian cadences. However, the rari t y of phrygian flats is
not so much a statement of preference as it is the result of
few such choices being open to the intabulator. In the vocal
original it is in the cadence, more than any other
situation, that musica ficta is left to the performer's
discretion. It is rare though for there to be any real
choice between a phrygian or leading-note cadence, as more
often than not the phrygian interpretation is not musically
viable. Even where it is possible, if a recta flat
necessi t ates the flat tening of preceding not es, Terzi
prefers the interpretation involving the least number of
inflections. Generally, in the vocal models studied, it has
been seen that more oft en than not, most of the possible
recta flats have been notated by the composer or publisher.
This confirms for late sixteenth-century Italian lute
intabulations what Fox found to be true for mid-sixteenth-
century vihuela intabulations, namely, that the arrangers
added considerably more sharps than flats. 91 Similarly,
Terzi notated few causa necessitatis accidentals, not out of
preference, but because the original composer or publisher
had left very few such situations open to the performer.

The picardie third is also frequently notated in the

vocal model, but where such interpretation remains open,
Terzi did not notate the major third at cadences as a matter
of course. Far from being obligatory in lute intabulations,

91. C. W. Fox, "Accidentals in Vihuela Tablatures", Bulletin

of the American Musicological Society, vol. 4, (1940) ,
p.23.
 musica ficta 208

the picardie third is treated with individuality, some

intabulators applying it much more than others.

Terzi's musica ficta is so close to accepted vocal

pract ice that it does not indicat e an independent
instrumental style. The stylistic deviation that we do find
is mainly within passaggi, where Terzi frequently relished
false relations between ornamental and non-ornamental
elements of the intabulation. But rather than classifying
such harmonic colour as unusual or peculiar to lute
intabulations, it is reasonable to think that they may also
have been perfectly acceptable harmonic clashes in vocal
performances resul t ing from ornamentat ion of anyone part.
In fact, given the spontaneous nature of vocal ornamentation
this seems inevitable. Especially when one considers Terzi's
conservative and consistent musica ficta generally, his
passaggi ficta seems likely to be a true picture, for the
1590's at least, of contemporary vocal practice.

We see little evidence in Terzi's work of the musica

ficta application which creates conformity in entries of
points of imitation. At times it looks as though he may have
consciously retained the same solmization for successive
melodic entries, but he did not do so consist ent ly, and any
such inflections can always be explained by one or other of
the musica ficta rules.

It is a temptation in research of this kind, based as

it is largely on the work of one composer, to hold up that
composer's work as exemplary. Nonetheless one could safely
say that Terzi's ficta, along with Galilei's, is the most
consistent and intelligent of all the tablatures considered
here, and can be relied upon as an example of good late
sixteenth-century musica ficta practice in lute
intabulations. Whether we decide to apply that practice
directly to the .vocal models is another matter. To this
question the tablatures themselves offer a solution. Some
tablatures, such as Cavalcanti's, clearly serve as vocal
 musica ficta 209

accompaniments and little else, with the vocal model adapted

accordingly. As a result, in many places the original
polyphony has been converted into homophony, merely in
support of the voice. In such cases the musica ficta of the
lute intabulation would be of little assistance in the
formation of a modern vocal interpretation. Likewise, if
tablatures are seen to be unreliable and inconsistent, as
for instance Fallamero's, such sources should not be
consulted for a vocal edition. In Terzi's and Galilei's
intabulations, though, it is obvious that the intabulators
were thinking polyphonically, and only on rare occasions is
there any evidence of homophonic thinking resulting from the
instrumental medium. Where a homophonic interpretation is
evident the cause is obvious, invol ving as it usually does
the concept of "crossed parts", and such instances can
easily be isolated from a modern edition of the model.
Similarly, it is obvious when passaggi have forced an
interpretation different from what we would otherwise
expect.
 CHAPTER FIVE

PERFORMANCE PRACTICE - INDICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Many varieties of performance media other than solo

lute are indicated in the printed repertoire. Although
ensemble intabulations are small in number compared with
those apparent ly intended for solo performance, they
represent many variet ies of performance, thus gi ving
valuable insight into the performance practices Terzi and
others may have intended for their solo intabulations. The
few explicit performance instructions found in the printed
lute repertoire are augmented by a large variety of
performance practices implied by the layout of material.
Particularly in manuscripts, the personal notebooks of
amateur lutenists, a large variety of performance practice
can be observed from the style of the intabulations, their
physical place relative to mensural material, and occasional
inscript ions within the manuscript s. By drawing comparisons
in the late sixteenth-century Italian lute repertoire it is
hoped that light may be shed on the following quest ions
about Terzi's intabulations:

(1) Were those intabulations lacking in special

performance instructions really intended for solo
performance, or could they have been performed wi th
vocal and/or instrumental ensembles?
(2) What did Terzi intend by the instructions "in
concerto" heading many of his intabulations?
(3) Were those tablatures underlaid with text intended
as song accompaniments, and if so does it follow that
the absence of text implies the absence of song?
 performance practice 211

Part one. Performance Indications

LUTE ENSEMBLES IN ITALIAN PRINTS

A handful of original music for two lutes was included

in Italian tablature prints between 1508 and 1585, the
earliest pieces being a "suite" of Saltarello, Piva and
Calata in Dalza's lute book of 1508. 1 Nearly four decades
passed before the publication of the next duet dances, a
Pavane and Saltarello of P. Paulo Borrono.:2 Borrono and
Dalza wrote their duet dances in the manner of one lute
playing a simple harmonic bass, <or a drone bass in the case
of Dalza's Saltarello &- Piva) while the other played a
single-line ornamentation.

From the mid-sixteenth century, fantasias and

ricercari, as well as dances, were set for two lutes. The
first composer to do this was Barberiis, who incl uded a
fantasia for two lutes, tuned an octave apart, in his 1549
lute book. 3
This fantasia is also notable for the manner in
which it breaks away from the Dalza style, for according to
Brown, the two lutes "both play the same music, but each
ornaments in a slightly different way.lt4 Hence, although one
lute has a supporting role, and the other an ornamental
melodic role, they share the harmonic material. In his
Intavolatura de leuto in 1559, Matelart adds second lute
parts to six of Francesco da Milano's fantasias <the first
five requiring a lute tuned a major second higher) and to
one fantasia of Giovanni Maria da Crema. In the rubrics to
Matelart's duets we find the first example in printed

1. Brown 1508/2, nos. 24-26. For a thorough study of the

lute dances see L.H. Moe, Dance Music in Printed
Italian Lute Tablatures from 1507 to 1611, PhD. diss. ,
<Harvard, 1956).
2. Brown 1546/8, no. 6.
3. Brown 1549/2 no. 18.
4. H.M. Brown, Sixteenth-C~ntury ~nstrumentation; the
Musi.c of the Florentine Intermedii, AIM <Dallas, 1973),
p.34.
 performance practice 212

Italian lute music of a derivative of the verb "concertare"

referring to lutes in instrumental ensemble - "Seguens le
Recercate concertate".s. This anticipates the term "in
concerto" which was to become an important feature of
Terzi's Libro Primo. The style of Matelart's additions is
very similar to that of the fantasias they adorn. Only very
slightly more ornamental than the original fantasias, they
represent a true dialogue of equal partners. In fact, the
second lute parts could legitimately stand apart as solos if
need be. We have record of only two lute duets attributable
to Francesco da Milano. One is a canon in which the two
lutes, naturally enough, share an equal role. The other is a
setting of the Basse Dance La Spagna. 5o
Here one lute,
labelled tenore, plays a simple three-part chordal
background while the other, a contrappunto, enjoys a
virtuoso single-line elaboration. This piece differs so much
from Francesco's usual st yle, that it looks more 1 ike a
conscious imitation of the Dalza duet style.'

The two duets at the end of Oalilei's revised edition

of Il Fronimo are representative of the earlier duet
tradition. These simple ricercari are accompanied by single-
line elaborations, called contrapunti [sid,e written by
B. M., of whom we know nothing other than that he was a
"virtuoso Oentil'huomo".9 Oalilei also included a short
canon for two lutes - "Fuga a L'unisono, dopo sei tempi: 1 0 A
year after Oalilei's Il Fronimo, Barbetta included two sets

5. Brown 1559/7, nos. 17-23.

6. The Lute Music of Francesco Canova da ~lilano (1497-
1543), ed. A. J. Ness (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1970>,
pp. 242 & 244.
7. Francesco's La Spagna is also similar in style to the
Spinacino intabulation duets, and perhaps it is no
coincidence that both Francesco and Spinacino used the
term tenor and that the Basse Dance La Spagna was a
favourite of them both.
8. Oalilei <1584>, pp. 178 & 180. See also an untitled duet
Oalilei gives on p.30 for didactic purposes.
9. Oalilei <1584>, p.177.
10. Brown 1584/5, p.37.
 performance practice 213

of passi i mezzi &- gagliarde in his Intavolatura di Liuto,

for lutes tuned a fourth apart. Lute 11 is considerably the
more ornamental of the two, but at the same time each part
carries three and four-part harmony. Thus, while maintaining
the Dalza dance-duet style of a supporting part and an
ornamental part, Barbetta begins to approach equality in his
writing for two lutes. 11

Intabulations of vocal music set for two lutes received

about as much attention in sixteenth-century Italy as the
dance and f ant asia genres. Spinae ino' s six duet
intabulations allow one lute to play a meandering
elaboration over another lute's literal arrangement of two
voices of a chanson. Spinacino's and Dalza's duets are very
much alike in style in that one lute is assigned a

EXAMPLE 5. 1
Spinacino, Libra Prima (1507>, £01. 23v.

i--g
~ I
. . . . .
..
.
. .... . .. " .. ..
I I I I I r
: I' : I; : § : ~
~

11. Brown 1585/1 nos. 32 & 33. For an account of the

various tunings in printed lute duets see H.M. Brown
Sixteenth-Century Instrumentation; The Music of the
Florentine Intermedii, AIM <Dallas, 1973), p.30.
 perfo rman ce prac tice 214

supp ortin g role and the othe r an elab orati ng

role (Exam ple
5.1).12

Barb eriis 's duet arran geme nt of Verd elot' s Mado

nna qual
certe zza, like his duet fanta sia, is the first
to depa rt
from the Spin acino style . Here the two lute nists
share the
polyp hony , but lute 11 alone ornam ents the arran
geme nt. 1 3 It
is only in the Span ish vihu ela repe rtoir e howe
ver that the
two play ers are treat ed as true equa ls.
Book IV of
Vald errab ano's Sil va de Siren as of 1547 1 4
is devo ted to
duet s in which the polyp hony of the mode
ls is divid ed
betw een the lutes witho ut ornam entat ion. Gali
lei's two duo
intab ulati ons in Il Fron imo (for lutes tuned
a majo r secon d
apar t) doub le the harm ony, but one lute ornam
ents whil e the
othe r does not. In Alle fiori te spon de 1 5 and
Ques ta che la
citta 1 6 the secon d lutes carry full harm ony but also
cons idera ble ornam entat ion, while the first
lutes appe ar
(the mode ls are unkno wn) to be liter al intab ulati ons
(Exam ple 5.2). The style of these two intab ulati
ons is the
resu lt of Gali lei givin g exam ples of the
same piece
EXAMPLE 5.2
Gali lei, Ques ta che la citta

~ /

Lute I
.J
-G-
1"
IJ ~ ~ Ifd f r ..w'

I-I
I t

Lute II
... I
\ -... LLL\ lJ.l) W I

12. For discu ssion of style see Brow n, op. cit., p.185 and
this Volum e Ghap ter 3.
13. Brow n 1549 /2 no. 16.
14. Brow n 1547 /5.
15. Gali lei (1584 ), p.31.
16. Gali lei (1584 ), p.33.
 performance practice 215

ornamented and unornamented for didactic reasons. It is not

until we come to Terzi's intabulations of two Merulo canzone
in Libro Primo and Willaert's Aller m'y faut in Libro
Secondo that we find the polyphony of the model divided
equally between the players (Example 5.3). It is only in the
French repertoir.e, in a 1563 collection of Pierre Phalese,
(as Brown notes) that we find another pre-Terzi example of
two lutes sharing the polyphony. 17

EXAMPLE 5.3
Terzi, Aller m'y Faut b.7-8)18
11

. la ver - du - ~: sur
11 #
w • sin la ver ~ du - - : - . - re, sur
vocal III

model I~ du - re, aI - ler m'y Caut sur

11

"8 CAut sur la vlr - du - - re, Cer -

- - - - -

•
la ver du - re,
11 E!!FEE!'l --.

1 .
.. L....J
-- r .
lute I
- J
100o-.I
1\
- ~====
.. .-
lute II 1 Jii!jj --- ·r
..aJ r 'r r
I. 1'1
.".

~
r

It is perhaps surprising that more polyphonic music was

not arranged for duos, given that two lutes could do justice
to the polyphony so much more easily than one. Since the
tradition of improvisation was still very much alive in the
sixteenth century it is probable that one written
intabulation would suffice for two lutenists. One player

17. H.M. Brown, op. cit., p.34 fn.36.

18 ibid., Music example from p.218.
 performance practice 216

could improvise an elaboration based on one or more of the

voices, or both could play from the same intabulation while
one ornament s i t in a di fferent way. As Brown suggest s,
economic factors may have contributed to the scarcity of
printed duets, as "probably publishers felt no need to print
two copies of a lute arrangement, when one would suffice for
two players." 19
It is not until the latter half of the
sixteenth century, when the style veered towards the
division of the polyphony of the model between both lutes
equally, that a single solo tablature would no longer
suffice for both players. It would have been very awkward
indeed for each player to have at tempt ed to read several
polyphonic parts from a solo intabulat ion. Nei ther would
publications of the vocal models have been conducive to
direct readings in the "equal polyphony" duet style, since
vocal scores were rare until the seventeenth century. It is
reasonable to assume therefore that the absence of this
style in print realistically reflects the rarity of its
practice, although a lute ensemble where each player reads
from a separate vocal part would of course have been
possible.

Lute trios and quartets were not a popular performance

medium in Italian prints. In Italian printed sources the
only known work for four lutes is an original canzona by
Terzi,20 and outside Italian sources the only extant
sixteenth-century music for four lutes is the two
intabulations in French tablature, in Adriaensen's 1584
pUblication of Fratum musicum.:;i!1 The increasing popularity
of concerted music after the turn of the century is
reflected in such publications as Besard's Novus Fartus of
1617, which includes 12 pieces for three lutes of different

19. Brown, op. ci t. I p. 34.

20. Terzi (1599), no. 93; transcription Volume 11, no. 35,
p.266.
21. Brown 1584/6, nos. 39-40.
 performance practice 217

sizes, to be performed with two other instruments or

voices. 22 Although outside the Italian repertoire,
Adriaensen's trios and duets offer considerable insight into
the use of lutes in ensemble. His three intabulations for
lute trio are particularly interesting for the way the parts
of the four-voiced original are divided so that all three
lutes carry full harmony, but with a different emphasis for
each lutej for lute III the tenore of the original is
uppermost, for lute II the alto is uppermost, and lute I
ornaments the canto as well as supporting with full
harmony.23 In Italian tablature however one finds very
little trio music. One source in mensural notation calls for
three lutes along with three flutes to accompany "nymphs and
mermaids and sea monsters", in a six-part song in music
composed in honour of Cosimo de Medici's wedding to Leonora
da Toledo. 24 The sole remaining Italian source for lute trio
that I am aware of is a
collection of Johannes Pacolini's
dances for lutes of different sizes, published in 1564. 25

22. J.B. Besard, Novus Part us, sive Concertationes Musicae

(Augsburg, 1617), facs. ed., (Geneva, 1983).
23. Brown 1584/6, nos. 36-38. For transcriptions of Madonna
mia pieta see J. Myers, "Performance Practice
Indications in Emanuel Adriaensen's Lute Ensemble
Music", JLSA, 1969, p.23. Another edition is in MMBel,
vol X, p.85.
24. Chi ne l' atol t' oime a sei voci cantata a la fine del
secondo atto da tre sirene, et da tre monstri marini
sonata con tre traverse, et da tre Ninfe marine con tre
liutti insieme. Brown 1539/1, no. 12.
25. G. Pacolini, Tribus Testudinibus Ludenda Carmina
(Louvain, 1564), facs. ed., (Geneva, 1982). This volume
is not listed in H.M. Brown, Instrumental Music Printed
Before 1600, (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965/R1979) but
is mentioned in H.M. Brown in Sixteenth-Century
Instrumentati"on; The Music of the Florentine
Intermedii, AIM (Dallas, 1973), p.30 fn. 17.
 performance practice 218

LUTE SONGS IN ITALIAN PUBLICATIONS

1. Solo voice with lute

Lute songs 2 6 have been part of published lute

tablatures since the beginning of the century. They manifest
themselves however in several different forms of notation,
some including mensural notation, some not. In the earlier
part of the century it was particularly in the more
homophonic popular song-forms such as the villanella,
canzonetta and frottola that the lute-song thrived. In these
simple arrangements which anticipate the monodic movement of
the end of the cent ury, the 1 ut e provides simple homophonic
accompaniment wi th occasional cadential ornaments. The
earliest publications of frottole for solo voice and lute
are Bossinensis's Libro Primo (1509) and Libro Secondo
(1511).27 The soprano part is set in mensural notation above
the lute tablature, and written instructions for each song
indicate on which fret the singer may find the pitch of the
first note. In these books and in the later collection,
Frottole de Misser Bortolomio [sic] Tromboncino e de Misser
Marcheto Carra, [SiC]26 the tenore and basso are intabulated
for lute, the canto is given for voice, and the alto is
omitted altogether. 29 Willaert however intabulated all three
lower voices in his arrangements of Verdelot' s madrigals,
and printed the upper voice in mensural notation above the
lute tablature. so Over three decades passed before more solo

26. For a fuller survey of this repertoire see L. Hubbell,

Sixteenth Century Italian Songs for Solo Voice and
Lute, PhD. diss., <Illinois, 1982).
27. Brown 1509/1, 1511/1; fasc. ed., (Geneva, 1978). Mod. ed.
in B. Disertori, Le Frotto1e per Canto E Liuto
Intabulate da Franciscus Bossinensis (Milan, 1964),
IMAM1., vol. I I 1.
28. Brown 1527/1.
29. For Bossinensis's much quoted comments on his
intabulation technique see A. Einstein The Italian
Madrigal, (Princet on, 1949/1971>, vol. I p. 48.
30. Brown 1536/8. Mod.ed., by R. Smith Brindle and G.
Gullino, Intavolatura de Leuto, by Casteliono, 1535,
(Mi 1 an, (1974)
 performance practice 219

lute-songs were published in Italy. In Gorzanis's 1570

collection of napolitane3 1
all of the songs appear to be his
original compositions with the exception of the last two
pieces. They differ from the earlier publications of
frottole in that the pitches of the canto are often
incorporated int 0 the tablat ure accompaniment, al though not
necessarily as a complete upper part. S2 The notes of the
given mensural soprano part are incorporated into the
tablature as the upper part of the arrangement in
Antonelli's Il Turturino Il Primo Libro delle Napoli tane. ss
The intabulation of Se sciorre se vedra illustrates the
differences between the two intabulators Antonelli and
Gorzanis,s4 The 20 songs in Fallamero's Il Libro Prim03s are
written with the voice part in mensural notation above the
lute tablature. The pitches of the voice-part are
incorporated into the upper line of the tablature, but not
often in such a way as to produce a. complete melodic line.
Some of Fallamero's songs need transposition, but unlike
Bossinensis' volumes, no instructions regarding
transposition levels are given. If we assume an A tuning for
the lute, most. of Fallamero's vocal parts fit the
accompaniment but others need to be transposed down a fourth
and one song needs a downward t ransposi t ion of a minor
third. se.

31. Brown 1570/1.

32. Hubbell, op. cit., p.174.
33. Brown 1570/5.
34. For transcription see Volume 11, no. 36, p.275.
35. Brown 1584/3, nos. 17-36.
36. In "A" tuning: nos 19, 22, 25-30, 32-34. Vocal line
requiring transposition down a fourth: nos. 17, 20, 21,
23, 24. down a minor third, no. 18. In the solo
intabulations Fallamero most frequently arranges for a
lute tuned in "A", whereas Terzi mostly intabulates for
a lute in "G", The most frequent transposition levels
used by both intabulators is then up or down a fifth
(from A or G). The pitch of the mensural line in a
"lute-song" is of course purely notional, to suit modal
conventions, and would most likely be adjusted to fit
the lute pitch. For examples of Fallamero
transcriptions see Volume 11, nos. 10, 16 and 39.
 performance practice 220

Absent from the Italian lute-song repertoire is the

space-saving device of colouring the ciphers of the sung
melody, or of marking the melodic pitches within the
tablature with special signs such as dashes. Such devices
were favourites of the Spanish vihuela composers.
Pisador's,37 Valderrabano's3s and Fuenllana's39 vihuela
books contain accompanied songs with the melody notated
either in mensural not at ion or as red ciphers within the
tablatures. Using yet another method, Mudarra 40 included two
songs in which the melody was indicated by vertical dashes
next to the tablature ciphers, though in other intabulations
he placed the melody in mensural notation above the
tablature. Daza in El Parnasso also used the dash for the
melody.4~ The only vihuelists to use the red cipher
exclusively were Milan 42 and Narvaez. 43 Most unusual is
Valderrabano's addition of the text, for pedagogical
reasons, beneath the first vihuela part in three of his
duets .........

37. Brown 1552/7, facs. ed., (Geneva, 1973), modern edition,

G.H. Morphy, Les Luthistes Espagnols du XVI~ Siecle
(New York, 1967), vol. 11, pp. 176-193.
38 Brown 1547/5; facs. ed., (Geneva, 1981); modern editions
in MME, vols. 22-23, and Morphy op. ci t. vol. I I,
pp. 132-173.
39. Brown 1554/3; facs. ed., (Geneva, 1981); modern editions
in Morphy, op. ci t., vol. I I, pp. 196-222, and Miguel de
Fuenllana Orpht!mica Lyra (Seville, 1554.>, ed. C.
Jacobs, (Oxford, 1978).
40. Brown 1546/4; faes. ed., (Monte Carlo, 1980); modern
editions in MME, vol 7, and Morphy, op. elt., vol. 11,
pp. 96-129.
41. Brown 1576/1, nos. 35-60; facs. ed., (Geneva, 1979);
modern edition, Morphy op. cit., vol. 11, pp. 230-251.
42. Brown 1536/5, nos. 29-39 & 62-72; facs. ed., (Geneva,
1975); modern edi t ions in Morphy, op. cl t., vol. I, pp. 2-
29, and Luis de Milan, El Maestro, ed. C. Jacobs
{Pennsylvania, 1971>.
43. Brown 1538/1,' nos 24-30; facs. ed., (Geneva, 1980);
modern edition in MMe, vol. 3.
44. Brown 1547/5, nos. 78, 82 & 85.
 performance practice 221

As Ward points out, "when both the accompaniment and

vocal part are notated in cipher, the singer and "vihuelist
were probably one. "46 Hence the technique, of red ciphers or
dashes was ideal for this instrument, where the performer
may have been unschooled in the reading of mensural
notation. The Italians did not follow suit in their
publications, no doubt because of the expensive double
printing process involved. 46

2. Lute and several voices.

Much larger than the lute-song repertoire is that of

part songs which include more than one vocal part in mensural
notation as well as a lute intabulation. Often a keyboard
intabulation is provided as well, but in such cases the
keyboard and lute intabulations were never intended to be
performed together but are alternative forms of
accompaniment. 47
Written in either choirbook or part-book
formats, these publications imply a variety of performance
opt ions: any voice may sing alone t o t he accompaniment of
the lute (or keyboard); the lute intabulation may be
performed as a solo; any two or three voices may sing to
lute or keyboard accompaniment; the song may be performed a
cappellai or a predominantly vocal performance could involve
other instruments in a variety of combinations of voices and
inst rument s.

45. J.M Ward, The Vihuela de Mano and its Music (1536-
1576), PhD. diss. , (New York, 1953), p. 99.
46. For further information on the vihuela songs see Ward,
ibid., pp. 95-100.
47. A sixteenth-century writer who condemned the
combination of lute and keyboard on grounds of tuning
dispari ties was Hercole Bot trigari in his dialogue, I l
Desidero (Venice, 1594/R1599/R160l>, fac. ed., edited by
Guiseppe Vecchi, (Bologna, 1969). See especially pp. 17-
19 in the En~lish translation edition of C. MacClintock
in AIM, no. 9 (1962). Bottrigari's opinion was later
echoed by Francis Bacon, in Sylva Sylvarum (London,
1627), p.72. See facs. ed., pp. 6-8.
 performance practice 222

There are nine extant Italian books of partsongs in

choirbook format including lute and keyboard tablatures
pUblished in the sixteenth century (not including reprints).
Simone Verovio's four volumes containing villanelle,
canzonet te and "ghirlande" for three and four voices,
include both lute and keyboard arrangements of the
songs. 48 The 1 ayout s di f fer from book to book but it is
common to them all that the vocal parts and the keyboard and
lute arrangements are set on one opening so that all
elements of the music are visible at once (Example 5.4).

EXAMPLE 5.4-
Layout of Verovio's Ghirlanda di Fioretti (1589)

canto keyboard score

- -.. - - - t_ _ _

alto lute tablature

------------------j-----------------
basso other verses

other publishers did not include the two intabulations.

In Scotto's publication of Fiorino's La NobiltB da Roma for
example,49 each vil1anella was written in mensural notation
with a lute intabulation on the facing page. Of a similar
format are the four volumes of canzonet te published by
Vincenti between 1591 and 1595 where the mensural vocal
parts are printed with the lute intabulation beneath. so

48. Brown 1586/8 (R1591/1l), 1589/8, 1592/11, 1595/10.

49. Brown 1571/4.
50. Brown 1591/14, 1591/15, 1591/16, and Canzonette a tre
voci di Alessandro Orologio intavolate per sonar di
1i uto e novamente stampate . .. (Venice, 1596). The
latter is not included in H.M. Brown, Instrumental
Music Printed Before 1600, (Cambridge, Massachusetts,
1965/R1971), but is listed in Boetticher Zum Problem
der Obergangsperiode der Musik 1580-1620, (Kassell,
1963), p. 144" and in NV, vol. 2, p. 1269. The cont ent s of
Orologio's book are listed in Hubbell, Sixteenth
Century Italian Lute Song~ p. 388.
 performance practice 223

The three books of 1591 include all the songs of Verovio's

1589 print in almost identical arrangements, the only new
contribution being five additional songs by Gratio
Scaletta. 51

There are four pUblications of light part songs from the

1590's in part-book format with a lute intabulation included
in the first canto book. These are two volumes of Vecchi's
partsongs 52 and one of Bellasio's53 published by Gardano,
and a book of Gastoldi's balletti published by Amadino. 54
The Gastoldi balletti are unique for their performance
directions "per cantare, sonare, & ballare." The three-
voiced "dance-songs", containing intabulations for a lute of
up to seven courses, involve in some cases transpositions of
the vocal parts as much as a fourth below (assuming a G
tuning) in order to coincide with the intabulation pitch
level. Vecchi's Selva di Varia Ricreatione encourages even
further flexibility in performance. Consisting of up to ten
part books (S, A, T, B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10) the collection includes
"madrigali, capricci, balli, arie, justiniane, canzonette,
fantasie, serenate, un lotto una battaglia". Twenty-
four of these appear to be for a cappel1a performance, 11
are texted with lute intabulations and two (one of which has
a lute accompaniment) are for instrumental ensemble. The
first song of the collection to include a lute arrangement
has the instruction "per sonare e cantare insieme", and a
saltarello without text carries the rubric "per Sonare con
gli Stromenti da corde a5" and includes a lute part. The
final piece is a fantasia a4 without text and without lute
tablature, for unspecified instrumental performance. In most
of the songs which include a lute intabulation, the lute
music is reproduced in all of the part books. Such
duplication would be unnecessarily wasteful of valuable
printing space were it not specifically intended to

51. Brown 1591/14, nos. 2-6.

52. Brown 1590/8 & 1597/14.
53. Brown 1592/1.
54. Brown 1594/7.
 performance practice 224

encourage the utmost flexibility in performance media,

perhaps allowing duplication of accompaniment "with the
lutenists (or lutenist/singers) interspersed among the
singers. ss In Bellasio's Villanelle a tre voci (1592) and
Vecchi's Canzonette a tre voci (1597) the literal lute
intabulations are printed on the page facing the canto and
beneath the canto respectively. This seems to suggest that
if the lute were to accompany a single voice it would be the
highest voice. Al t ernat i vely, using more than One part-book
any number of singers may have been involved.

A common characteristic of the lute accompaniments in

the publications in both part-book and choirbook formats is
that they include all the pitches of the accompanying
voices, thus allowing them to act either as continuo
accompaniments, or as lute-song accompaniments to anyone
voice. The two different formats do not appear to imply
different performance options, but rather, the personal
preferences of the composers and publishers; Scotto, Verovio
and Vincenti printing in choirbook format, Gardino and
Amadino using the part-book format.

An overall pattern worth noting is that the lute-song

pUblications with one part in mensural notation (or a voice
part implied by text) are more prevalent in the first half
of the century, while those lute intabulations published
with part-songs are the product of the last three decades of
the sixteenth cent ury. Perhaps it was a point not missed by
the printers that the part-song publications actually
offered greater economy to the owner of the book in that
they could be performed by one singer, or in various
combinations. One practical layout overlooked by the Italian
printers was to set out the part to face different

55. For full lists of contents see NV no. 2831, and Brown
1590/8.
 performance practice 225

directions on a single opening, so that the various

performers could easily read their own parts around the
table. 56

Outside the lute repertoire. further flexibility in the

renaissance musician's att it ude to instrumentat ion is
evident in some Italian printed sources which either give no
indication of instrumentation. or imply a choice. For
instance Il prima libro Cl note negre Cl due voci by
Lupacchino and Tasso in part book format. in which some of
the pieces are texted and some not. may have been used for a
variety of media. 57 A volume which may have been used for
solmization singing. instrumental performance, or a
combination of the two is Ruffo's Capricci in musica a tre
voci. These text less partsongs in mensural notation are
Ruffo says, "a commodo de virtuosi", meaning that they are
"suitable for clever people" who could have been
instrumentalists or singers.

Flexibility such as this is still evident in the first

few decades of the seventeenth century, for example in two
of Kapsberger's books. His villanelle, in four-part score
format, have three texted mensural lines with chitarrone
accompaniment beneath, as well as guitar alfabeto. The
prefaces to both his Libro Primo di Villanelle and his Libro
Terzo di Villanelle se invite any instrument to play the
mensural 1 ines, (" accommodat e per qual si vogl ia st roment 0
con l'intavolatura del Chitarrone et alfabeto per la
Chi t arra Spagnola").

56. Such a format was used for instance in Robert Dowland's

A Musicall Banquet (London, 1610), and Valderrabano' s
duets in his fourth book. (Brown 154-7/5).
57. Brown 1565/4-.
58. (Rome, 1610) and (Rome, 1619).
 performance practice 226

TERZI'S ENSEMBLE INDICATIONS

The intabulation styles of the Italian lute

publications preceding Terzi are also present in Terzi's two
books. New styles, however, did not replace old styles,
although there are some subtle developments. The early
sixteenth-century duets were built on the principle of
elaborat ion and accompaniment, the elaborat ion being based
on the two upper voices of the model not otherwise
accommodat ed by the accompanying 1 ute. Terzi' s single-line
elaborat ions on the other hand, are newly composed melodic
lines incorporating pitches of the whole texture, while the
other lute part is a literal intabulation of the complete
polyphony. While the principle is the same as for the
earlier duet style, the texture in Terzi's duets is twice as
dense. At the same time Terzi included duets in which the
principle of elaboration and accompaniment was replaced by
stylistic equality.

Of the total of 72 intabulations in Terzi's two lute

books half of them carry instructions indicating performance
media other than solo lute, either in the Tavola, or as
rubrics in front of the int abulat ion. Of these 36 pieces,
all are intabulations of pre-composed vocal or instrumental
works except "Canzone a Otto Voci de l'auttore per suonar a
4", an original instrumental canzona for two pairs of lutes
tuned a fourth apart, forming as it were a double choir. 69

Aside from the other 36 intabulations,which for the moment

at least we may assume are lute solos, we find a wide
variety of performance possibilities.

In his Libro Secondo Terzi intabulated 12 "Canzonette a

3, 4 & 5 voci, con le parole", and one motet for which he

59. Terzi (1599), p.117. For a transcription see Volume 11,

no. 35, p.266. A table of Terzi's intabulations,
classified according to performance media, is given in
See Appendix 1.2.
 performance practice 227

underlaid text, so to be performed as lute-songs. Three of

these carry rubrics such as "Le parole per cantare sono
sotto al Basso"sl and in another three pieces the
instructions are even more specific: "le parole sono per
Cant ar i1 Basso" S:2 and "le parole si ponno cant ar sot t' al
Basso, & nel Canto". S3 Hence, the melody to be sung is in
the treble, but the words are placed below the bass. The
three texted intabulations transcribed for this
dissertation S
4- demonstrate that the words are placed
conveniently for any of the parts to be sung. The
int abulat ion of Vecchi' s Quando mirai might suggest by the
position of its text that Terzi was thinking more of the
bass. However, in bar 12 the phrase "dammi 10 cor" is placed
beneath the tenor part while the bass sustains a semibreve.
Overall, Terzi's text underlay does not imply, as
Ms. Brussels 11/275 does, that the bass was the only sung
part. S5

It was for the simpler forms, such as the canzonette,

that Terzi supplied a text. He did not add text to any
madrigal intabulations, and only one motet, Pietro Vinci's
Mandatum novum do vobis 66
received such treatment. Vinci's
motet for five voices is not in the usual imitative style
but is related to the simpler canzonetta It is notable not
only that Terzi chose the less polyphonic style for lute-
songs, but also that he kept the accompaniment simple and
unornamented <with the exception of one passaggio in Quando
miraD. In neither of his books did Terzi incl ude melodies
in mensural notat ion, nor are there any indicat ions such as
dashes or coloured ciphers to differentiate the vocal line,
such as the Spaniards used.

60. Terzi (1599), nos.7-10 <pp. 8-9), nos.39-42 <pp. 52-54),

no.58 <p.77), no.59 <p.78), no.89 <p.114). no.90
<p. 115) & no. 56 <p. 74).
61. Terzi (1599), p.8. p.9, p.74.
62. Terzi (1599), p.77, p.78.
63. Terzi (1599), p.9.
64. Volume 11, nos. 14 <p.148), 15 <p.153) & 22 <p.230).
65. See pp. 272-274.
66. Terzi (1599), p.74.
 performance practice 228

Just as texted lute-songs are peculiar to Terzi's Libro

Secondo, so the "in concerto" ensemble indications are, with
one exception, exclusive to Libro Primo. Both in the tavola
and on page 57, we find the indication "Segue undeci canzoni
del Mascera [si cJ per suonar in concert 0, & solo". These 11
intabulations are from a collection of 21 canzoni in
Fiorenzo Maschera's Libro Primo de Canzoni da sonare, a
quatro voci published in Brescia in 1584. 67 Terzi's
intabulations are unusual, not only for their unexplained
instruction "in concerto", but also for the use of non-vocal
models, although there is of course an historical link
between vocal and instrumental music through the French
chanson. 68 Maschera's canzoni printed in 1584 carry titles
such as "La Capirola", "La Martinenga" and "L' Uggiera" by
way of paying homage to prominent Brescian families.
According to William McKee, Maschera was the first of the
Lombard composers to give his works such dedicatory
titles,6'50 titles which Terzi did not retain. Terzi
indicated that the canzoni arrangements could be played solo
or within an ensemble, but he gave no further indication of
just what the nature of the ensemble could have been.
Stylistically they serve very well as lute solos because
they retain the four-part writing of the originals as well
as adding a considerable amount of ornamentation during the
repeated sections of the canzona, but they could serve
equally well within an instrumental ensemble as an
ornamental "continuo".70 In this way they differ from the
single-line ornamental style of the contrappunti.

67. Brown 1584/10.

68. Other intabulations from instrumental models are in
Terzi (1593) nos. 14-16, and Terzi (1599) nos. 11-12 &
48-49.
69. W.E. McKee, The Music of Florentio Maschera (1540-
1584'>, PhD. di ss., (Texas, 1958) , p. 102.
70. See transcription of La Martinenga in Volume 11, no.
23, p.232, and a partial transcription of La Capirola
in H.M. Brown, Sixteenth-Century Instrumentation; The
Music of the Florentine Intermedii, AIM <Dallas, 1973),
p.180.
 performance practice 229

The intabulations of Maschera's canzoni are marked with

only two performance possibilities, but five other pieces
marked "in concerto" in Libro Primo include contrappunti 71
second-lute parts and a variety of instructions which imply
additional performance possibilities. These intabulations
appear in the tC!vola under two headings: "Madrigali a 5 & a
6 con i suoi cot rapont i [si cl" and "Canzoni Francese, &
Italiane".72 When the information in the rubrics preceding
each intabulation is combined with instructions in the
tavola, several performance possibilities emerge. In the
first intabulation of this group, Palestrina's Vestiva i
colli, Terzi arranged both parti for two lutes. For th~

prima parte, the contrappunto (lute 11) has the instruction,

"per sonar a duoi liutti in quarta &/0 in concerto", and for
the seconda part~ "contraponto sopra il predetto per suonar
come di sopra". The highly ornate contrappunto then may be
performed with the literal intabulation of the first lute,
on instruments tuned a fourth apart, or "in concerto". It is
not until we look at the rubrics accompanying the first lute
that we see· that it has the option of performing either
alone or with the· second lute - "per suonar a duoi Liutti, &
solo". An option of performing the first-lute part "in
concerto" is not stated.

The next intabulation, Striggio's S'ogni mio ben~ with

its two contrappunti parts offers a slightly different set
of performance possibilities. Here Terzi instructs that both
contrappunti may be played "come di sopra ma a I' unisono",
that is, as in the above piece Vestiva i colli but on lutes
of the same pitch. Either contrappunt~ then, may be played
"in concerto" or with the first lute. The rubrics for lute I
"per suonar solo, & a duoi liutti, & in concerti"

71. Terzi used the spelling contraponto in both books

except in Libro Primo (p.39) where he used the more
correct spelling contrapunto. The accepted spelling is
of course contrappunt~
72. Terzi (1593) nos. 10-14.
 performance practice 230

indicate that the literal first-lute intabulation may be

performed one of three ways: as a solo, in a duet with
either con trappun t0, or "in concerto", Terzi did not
indicate whether lutes 11 and III may perform together, but
it is obvious from the transcription that the two
contrappunti cannot possibly be played at the same time,73
In concerto then clearly does not mean a lute trio in this
case, and it is clear also that duet performance and in
concerto performance is not one and the same.

For the next intabulation, Anchor ch'io possa dire,

the literal first lute part may be played solo or with the
highly ornate second-lute version ("per suonar solo, & a
duoi liutti"), and the contrappunto <lute 11) may be
performed at the same pitch with lute I, or in concerto
(" ... a l'unisono per suonar a doi liutti, & in concerto")

Susanne ung jour has the same indication as Anchor

ch'io possa dire, but here the two lutes are tuned a fourth
apart. The inst ruct ion "suonar come di sopra" for t he next
intabulation, Pet.it Jacquet, refers to the same performance
media as the preceding intabulation (Susanne ung jour).
Here, as in the two Merulo canzoni to follow, the two lutes
are at the same pitch,

The intabulations of the Merulo canzoni are different

from the previous intabulations in that they do not carry
any in concerto instructions, and the second lute parts,
instead of being called contrappunti, have the rubrics
"5econdo liutto in risposta" and "5econdo Liutto", As the
different labels would suggest, the two canzoni are
completely different in style from the intabulations marked
in concerto. Whereas the preVious works (nos, 10 to 14)
consist of literal transcriptions accompanied by one or two
newl y composed elaborat ions, the two canzoni (nos, 15 and

73. For a transcription see Volume 11, no. 6, p,56,

 performance practice 231

16) have the original polyphony divided equally between the

two lutes.

In total, the following varieties of performance

practice are implied in Libro Primo: contrappunti to be
played in a duo but tuned a fourth lower than lute I,
contrappunti to be played with lute I in the same tuning,
and contrappunti which may be performed in concerto,
presumably without the first-lute part. The lute I versions,
polyphonically complete in themselves, are legitimate solos
as well as parts of duets. Noteworthy is the almost total
absence of instructions to play the literal first lute parts
in concerto. The one intabulation which does refer to lute I
as a in concerto part is S'ogni mio bene. This intabulation
is unique also for being the only one with alternative
contrappunti. There is no stylistic difference between the
first-lute parts of this or the previous intabulations which
suggests that 5' ogni mio bene is a special case. We can
deduce that either the instruction "in concerto" was
accidentally put in the wrong place, or that it could be
taken for granted that a lutenist would use a literal
intabulation in some sort of ensemble without having to be
reminded of such an option. It may well have been accepted
practice for literal lute intabulations to have been played
within vocal ensembles but as yet there is no direct
evidence for such practice in Italy. A further possibility
is that both lutes I and 11 could have performed together in
the in concerto ensemble. The lack of specific instruction
to this effect does not exclude such a possibility. In fact,
instructions for the first-lute parts to play solo and duo.
combined with instructions for the second-lute parts to play
in concerto, does not exclude the option of both lutes
joining a larger ensemble.

Only once did Terzi use the term in concerto in Libro

Secondo. For Chi fara fede he wrot e .. accommodat 0 a modo di
 performance practice 232

Viola bastarda per suonar in Concerto cB Liutto grande".74

This intabulation is stylistically different from the in
concerto pieces in Libro Primo. Here much of the vocal
original is preserved while extensive passaggi is added in
imitation of the viola bastarda's ability to elaborate
flamboyantly throughout the texture. Terzi was imitating an
instrument that was highly regarded for its ability to
represent vocal music. It is clear that he does this
successfully. Praet ori us's descript ion of a vi 01 a bast arda
intabulation would describe perfectly the style of Terzi's
arrangement in imitation of this instrument.

A good player can set himsel f to play madrigals.

or whatever else he likes, on this instrument;
with great effort he can produce the harmony and
counterpoint of all the parts, playing now up in
the cant us, now down in the bass, now in the
middle on tenor and alto, and decorating the whole
piece with divisions - thus nearly all the parts
can be distinctly heard at entri~s and cadences. 7s

Hence Chi fara fede differs from the intabulations of the

Maschera canzoni where the ornamentation is more modestly
related to the formal structure of the model. However, just
precisely what Terzi meant for the performance of this piece
is a mystery. If this is to be played with a "liutto
grande", he did not supply the part, nor any further
indicat ion of how the piece could be performed within an
ensemble. There are several possibilities here. One
interpretation could be that a normal seven-course lute
combines wi th a 1i ut to gran de, playing perhaps the basso,
and that together they form the concerto. Alternatively
these two instruments could combine with voices or other
instruments of the non-plucked string family. It is unlikely
that Terzi used con to mean that the intabulated music was

74. Terzi (1599), p.70. For a transcription see Volume 11,

no. 18, p. 191.
75. Michae1 Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum II de
Organographia, Parts I and II, ed. D.Z. Crookes, Early
Music series 7, (Oxford, 1986), p.55; facs. ed., (Basel,
1958), p.4-7.
 performance practice 233

to be played on a large lute. The writing is too complex for

this to have been likely, involving as it does, considerable
left-hand stretches and fast passage-work. If the concerto
is a larger ensemble, the question arises as to whether that
ensemble is vocal or instrumental. The latter seems more
likely. Given the highly elaborate nature of Chi fara fede
it is hard to imagine a lutenist attempting to be audible
within a five-part vocal texture. The lutenist's efforts
would be lost, and besides, such compet it ion would not be
tolerated by the singers, who would be vying with each other
for t he right to ornament t hei r own part s. Since t he models
are instrumentally conceived, the intabulations of
Maschera's canzoni which are also without second-lute parts,
may point towards an interpretation of in concerto as "in
ensemble with other instruments".76 It is likely that other
"imperfect" melodic instruments could have played directly
from a copy of Maschera's canzoni, in,ensemble with the lute
which by virtue of its "perfect" chordal nature, would alone
require its own written part. In the case of the Maschera
canzoni and Chi fara fede, to supply the other part or parts
would be redundant if they are available in their original
published form.

Of the three other lute duets in Libro Secondo, one,

Aller m'y fault, is different in nature from the in concerto
intabulations in that the two lutes share equally the
original polyphony and added passaggi. This is a significant
break from the Spinacino duet style and anticipates
inst rument al development s of the se vent eenth cent ury. The
two lutenists alternately ornament and provide the harmony
in a conversational manner not seen before in the Italian
lute repertoire. Indeed, it is the only example Terzi
offered in this style. The other two duets in Libro Secondo

76. Even though the absence of a text in sixteenth-century

music does not exclude the possibility of vocal
performance, or vice versa, it is unlikely that singers
would go to the trouble of fitting poetry to Maschera's
canzoni which are clearly instrumental in character.
 performance practice 234

Liquide perle and Non mi toglia although not so

described, are written in the same style as the concerto
duetsj that is, with literal first-lute parts and newly
composed contrappunti. The rubrics before Liquide perle
merely read "per sonare insieme", but with rare prolixity
Terzi <or perh~ps his pUblisher Vincenti) preceded the
contrappunto to Non mi toglia with the words "Segue il suo
contraponto dell'Auttore come sono anco tutti li altri
cont rapont i di quest 0 Li bro, & del primo cont rapont 0 sopra
I' antecedente Madrigale." He wants there to be no doubt
regarding the authorship of the newly composed elaborations
serving as second-lute parts, but to what he is referring by
"t he preceding madrigal" <whi ch is wi t hout a second 1 ut e
part) is anyone's guess.

To summarize then, Terzi uses the term in concerto to

mean the inclusion of a lute or lutes-within an instrumental
or vocal ensemble. Clearly, he wrote them in such a way as
to provide the maximum number of performance possibilities
for the minimum tablature space. However, there is neither
enough consistency in the performance instructions, nor
enough written evidence generally in the Italian lute
repertoire to be sure of exactly what this unusual group of
intabulations represents. It is clear that the first-lute
parts may be played solo, that both lutes may play as a duo
and that the second-lute part may play in an ensemble. What
we cannot be sure of is whether lute I could be also a part
of this in concerto performance, whether lute 1 <and literal
intabulations generally) may have been included in vocal
ensembles, and whether the lute 11 contrappunti parts were
included in vocal or instrumental groups. Much remains
conj ect ural unt i 1 such time as concret e evidence of
performance practice of lute intabulations within
inst rument al or vocal ensembles emerges from ot her sources.
The discussion to follow explores the question from other
perspectives such as other uses of in concerto and similar
terms, and ensemble performance practice as it is implied in
some lute manuscripts.
 perrormance practice 235

Part Two. Performance Implications

MUSICA IN CONCERTO'

1. Etymology

It has been convincingly argued by Robert Hall that

"the Italian noun concerto is a sixteenth-century derivative
of the Italian verb concertare 'work out, plan, arrange'"
and not a derivative of the "Classical Latin verb concertifre
'skirmish, contend,' dispute.' "77 Identifying the sixteenth-
century Italian concerto with the Latin concertare has been
the mistake of modern scholars and Renaissance theorists
alike. David Boyden, citing Ercole Bottrigari's 1594
treatise, erroneously suggested that concerto linguistically
belongs not only to the Latin concertare but also to the
Spanish concierto through the use of Tuscan conserto. 7e Both
Bottrigari (Il Desideri~ 1594) and Praetorius 7 9 used
concerto to mean dispute (contending). Bot t rigari prefers
not to use concerto, which he took to mean "conflict" or
"cont ent ion", saying that when instruments play beautifully
and well together, they are not "in concerti" but "in
concent i". eo He did however use the word as a noun to mean
"a concert" as in the following extract:

77. R.A. Hall, "'Concerto' ('Consert') and 'Concertare',"

Italica (1958), vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 188-191.
78. D. D. Boyden, "When is a Concerto not a Concerto?", MQ,
(1957), vol. 43, pp. 220-227; H. Bottrigari, Il Desiderio
(Venice, 1594) in translation by C. MacClintock, AIM
vol. 9, (1962), pp. 20-24.
79. M. Praetorius, Syntagma Musicum, (WolfenbUttel, 1619),
facs. ed., (Basel, 1958), Book Ill: Part I, Chapter 2;
Par'!; Ill, Ch.apter 2.
80. Bottrigari, op. cit., pp. 20-21; facs. ed., pp. 9-10
 performance practice 236

"Somet imes t he Duke [of Ferrara], His· Highness,

commands Fiorino, his M. di cappella and hea.d of
all the music ... to give a Concerto gran de, for
thus it is called, this famous concert to which
you refer. "a1

2. Ensembles - vocal versus instrumental

Until at least the middle of the sixteenth century,

"the musical usage of the word concerto seems to have
conveyed merely the idea of an ensemble of voices or
instruments. "a:2 In the first known musical application of
the term, "un concerto di voci in musica" in the lntermedlo
of 1519, meant a "getting together" in a vocal ensemble. a3

As an instrumental ensemble concerto was also used in 1542

to indicate a quartet comprising vl 01 one, two lutes, and a
flute "quattro degli stromenti cominciarono il lor
concerto". a .... By mid-century however, the meaning had changed
to apply to a mixed ensemble of voices and instruments as
for example in the 1565 intermedii: "La musica di quest 0
primo intermedio era concertato da " A long list of
,
instruments follows, including four double harpsichords,
four violas da gamba, two trombones, two tenor recorders,
one mute cornett, one transverse flute, and two lutes. as

Boyden argues that from about 1565 onwards, concerto applied

to ensembles of voices and instruments where previously it
referred to ensembles of voices or instruments. as Distinctly
different uses of the term between one half of the sixteenth
century and the other are not however as definite as Boyden
would like us to believe, for after 1565 concerto was used
at least once to mean a vocal ensemble (the concerto di

81. ibid. I (MacClintock translation ), p.52; facs. ed.,

pp. 39-40.
82. Boyden, op. cl t., p. 221.
83. New Grove, vol4, p.627.
84. Boyden, op. cl t., p. 222.
85. Brown, op. clt., p.97; New Grove, Concerto, vol. 3,
p.627. For other Examples of concerto meaning a mixed
ensemble, see Boyden, op. clt. p.222.
86. D. D. Boyden, op. ct t., p. 222.
 performance practice 237

donne at the court of Ferrara), and at least once to mean an

instrumental ensemble (Ricercar per sonar in the Concerti di
Andrea et di Gio. Gabrieli Organisti.)S7 Until comprehensive
research is undertaken in this particular area we cannot say
for sure whether concerto indicates anyone specific type of
ensemble at any given time.

3. Contending versus concerting

Despite mistaking the etymology of concerto, Boyden

nevertheless points out that for much of the sixteenth
century, the Italian use of the word in music acquired the
meaning of adjusting, working, or joining together n • ee

Boyden goes on to agree with Einstein's thesis that by the

end of the century it became increasingly prominent in
Italian ensemble music for one vocal or instrumental part
within an ensemble to "contend" with the larger body of
sound. Einstein would have us believe that the process of
contention (if not the use of the term concerto) started
with Josquin.ElI 9

In the course of the century the tension of

the voices with respect to one another undergoes a
change: two or more voices stand out, begin to
compete, and force the rest to accept a
subordinate and menial role .... when two pairs of
voices begin to oppose one another in a four-
voiced context, the first step towards the
concerto-like treatment has already begun. 9 0

Although Josquin often set pairs of voices against each

other, the process of "contention" was not fully realized
until the appearance of Monteverdi's stile concertato
madrigals. Tracing the gradual evolution toward the modern
concept of concerto is a twofold task: it involves

--------~---------------------------------------------------

87. Brown 1587/3.

88. Boyden, op. ci t., p. 224.
89. A. Einstein, The Italian Madrigal (Princeton,
1949/R1971), vol. II, p.830.
90. ibid. I p.821.
 performance practice 238

invest igat ing the changes in composi t ional technique, and

also observing changes in literary interpretations of the
term concert~ What is significant with respect to Terzi is
not so much when composers began to include opposing forces
wi thin their music, as when concerto took on the meaning of
"contention". The transition to "contention" was clearly a
gradual and overlapping one, for by 1628 Giustiniani in his
Discorso Sopra la Musica still used the term in the old
sense of "consorting", 91 SchUtz used the term concerten in
this sense in the titles of two publications in the
1630'S,92 and in fact the two uses of the term existed side
by side as late as the middle of the eighteenth century,
J. S. Bach for instance, used the word concerto as the title
for a cantata, in the sense of "ensemble". 93

4. Instructions in lute and related books

The use of concerto is rare in 1 ut e or vihuela books

and other publications which refer to either instrument.
Dalla Casa, however, included five ornamented madrigals in
Il Vero Modo di Diminuir headed "Madrigali da cantar in
compagnia, & anco co'l Liuto solo" in which the texted
elaborations for voice may be performed with a solo lute
arrangement of the madrigal. (In compagnia appears to be
synonymous with in concerto), 94 What Dalla Casa says gives
the impression that it was common practice for lutenists to
accompany the sung canto of a madrigal: \\ I have ornamented
the soprano since it is the part most frequently ornamented,

91. V. Giustiniani, Discorso sopra la Musica (Venice,

1628), in English translation by C. MacClintock, AIM
(1962), p.77.
92. Erster Theil Kleine geistlichen Concert en, (Dresden,
1636), and Anderer Theil Kleiner geistlichen
Concert en, <Dresden, 1639) .
93. Boyden, op. cit., p.229.
94. Brown 1584/2, p.30. Giovanni Bassano also gives the
choice of so.lo instrumental, vocal or in concerto
performance for his single-line embellishments. (Brown
1591/2, p.5)
 performance practice 239

and also for those who delight in singing with the lute."9e.
The lute part is not provided J but any competent lutenist
would expect to intabulate his or her own part from the
vocal score. The only other mention of concerto I have seen
in Italian lute books is in Matelart's 1559 Intavo1atura de
Leuto ... Libro PrimoJ in which he adds the rubrics "Sequens
le Recercate concertate" before the second lute version to
accompany Francesco da Mi1ano's ricercari. 96

In the vihuela repertoire J the Spanish equivalent en

concierto appears at least twice. Bermudo in Declaraci6n
(1549) usedconcierto to mean ensembles of vihuela J
en
guitar and bandurria J 97 and Diego Ortiz in Tratado de G10sas
used phrases such as "nel primer li bro que es t aner en
concierto con quatro 0 cinco vihuelas" 9El where he
recommended that viols perform the music of Book One with a
consort of vihuelas. In another Spanish source we find an
example of the same phrase Terzi used in Libro Primo J giving
the performer the choice of performing solo or in an
ensemble: Scipione Cerreto in De11a Prattica Musica, vocale
et strumenta1e Naples 1601 J writes "11 conserto delle viole
da gamba ... sola b in conserto".99

95. Brown 1584/2 J in the preface, reads: Ho diminui to i1

Soprano per esser parte piu frequentata nel diminuir, &
anco per quelli, che si dilettano di cantar nel Liuto.
96. Brown 1559/7 J nos. 17-23. Available in modern edition in
A.J. Ness, The Lute Music of Francesco Canova da
Milano, 0497-1543) (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1970),
pp. 416-432. One of the duets is also published by Oscar
Chilesotti in a gUitar edition in Lautenspieler des
XVI. Jahrhunderts (Leipzig, 1891/R1926) J pp. 24-25.
97. J.M. Ward J The Vihuela de mano and its music (1536-
1576)J PhD. diss., <New York, 1953) J p. 110.
98. D. Ortiz, Tratado de GlosasJ <Rome, 1553), ed. M.
Schneider (Basel J 1967)J p. xxiv. Ortiz does not specify
vihuela "d'ai-co" or "da mano".
99. Ci t ed in Boyden J op. ci t., p. 227.
 performance practice 240

5. Con trappunt i, Concerti and Tempo.

The above short survey of the uses of the term concerto

in other sources indicates that the term was by no means
unique to Terzi, but it does not clarify whether the 1590' s
concerto implied vocal, instrumental, or mixed ensemble.
Nei ther~ does it indicate whether Terzi had in mind the
concept of "cont ent ion" or merely of "playing in ensemble".
We do know, however, from his indications in Libro Primo
that in concerto does not mean that the lute duets
themselves formed the ensemble, but rather that one or both
lutes joined another ensemble. It is from the nature of
Terzi's contrappunti themselves that we find the strongest
clue to the probable type of ensemble - they could only have
been performed with instruments, not with voices, for
reasons outlined below.

One feature common to all of Terzi's in concerto

intabulations is that at least one of the lute parts is
highly ornate and virtuoso. As mentioned above, a singer in
an ensemble would hardly have wanted to contend with a
lutenist stealing the show with technical display. There is
evidence to suggest that at times at least, instrumentalists
ornament ed whi le singers did not, 100 but the unrelent ing
semiquavers and demisemiquavers of the contrappunti would be
merely an irritating small sound in a choir. Even in
Monteverdi's Concertato works it is only where the voices
are silent that the instrumental accompaniment is allowed
the luxury of fast passage work. 101

100. H.M. Brown, Embellishing Sixteenth-Century Music, Early

Music Series 1 (London, 1978), p.64.
101. For example see Monteverdi' s Beatus Vir from Selva
Morale et Spirituale, 1641; modern edition in G. F.
Malipiero, C; Monteverdi: Tutte le Opere, (Asolo, 1926-
42, second revision 1954), vol. XV/2, p.368; another
edi t ion is by John St eele, (London, 1964).
 performance practice 241

Perhaps more pertinent to the problem of ensemble

performance, is tempo. Could a lutenist playing a
contrappunto part have possibly kept in tempo with a vocal
ensemble? We cannot be absolutely sure what the tempo of any
one madrigal or motet was, of course, but we have a few
guidelines from the theorists. In the fifteenth century,
Ramis de Pareja and Franchino Gafori likened the basic
tactus to the pulse of a man at rest. 102 With an average
resting pulse-rate taken to be 70 pulses per minute and the
semibreve as the tact us, semiquavers would have to be
performed at a rate of eight notes to the metronome marking
140, or in other words over 18 notes per second, and
demisemiquavers would of course be twice that speed. While
the thumb and finger lute technique facilitates very fast
passage work indeed, such speeds are impossi ble to sustain.
Whether such tempo indications were taken literally at the
time is doubtful, and in any case, by the sixteenth century
the minim had replaced the semibreve as the normal time-
unit. 103 Even half of the velocity estimated above, while
not impossible to an excellent lutenist (and there are some
around today who play very fast indeed> could certainly not
be sustained for any period without considerable rubato. It
would be easier to believe in Terzi's ornate intabulations
accompanying vocal performances if the fast passaggi were
restricted to places of repose within the model, but this is
not the case. Looking at any bar of Chi fara fede or Non mi
toglia 1 0 4 it is hard enough to imagine a lutenist coping
with the technical demands at all, without believing that it
could be done at a constant breakneck speed.

102. Ramis de Pareja, Musica practica, 1482. Modern edition

by J. Wolf (Leipzig, 1901>; Gafori, Practica Musicae,
(Milan, 1496'>, Liber Ill, Capitolo. 4.
103. G. Reese, Music in the Renaissance, (London,
1954/R1978), p.813.
104. Volume 11, no. 18, p.191; no.21, p.218.
 performance practice 242

There is plenty of evidence in Spanish sources to

suggest that an instrumentalist could take considerable
licence with tempo. For solo instrumental performance Luis
Milan indicated that the performer was entitled to choose
the tempo that suited the music:" [The fantasias] are
to be played with the compas fast or slow as the performer
wishes. "1 os Not only that, the player could change speed
between unornamented sections <consonancias) in a fantasia
and passaggi (redobl es) sect ions. The speed changes Mi lan
recommended however are not what we would expect were they
designed merely for the comfort of the vihuelist - that is,
slowing down during the redobles. Rather, Milan suggested
speeding up the redobles for dramatic effect:

play all that is [made up of] consonances with

the compas slow and all that is made up of
redobles with the compas fast, and pause a little
in playing [parar de tafler] each high point
[ corona do] . 106

The vihuela literature is important in that it gives

for the first time specific tempo indications for each
piece. "Four of the vihuelists - Milan, Narvaez, Mudarra and
Valderrabano - give tiempo <tempo) indications for most of
the pieces in their tablatures. Since these constitute the
main evidence for the tempo of sixteenth-century music they
must deserve careful consideration. "107 Ward also informs us
that a practical musician was free to choose a tempo that
sui t ed the character of the text. Bot h Mudarra and Phalese
have stated that music of a sad or joyful character should
be played at a relatively slow or fast tempo accordingly. loa

105. Luis Milan, El Maestro, English translation by C.

Jacobs <Pennsyl vania, 1971>, p. 296.
106. ibid., p.298.
107. Ward, op. ci t., p. 69.
108. ibid., p.76."
 performance practice 243

It is likely that the Italians were equally flexible in

their instrumental tempi, if Claudio Sebastiani's comments
are representative:

Likewise, they [keyboard players] will bring much

sweetness to the ears of the hearers if, when
playing some Cantio, they play those notes called
minims or semi minims occasionally in slow measure
and also occasionally render them in the fashion
of dancing, in such a way that in the same Cantio
they play. .. in slow and dance manner. 1 0 9

Conversely, at least three other Italian theorists,

(Dalla Casa, Rognioni and Zacconi) advocated the maintenance
of strict tempo during passaggi, but maybe they considered
it necessary to call for strictly applied rhythms in order
to counteract an otherwise too undisciplined practice. 110

Certainly such phrases of Oalilei's as "esprimere gli

affetti humani" in relation to the lute, lead one to expect
that sixteenth-century instrumentalists were rhythmically
flexible and applied rubato. 111
It is from Vicentino that we
have the strongest advocation of a rubato and expressive
approach to the singing of madrigals:

One should not sing happy or popular things

sadly ... [but] should sing the words as the
composer intended, singing the words expressively
- now happy, now sad, now sweet, now cruel - and
keeping to the proper stress and pronunciation of
t he words. Somet imes one uses a st yle of
performance in the composi t ions which cannot be
written down, like quiet, loud, fast or slow
speech, changing speed to show the meaning of the
words and the effect of the harmony. Nobody will
find this strange, and there will be no mistakes

109. C. Sebastiani, Bellum Musicale (Strasburg, 1563),

fol. 5, as quoted by Ward, op. eit., p.77.
110. See p. 144, fn. 181.
111. Brown 1584/5, p. 48.
 performance practice 244

as long as all the singers agree where there

should be a change of speed. 1 1 2

Vincentino made it particularly clear that rubato was

expect ed of madrigal performance, but it must be remembered
that he was recommending rubato only in so far as it
assisted the expression of the words. Therefore it would be
entirely out of period as well as unmusical to expect
singers to effect rubato for the sake of a technically
difficult instrumental accompaniment. Surely Terzi's in
concerto intabulations and contrappunti would better suit an
instrumental ensemble, where the expression of the text is
no longer a concern. There is no reason to believe that two
performances of the same work, one inst rumental and the
other vocal, need to conform in tempo. Then, as now, factors
such as melodic activity, harmonic rate of change, size of
venue, size of ensemble, musical character, and personal
taste of the performer(s), all contribute to variations in
speed from one performance to another. Thurston Dart
needlessly concluded that vocal performances must be slower
than is commonly assumed, to maintain a common tempo between
instrumental and vocal performances of the same piece:

112. non si de cantare mesto, nelle cose allegre cosi

volgari ... si de cant are le parole conformi
all'oppinione del Compositorej & con la voce esprimere,
quelle intonationi accompagnate dalle parole, con
quelle passioni. Hora allegre, hora meste, & quando
soavi, & quando crudeli & con gli accenti adherire alla
pronuntia delle parole & delle note, & qualche volta si
usa un certo ordine di procedere, nelle compositioni,
che non si PUQ scrivere come sono, i1 dir piano, &
forte, & il dir presto, & tardo, & secondo le parole,
muovere 1 Misura, per dimostrare gli effetti delle
passioni delle parole, & del1'armonia, ad alcuno non li
parra cosa strana tal modo di mutar misura, tutti a un
tratto cantando mentre che nel concerto s'intendino,
ove si habbi da mutar misura che non sara errore
alcuno, Nicola Vicentino, L'Antiea Musiea ridotta
a11a Moderna Prattlea (Rome, 1555), facs. ed., (Basel,
1959), p.88 (recte, 94)-94v.
 performance practice 245

The embellished versions of polyphonic

compositions found in books for the lute or
keyboard music confirm this universal preference
for a fairly slow speed. " 1 1 3

John Ward, likewise, assumed a sixteenth-century preference

for conformity in performances when he says,

It is unlikely that ... a motet by Morales was

performed by ensemble in a stolid "normal tempo"
and by a vihuel ist, at t ached t o t he same court
musical establishment, in a tempo fast, slow, or
moderate, as he wished and the text dictated. 1 1 4

However, it is more likely that the sort of tolerance

of diversity that allowed apparent contradictions in
sixteenth-century treatises regarding relative strictness
and freedom of tempos within a work l 1 5 would also have been
afforded to instrumental and vocal performance of the same
work, according to need. In any case it is clear that the
musical nature of many intabulations demands different
speeds from those which would feel natural to singers.

In addition, Terzi's contrappunti lute parts are

written in a style so suggestive of soloistic flamboyance,
that the concept of concerto as "contention" must surely
apply to these works at the same time as having the meaning
"in ensemble". It is signi ficant that there is no real
stylistic difference between Terzi's intabulations intended
for concerto performance, and the ornamental "contending"
lute parts in Thomas Morley's The First Booke of Consort
Lessons. 115 The main di fference is of course that Morley

113. T. Dart, Invitation to Madrigals (London, 1967), vol. 4,

p. vi.
114. Ward, op. ci t., p. 75.
115. See discussion above, and Ward, op. ci t., p. 76.
116. Brown 1599/8; Modern edition in S. Beck, The First Book
of Consort Lessons for Treble and Bass Viols, Flute,
. Lute, Cittern and Pandora Collected by Thomas Morley,
1559-1561, (London, 1959).
 performance practice 246

provided the other instrumental parts whereas Terzi did not.

Perhaps Terzi did not consider it necessary to publish
individual parts for pandoras, citterns, viols, flutes or
whatever, since a copy of the model would have been
sufficient for other instrumentalists to have worked from.
Of course printing space, not being cheap, was used as
economically as possible. Terzi' s intabulat ions offering a
variety of possible performance media in the space required
by a single intabulation, are born from the same need as
space-saving choirbook and partbook formats for vocal music.

What is perhaps more surprising than anything about

Terzi's ensemble intabulations, is that they are marked with
special inst ruct ions such as in concert 0 at all. Gi ven that
Italian music with performance instructions, such as the
part-songs, are usually just marked per cantare et suonare
and do not give further instructions about all possible
combinations, we are fortunate to have as much explicit
information as we do.
 performance practice 247

THIRTEEN MANUSCRIPTS IN ITALIAN TABLATURE

Manuscript sources could well be the subject of several

research projects in their own right. Indeed in the special
category of personal jottings of amateur lutenists, there is
a wealth of information about dances, absolute music and
intabulations, which up til now has only been touched on by
modern scholars. The following study does not attempt to
redress the situation, but merely uses some of the evidence
from manuscripts as they direct ly pertain to performance
practice in lute intabulations. I am indebted to
Boetticher's catalogue in RISM B/VII and other works cited
below, for ini t lal informat ion of the manuscripts held in
European libraries. The following is a brief survey of
thirteen manuscripts which I consider to be the most
relevant to the question of performance practice in
int abulat ions.

1. Ms. Paris R. V. 27. 117

Dated by Fr{:ln~ois Lesure as being from around 1510,

Ms. Paris R.V.27 is the earliest known Italian lute tablature
manuscript. 118 The first section of the volume contains solo
lute pieces, and the second section (from folio 36) headed
"Tenore da sonar e cantar sopra il lauto" contains 89
intabulations, many of which are also contained in the nine
books of frottole published by Petrucci between 1504 and
1509. The tablatures are clearly accompaniments, but the
mensural vocal lines are not given. Neither are the texts
supplied beyond their incipits, which as Lesure points out,
implies that "this tablature [is] the work of a professional
musician, experienced enough to memorize the sung superius

117. Ms. Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, Res. Vmd. ms. 27

(Hereafter referred to as Ms. Paris R. V. 27); facs. ed.,
Tablature de Luth Italienn~ ed. F. Lesure (Geneve,
1981>; Literature: G. Thibault, "Un Manuscrit Italien
pour Luth des Premieres Annees du XVIe Siecle", Le Luth
et sa Musique (Paris, 1958/R1976), pp. 43-76.
118. F. Lesure, ibid., p.l0.
 performance practice 248

EXAMPLE 5.5
Tromboncino. Dab per dio l 1 9

J J I I I I

c
lit. I I
J>eh reI" Jio nO"" "'. for -1-01" - +0
Q
.,.,.. ....... M'

'" (J I'l

A
M_ T :r"01" -
'\'1'" i J)~", (-'Cl" J,.,'o 1'\0,", f...r +01" - +-0 -+rd....,tM.\
i
, '1. Cl ~

. ~
ription J
1
:> .
r:r.: 'I \ \ I I
.
ure
!'io

,
. 0
.
I t.,. ~
.+ i~ If

J. 1/
+'
ID
j I I 1 I J
;-

,
I ~.l \ \
\
3
I I I I
I 0
.
a g 3
1 3 3 F¥§ 1 1t X 1 E3j 0
'; 1$:$
+'
ID

1• wl. f' for c'

----------------------------------------------------

119. Tablature and transcription from Ms. Paris R.V. 27,

fol.47vj The canto and alto parts are from Le Frottole
nell'edizione principe di Ottaviano Petrucci, ed. G.
Cesare (CrernOna, 1954), pt. I, p.19. Originally from
Petrucci Libro I, fo1.23v. See also Brown (1511/1)
fol. 53.
 performance practice 249

parts". 120 If, then, the superius part is sung from memory
the intabulations employ the same simple technique as that
Bossinensis used, of leaving the alto out of the arrangement
(Example 5.5). Most of the intabulations lack rhythm signs,
confirming that the tablatures functioned as an aide memoire
for a skilled musician. The scribe does however use a long
"S" sign to indicate held notes, and vertical dashes between
some ciphers to indicate the simultaneous plucking of two
notes.

2. Ms. Verona 223. 121

Perhaps the most revealing manuscript, and certainly

t he most unusual in its layout, is Ms. Verona 223. Dat ed
1548, it is the only known Italian lute manuscript source in
part book format: each book Soprano, Al to, Tenore, and
Basso - is entitled "Intavolatura da Liuto". Of the four
books, most of the Alto volume is missing and what few pages
remain are now incl uded wi t h the Basso vol ume. The Soprano
volume is the most nearly complete of the volumes. All the
others have large sections of folios on which five-line and
six-line staves are drawn alternatively. Space was left for
completion of each volume in order that they all contain
music for the same pieces. There are several inscriptions to
the effect that the collection is intended for lutes and
voices. 122 This performance medi um is in any case obvious
from the layout of the pieces, all of which (with the
exception of one ricercare) 123 are intabulations of vocal
works. The models of most of these have yet to be identified
and would require an extensi ve search. Indeed, the
manuscript is worthy of a separate study in itself. All the
intabulations up to folio 25v (numbering from the Soprano)
are of secular vocal works. Folios 26v to 31 are blank and

120. ibid. p. 12.

121. Ms. Verona, Biblioteca della Societe Accademia
Filarmonia, ,Ms. busta n.223. (hereafter Ms. Verona 223).
Li t erat ure: RISM B/VI I, p. 340-341.
122. See RISM B/VII, p.340.
123. Soprano fo1. lv.
 performance practice 250

from 31v follows a setting of an anonymous Mass. The

beginning of the Kyrie on folio 31v of the Soprano book
deviates from the prevalent format of the manuscript in that
it is set in score, in a single volume, for three lutes and
three high voices.

EXAMPLE 5.6
Anon, Chi non conosce amore1 2 4

c
FI I J
ch; t'\o"", co - no -s.c)~ - -
-
re.. -e-
r
MO
0-.; "'0'" co - rlO - sc)a.
I
., ... 4-
"
~
I oS- .(j- -If 7f
-e- 1 J I 1 J. Il~

r I '"
A (reconstructed)~ (I

f ~ r _se'",,-
6
r ~r b

r f
r: I co e IJ J. Pr
Ch.. co _ re )
-a.c. (). ..
n'" (\0 ,,",0 _
Ch' "'0'" _ ,,"0 - MO

J }

T
i
. ..
C.h·, hO"",, C.O - "'0,- Sc.'o..-mo - re.
I ~

I .e.- O 4- +- "6'
1/+
~

-e- 1 \ 1J j:
T I 0

B
..
.I ~ .- Cl
c:..o-('\o- S.C.'Q.-MO _ re.
Chi "'0"
I ~
. - .... I 4- ()
04- ~ I+-'" -;;
08- t J J. l.t~
-
1. wl.f for c
r I 0

------------------------------------------------------
124. Ms. Verona 223, fol. 1v (CTB). The a1 to part is missing
and has been reconstructed here from the tablatures.
 performance practice 251

EXAMPLE 5.6 cont .

I-
./

liff -""0 \) e 08-

I 01 jg1 0 0
I V7 (
t ~
- .. e. O"J. ' 0j - ... , b ..... o - ,,0

. "'ill J/
-Ir
\ I -'.
-e-
\ \ J J~ ~J b J/j , ~ ort. 1i
I ,
:d- -
et~.

'If I I
I I
T l
J.
~ ;r
b
I u
Jd d
J I .I J 0 j le l ':,
re. "'. -
J 1 j r::~
1>"0

~. If
~' J=l VI
0
tJ e
0 .... <1.' 0j - "'; 1" .... 0 ,,;>o~ - "'; beLl J<!. - .... i - v","

b:~: ~.\'/~r ~~. ~etc.

I

;+
~
e
f i
!:j ,J
0-
J Q ! :I
/

I ?"& - • I e'
§Ef22f 0
!
AA J JoIe.. - 0,.; 17
o",d' Des - n' b .... o - (\~e.t <> ':l - '" b e.l - v 0..

1 +' -u 7i :j.

. ld/~
1S'
.. I \ /.).,-. ~J- I.~I/ \ \
etc.

,
1
, I 1
Two examples from Ms. Verona 223, Chi non conosce amore
(Example 5.6) from an unknown vocal source, and Rorels Ben
qui si mostra 11 cie1 (Example 5.7), demonstrate that there
are few significant differences among the three extant
tablature arrangements. All three tablatures for Rorels
madrigal are the same for each voice they accompany, and the
few differences among the three tablature arrangements for
Chi non conosce amore are not systematic. The lute
intabulations in both examples are essentially composites of
the lower three voices of the model, reduced mainly to two
parts. They do not omit the part with which they are paired
except for the Soprano tablature which is the only one not
to double the .notated voice part. If each of the
intabulations was intended to accompany a single voice part,
we would expect to find the lute arrangements individually
 performance practice 252

adapted to accommodate the other three parts of the model.

Since this is not the case, and since the intabulations
other than those in the Soprano volume do not alone make
suitable lute-song accompaniments, the four voices must each
have been supported by a lute "continuo", possibly played by
the singers themselves. The reason why each lute part is
written out four times is less obvious. Perhaps the

EXAMPLE 5.7
Rore, Ben qu1 s1 mostrB 11 c1e1 1 2 5

c
PI J Be."" 4u~ s.; ""'0 - &.-lra-.JI

- I 11
i +
A
.e.- II
+ ~

1
A
I
I Be."" "ll.(.\ ~.
" ""0 - s.·k't,.i1 c.; e.! vc>' - 5°,- e

-eo .
I ~
-t + 4-
+- 1
J

~ I J. IJ r7€t
(reconstructed) ,I J
T
F I r. I J 1
".....
j
;B.e..... si ""0 - s~"'~,)1 Gole.
-
vOo. f)0_e. se.-

. " .J

B
I
Re.n '1 \A'
~
s.
. ",,0
- ~~r'Lil

J " i' .g. + P' -e- ':t

'"' . J
I I I

125. Ms. Verona 223, fol.16v. Model from Cipriano de Rore,

Opera Omnia, ed. B. Meier, CMM xiv (Rome 1959-), vol. 5,
p. 1.
 performance practice 253

EXAMPLE 5.7 cont.

. -
J I.
c.,l!.
I vo. - 5o~e se.. - re .- nO) E 'l ..... i d - d.on le . -~
·
I " . - "'" - . tr- r oAf
1/
rr-rrrj ) .
.\ n
Cl
+'
(\)

\!

,J ...
I I - I I
-
I .-:-
1 So e. ... re. - "0, vc>-
- 8~ e se_re. - "0, £ " .... , rl - J.o ..., "I"'...
·
Cl

. .......... .. . ..
+'
(\)

:
Q

tr .....
if \/ r tr.lJ I .J. J .....

r
I
, I

!1?1
I

Ir
I

r R- I~
·
~ Ii f tI
p
F=f Cl
.J
-re - "'0, VD. f:)o_e se. - re. - "0

,
e '1 ....; ri

. .\-
I
c.:e.l vc.. - 5o~e $"- - re - nO, C
I.
"/ .... , ...
':-"-

.. . ·
Cl

J '"
. ..... .a,;
tr. ~ 1- r LW 1 J-
+'
(\)

:
1/ J
. n
,I I I I I -

duplicat ion enabled a spat ial arrangement of singers and

instrumentalists around a table. Such duplication of a lute
tablature in part books is in any case not without precedence
in printed sources, as we have already seen in the case of
Vecchi's Selva di. Varia Ricreatione. 126

---------------------~-----------------------------------
---

126. See discussion p. 223,

 performance practice 254

3. Ms. Turin IV. 43/2. 127

This manuscript of Don Annibal Caro written in a single

hand (with some additions in a different ink), is undated
but appears to be from the late sixteenth century. It
contains a mixture of dances, untitled pieces and 12
intabulations of vocal works. The most striking aspect of
the intabulations is that most of them contain dashes to
distinguish the canto part from others within the tablature.
This volume is the only example that I am aware of in
Italian sources, printed or manuscript, that uses the dash
in this way. That such visual aids were deemed necessary
seems to indicate that the scribe was not very familiar with
the music, or was not a very skilled musician. The addition
of underlaid text, either partially or for a whole verse, is
indicative of the same lack of familiarity. Four of the
intabulations also include other verses of the song on the
same or facing pages. Two of Lassus's works, the madrigal
Appariran per me 12S
and the chanson Quand mon mary vient 1 2 9
are intabulated with dashes and full text underlay as
illustrated in Example 5.8.

4. Ms. Lucca 774. 130

Ms. Lucca 774 is an unt idy and at first an unyielding

manuscript, but it holds valuable information regarding
intabulations. The volume, titled "Intavolatura di Leuto da

127. Ms. Turin, Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, Riserva

Musica IV 43/2 (hereafter, Ms. Turin IV. 43/2).
Literature: RISM B/VII, p.332-333.
128. Ms. Turin IV. 43/2, fols.33v-34. Mod.ed. in Orlando di
Lassus, S§mtliche Werke, ed. F.X. Haberl and S.
Sandberger (Leipzig, 1894-), vol. 8, p.26. See other
lute intabulations: Brown (1568/2), no. 22; Brown
(1574/6), no. 5; Brown (1584/3), no. 2; Brown (1584/6),
no. 11.
129. Ms. Turin IV, 43/2, fols.12v-13. Model for example 5.8
in Haberl & 'Sandberger, op. ci t., vol. 12, p.23.
130. Ms. Lucca, Biblioteca Statale, Ms. 774, Intavolatura di
leuto da sonare e cantare (hereafter, Ms. Lucca 774).
Literature: RISMB/VII, pp. 195-196; MacClintock, "Four
Tuscan Lut ebooks", pp. 6-8.
 performance practice 255

EXAMPLE 5.8
Lassus, Quando mon mary vient

,
c
J
J
"
Gh\",,,J MO" """~ v't:nt .:I.e J•. hOi'.;( I

A
1110 J Q",,""'- v;t,,~"" <:le cl ~ . -9-
MM'::> ,
,
MO", horS
~.
T -
1 Quo..<'>d ",0", ",4 • r'j Vte.... t ale
b" -
B
.
I I ... ' . I.

, I 1 I

~ I
I I r i r i +-
.\ \ J .J- .J. & J
Ms •. Turin RM.IV
I
\
J t J J .J
----"J-
, I I I I I ~
I
hors

IJ Mc.. re.nte ""I- d'" • hr'e b",· tu. - e I

MA r ....

11 re"le ..~,l'e·slre
Mo.r b... 1. tu. • ", fila. re - etc.
I

, -
- hare, +.....
MOl. re,,}., .,s~ cA'e. ~fre. bOo. e, 'M<>-
o
-
, " -
I
- ho,..',
\ \ \
+
J ,.
J. i .1 ~ 1 J
I I
\ I I \
1\ r :,,;.
etc.
+- \ \ \ oAl----

I I , .... I I
J
; ;1;
I I /
Mc). rt.t'\ f ..
 performance practice 256

Sonare e Cantare", contains a mixture of dances,

intabulations, contrappunti to accompany "tenors of the
Abbot" (the tenors are unfortunately not included) and
untitled pieces. The book is actually three manuscripts of
slightly different sizes bound together, in which two hands
are apparent. Ir; several places there are inst ruct ions to
play a particular dance in the company of others, such as
"Questo passo in mezo no[n] si puo suonare se no si suona in
compagnia".131 Whether the "others" are dancers or musicians
is not made clear. Another performance instruction is given
in an inscription on folio 38v, informing us that a
particular Corrente bal10 francese is to be played, not
danced to - " sonarla, ma ballando non occorre". 131.

Although the book is undated, the earliest model dates

from 1574, and many originate from Giovanelli's I1 Primo
Libro delle Vi11ane11e et Arie a11a Napo1etana, a tre voci,
(1588). Two of the pieces, Quando mirai, and Non vedo
hogg'i1 mio solo are also intabulated by Terzi. 132 The
fifteen intabulations of Ms. Lucca 774 are contained in the
second and third· manuscripts of the volume, and are all
written by hand II. The most interesting aspect of this
collection is that three distinctly different styles of
notation are apparent within the intabulations:

(1) The first group of intabulations is written in lute

tablature with the title written alongside or above the
tablature, but without further text. 133 It is apparent

131. fol. 16. Another similar inscription appears on fol. 13v.

131a One finds other interesting personal asides such as the
inscription at the end of a bariera on folio 21 -
"Questo e quel'loco dov'e il mio cor perduto quista
[sic] colei", and on folio 14, a passamezzo carries the
inscription, "Quest passo in mezo si suona quando uno
va mia veglia con Chris[to]".
132. Terzi (1599) p.8 & p.52.
133. Bagn'a'Asciatto (fol. 9v), (Tu) Ti parti cor mio caro
(fo1.9v), All'arme al1'arme (fo1.23v), L'amor e fatto
(fol. 31) and Occhi d' a1ma (fol. 32).
 performance practice 257

that these pieces are intended to be lute solos because

two of them - All' arme all' arme and Ti parte cor mio -
are such loose paraphrases that they cannot possibly be
son~ accompaniments (Example 5.9).

EXAMPLE 5.9
Azzaiolo, Ti parti cor mao caro1 3 4

""
,
" "". I loo. j. . I

.
l 1. \.
I
1 II 1 ~ ....~ ~
1,
l-
..t: ..... 1 1 1 11"
•J. IJ
\ .. I v .I
I
o
.-t
o
I
•..-1
ro I.
N
N
<tl J
l

..
,~

l:'-
l:'-
ro() I \ I \

.. .
\fr t : , i rJ
()
J ~

~ I :~
::l I "
H I
•
U)
J J I I -e-,+'
~
) , I I
\ I , , I
r
J . ,+ + .,
l~
~
1\ ,-et ,, 1 of-
"
1,.........,\
~ .... 1 1 1:~.
.., I \ I

1 • add.G
------------------------------------------------------------
134. Ms. Lucca 774, fo1. 9v. The Azzaiolo transcription is
from C.V. Palisca, "Vincenzo Oali1ei and some links
between 'Pseudo-monody' and Monody", MQ. vol. XLVI
(1960), pp. 344-360. It could be of course that there is
another source for this lute piece.
 performance practice 258

(2) Other intabulations are texted to varying degrees.

Ancora che t~ m'odii, for example, has only half a line
of text underlaid, but the first verse and three others
are given on the same page (Example 5. lOb). Tutta
gentile e bella however has no underlaid text, but the
three verses are given on the same page (Example
5.10c). Of a different format again, Ni ha punto Amore
has the first verse set beneath the tablature, while
the remaining verses are present ed below on the same
page (Example 5. lOa). Since the text is readily
available to the singer in each case, these slightly
different styles of presenting the text do not
represent different performance pract ices, but are
simply differences in notational style. Incidentally,
the tablatures of both Ancora che tu m'odii and Tutta
gentile e bella are so similar to the tablatures in
Verovio's Ohirlanda di fioretti 1 3 6 and Vincenti's
Canzonette per cantare et sonar di liuto 13G that they
could well have been copied from either source.

(3) The third notational style of Ms. Lucca 774 is very

similar to Galilei's "pseudo-monody" of Ms. Florence
L.F.mus.2 (see below) in that mensural vocal lines and
the tablature of the same piece are located in
di fferent sect ions of the manuscript. The mensural and
tablature parts of Quando mirai are located on folios
42 & 44v and agree precisely, al t hough a t ransposi t ion
level of a fifth is needed for either the lute or
voice. 137
Similarly, a vocal part of Occhi occhi
dell'alma mia in mensural notation is located
separately from the tablature (Example 5. lOd). The
mensural part in this case however is not the canto but
the basso. It seems odd to find mensural parts for both
canto and basso by the same hand within one manuscript.

135. Brown 1589/8, pp. 19 & 35.

136. Brown 1591/15, fo1. 3, Brown 1591/14, fo1. 2.
137. See Volume 11, no. 14, p. 148.
 performance practice 259

EXAMPLE 5. 10
Ms. Lucca 774- inc:1pits.

(a) Giovanelli, ~ ha punto Amore1 3 8

J .
c
Fr J M' hI>.. p..... ".~tp, ...or co" "le lot. - no· So
cL"... - do etc.
I "'" I I I
..
A
-J do etc.
~\
I M'h", pun.+o......"MO ... C.Otl vc. -le .. no $0 d..o.r
I
-'-
B
Tl .., Who.. pw,.-\-o~o. ... or <'00\ "le· ,"- .. nO -,So Jo.... - do

3 3 a

i"o1.43v
3 :il
J
.. J I I lif u- r 1\ r" .I
~-
..
\ ~ ~ 7. \ Hr :
etc.

,. T
ho. J",,,~ If.l~.r
0 <.0" ~"-Ie,,o"'a t",r~o I
Ni f'

(b) Quagliato, Ancora che tu m'odii 1 3 9

c
rr J
AI"'. ·cO - ("0- ",1"1,,- +u I,
....,0 - .t~, ~
_4("\-" ... mo.. tnl - 0. J
"''' . <
- I
- Mc..
"". etc.
......
A
r cl .-
I
/1n-
I
<.0 - r",- che. t ....
J)
MO'" ,,~'" i - I'f\OI" Ml - Co. "''' - " "'M~ Mo· etc.
~

B
I
An. Co - "'" the +'" - ~o.. Ml - <\
I "" .
~ ......
.. .
i"ol.41v
T r~ f'J. ~ ~ 1 J'- t rl ~ i 11 :M.~ j etc.

t"\etO("'(l,. (he +.... ..... '.cLi' \. I I

------------------------------------------------------------
138. Ms. Lueea 774, fol. 43v. Model: NV 1241, p. 19. Faes. ed,
Ruggiero Gio.vane11i, Vi11ane11e et arie a11a napo1itana
(Bologna, 1979)
139. Ms. Lueea 774, fol. 41v. Model: Brown 1591/15, fol. 3,
exempl er I: Fn.
 performance practice 260

Example 5. 10 cont.

(c) Nanino, Tutta gentile e bella1 4 0

c
.r )
etc.

A -1-1-1- -I-

1"1 )

II
etc.
~/
B
Il.\i· t", bel - I", A f<lt·se .... B...;~·I"" -01.·-1<., A f .. ·s.,.....

r 2 I 3

._0+1 etc.
l..l! r,
r~
III ~tl rT
J 1
1 I I I \" r~
fo1.43
+- of<" .

1. wc. e l for d l , f for g; 2. add.C; 3. add. fl and CHI

(d) Giovanelli, Occhi occhi dell'alma mia141

c
v'-V()..- C.~e ~o _ 1\

,, " Oc ch'. - Oc.. - chi del-I....' -<\'1 \'" ",i· fA

I r r '--'
- , ,. 1

- ·· ..

Ms.Lucca 774
fo1. 32
J cr
A
Q

~ H rI 1 L. -~~ 'I
~ ~ ·~Clli1-rt
·.
etc.

" $c 0

Oc
e
chi Oc. • chi
~
~
Jel-lo.l
t=;:~"
-M'" "".
u j r:: f1
- ....
-0. ~i v Q. - c..,' t:. :;0 :..
Il~: etc.

Ms.Lucca 774,
fo1.57 1.Written as following chord
2.Written as preceding and following chord

------------------------------------------------------------

140. Ms. Lucca 774, fol.43. Model: Brown (1591/14) fol. 2.,
exemplar in Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale.
141. Ms. Lucca 774, fol.32 (tablature) & 57 (mensural),
Model: NV 1241, p. 18.
 performance practice 262

by William Porter. MacClintock has edited the whole

manuscript in a "homophonic" style of transcription. 143 The
manuscript is signed and dated 1574 by the Florentine court
musician Cosimo Bottegari and is estimated to have been
cont inued unt il at least 1600. 144 It cont ains int abulat ions
almost exclusively (some of the canzonette being original),
and each page of the manuscript is set out in the same way:
the canto of each piece is given in mensural notation with
the tablature arrangement of the work, and often there are
additional directions to the soprano to pitch the first note
of the song from a particular fret on the lute.

Bottegari's usual method of intabulating was to arrange

the voices other than the canto into tablature, leaving out
one or two of the parts where this was necessary to keep the
lute arrangement simple. Most of Nasce la pena mia 145 for
example is reduced from the original six voices to three or
four in the tablature. The arrangement is accurate, devoid
of ornamentation, and consistent in its application of
musica ficta. Two distinctly different intabulation styles
are apparent in Bottegari's book: whereas in the
intabulation of Nasce la pena mia the canto pitches are not
duplicated, in Anchor che col partire 1 A.6 the lute fully
represents all four voices of the model, including the vocal
line and adding a few cadential ornaments. We see the same
doubl ing of the vocal 1 ine in Se sci orre se vedn}147 and
Oi unto m' ha amor. 148 MacCl int ock does not recognize
Bottegari's two intabulation styles, in spite of having
copied and transcribed all of his intabulations. She wrongly

143. The Bottegari Lutebook, ed. C. MacClintock, The

Wellesley Edition, No. 8 (Massachusetts, 1965).
144. ibid., p.117.
145. Volume 11, no. 16, p.154. For a different transcription
see MacCl int ock op. ci t., p. 120.
146. Volume 11, no. 37, p.279.
147. Volume 11, no. 36, p.275.
148. MacCl int ock, op. ci t., p. 75.
 performance practice 263

claims that Bottegari "gives the canto part to the voice and
intabulates the other three or four parts "'49

Bottegari's more polyphonically complete intabulations could

easily serve as lute solos as well as song accompaniments,
whereas the incomplete intabulations could be useful only as
accompaniment s.

6. Ms. Florence L.F.mus.2. '50

The Florent ine manuscript inserted into the back of a

copy of Galilei's Il Froni.mo is well documented by. Claude
Palisca who has also pUblished a table of contents and
incipits for the manuscript. ' e;, He identifies this
collection of "pseudo-monodies" as being mostly in Galilei's
hand. All of the pieces are intabulat ions of vocal music,
and most of them include a lute tablature arrangement on one
page with the bass part in mensural notation facing it. The
simple alignment in the manuscript of voice and tablature
are not immediately apparent however, for as Palisca points
out, the folios have been incorrectly bound into the
book. '52 This manuscript is an important link in the study
of the intabulation genre in the extent to which the
arrangements differ from Galilei's own printed
intabulations. The manuscript version shows how Galilei
performed these pieces, singing to his own lute
accompaniment, whereas the printed versions are how he

149. ibid., p. 180.

150. Ms.Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Fondo Landau-Finaly,
Ms.Mus.2 (appendix to Galilei's Il Fronimo 1568),
(hereafter Ms. Florence L.F.mus. 2.). Literature: RISM
B/VII, p. 115; B. Becherini, Catalogo dei Manoscri t ti
Musicali della Biblioteca Nazionale de Firenze (Kassel
Bl:irenrei t er, 1959), p. 132j A. Einst ein, "Vincenzo
Galilei and the instructive Duo", ML., vol. XVIII
(1937), p.360; C.V. Palisca, "Vincenzo Galilei's
Arrangements for Voice and Lute", in Essays in
Musi.cology (1969), pp. 207-232; C. V. Palisca, "Vincenzo
Galilei and qome links between 'Pseudo-monody' and
Monody", MQ, vol. 46 (1960), pp. 344-360.
151. See the two Palisca articles listed immediately above.
152. C.V. Palisca, "Vincenzo Galilei's Arrangements for
Voice and Lute", in Essays in Musicology (1969), p.211.
 performance practice 264

EXAMPLE 5.11
Palestrina, Vestiva i colli~s3

. I

c
J I ve. - soli _ "A i
-... eo\ - 11 e le
~
co."",- po~. f\e_i-- - -+0'-

A
.... I . 11 • .. - =""-~<>'~'''~
Ye. - ~H - "o.-...i Cool "c- le
I

T
, Ye. - s·h - ...... i
vo"

B
I

1I t' ~ ", \ \ \ \ . \ I
~
I I
3-

Ms.Florence
- J
r r r ~ r, 1/
L.F.mus.2
Galilei

.
I Ye~h 0..
,
"
r r r f ~ I I I • I I

I 11
I r i J l
Gall1ei
( 1568/1584)
. I
"1

0 JJ J J I I I I

I t:1 . .
Ms.London J I I
Add.29247
"
J) ) I . I I I I I I
.
Ms.Lucca 774
- -I l.
\ r r I
J
I I

I
I

I
'{

153. Model: Le Opere Complete di Giovanni Pierluigi da

Palestrina, ed. R. Casimiri (Rome, 1939-), vol. 9,
p.117. Lute intabulations: Ms. Florence L.F.mus.2,
fols. 1 & 12v; Galilei (1568) p. 15 & Ga1ilei (1584) p.26
(Galilei transcriptions identical); Ms. London
Add. 29247, fol.43; Ms. Lucca 774, fol.82v.
 performance practice 265

Example 5.11 cont.

IJ - nO, , ....
-1-01' '-:.. -
I

-
~

-
D
-
1'0

to I ~. I

J I
~ +0" - ,,0 • LIL - - ~o" - nO
A

1 col - I: ~
<i!- le I I
C.<lLM'f""O' ,,":..,,'IL' or
• -I- - ('>0/ \~ . +",. - -

- s+\. "~.i col - f'<lLI~~ "e....,:-

I' lJe
" e-'-"
le CAM.

'"
I I
VI!. - sll -"tU col
/ I I I I

I"
1- ,::,.
\ .-,..I
\ 1 J ~r-=rl 'IJ • r ,l/f i t· r-
I I \ I

IT
'\
- I - 1
. g -tttd[]?fE¥ - ~
1 , \ \ I I I l~ I 1\
.
J
1- \ d .!. 1
\
"'I- r 'It- I rl... lL ".J.
--= I 1- 1 J. ~
1
-;:'

I I \ I
I \ ~ I

IJ j
,2,"
\
J .l 1 1 1 -j; J. -61- J d J. "'" -::

f I I I

1 r1 J I n I I ,...,-rjl...----."I nl , I
I
J 1,);'I . ). n 1 1 ± ~ ~I r ' r r .
- I
.l-

-rTI
\
 performance practice 266

Example 5.11 cont.

"- - /

J
10.. pri - MA. - ~"- - r", oIi ,., 0 _
ve.l - li 0
.......
no

) \o. pri - """ - ye. - ro- cL; ,.,0 - v~1 - \;

'-"
0 _ "0 - ril'
etc.
01- + '+ +. - /

~ - no 10. pr" - """,- - ve. - ro. ,j..i no - v" \ -

. . -+- •

• _ tor

""""
.. -
+-
nO J

,.~ A
j",
+0""
.e.
-
~ ~
''0
-f-
10. t'''' -
/

{
le. co..rY\- "'I"\Q.. ,'" -for - ,.,0 10. p ri - MO. - .e - I..... cl.
,/ , 1

IJ r r
~ ~ l 11
1:1
I
~ +- .... JI
" ~'.f- - JJ- ~etc.

I
I

m t1=j " ?-=f'

'"'
3- ~1
- - .. - fA
10.

,1.2
pr, lY\A

\ rrtl.\
V
,.C

- I \
- .
1

IJ I
1. U J 'j n 1\.. .....1/'1.f.. ~ I Y::~
1~ -.i. etc.
(
J. -lr"-{4-
"&
I
-
;.:t~ :t..
I
-- -f.' ~
I
i~

1.J,.l'"

....... , I ..I
, I I J ,

I r.,.l r ILJ I '\ 1~1 T etc.

*'11' D.
"
-J;::. A I 1· ,t:. lI:"A 11- /'

or
I y
\
1. wc.fH' for e' 2. wls d' f#' a' in 1568 corrected to a c#' e' in 1584
 performance practice 267

preferred to present the music to his public. Two obvious

di fferences emerge from comparisons: first, in his printed
intabulations Galilei provided neither a mensural vocal part
nor text. Second, while Galile1' s printed versions adhere
st rict ly to the original polyphony, the manuscript versions
do not. In the manuscript intabu1ation of Lassus's Fiera
stella 1 5 4 and Pa1estrina's Vestiva i colli <Example 5.11>,
the canto is largely omitted. In Vestiva i colli Ga111ei
included the canto line for three bars only and thereafter
excluded any canto pitch above b'. The 1568 and 1584
intabulations of this madrigal require the use of lutes
pitched in D to retain the pitch of the model <or
alternatively, a mental transposition of the model down a
fourth to accommodate an A lute). In the manuscript version
of this madrigal however, with an A lute no transposition
would be required to bring it into the same basso range as
the other manuscript pieces. In fact all of the songs in
Ms. Florence L.F.mus.2 are written to be accompanied by a
lute either in A or G <or, alternatively, using one lute
only, the vocal parts of some pieces could transpose up or
down a tone). In.short, the manuscript intabulations clearly
accommodate the bass voice, whereas the printed versions do
not so readily.

7. Ms. Florence Mag.XIX. 109. 155

Written in three different hands <not two as

MacClintock states,) 15.... the first section <fol. 1-9v) of
Ms. Florence Mag. XIX. 109 contains 17 intabulat ions in
hand 1. 157 These include lute tablature and a text on the

154. ibid., p.217.

155. Ms. Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Fondo
Magliabechiano, XIX. 109 <hereafter Ms. Florence
Mag. XIX. 109). Li t erat ure: RISM B/VII, p. 111; Becherini,
op. cit., pp. 44-45; C. MacClintock, "Notes on Four
Sixt eenth-Cent ury Tuscan Lut ebooks", JLSA, vol. 4,
pp. 1-8.
156. MacClintock, ibid., p.3.
157. Hand I: fols. 1-9v, 39v, Hand 11: fo1s. 10-15, 17-18v,
Hand Ill: fols. 15v-16v, 19-27, 53v-56, Hands 11 & Ill,
27v-35v.
 performance practice 268

same page (but not beneath the tablature as MacClintock

implies). 166 The arrangements, all for six-course lute, are
very simple, and never venture beyond third position in the
left hand. The second section of the manuscript, in a
di fferent hand (folios 10 to 35v), consists of dances and
fantasias. The third and final section is a group of
untitled solo lute pieces written in hand II and a third
hand as well. The sectional compilation of the manuscript
and the three hands suggest that the manuscript may have
changed ownership several times, perhaps from one generation
to another. The first section must have been started some
time after 1570, since that is the date of pUblication of
the earliest known models, with the following sections
compiled later. An example given here, Se sciorre se
vedrd 16'9 illustrates the literal nature of the
intabulations. Since the text is not underlaid, but given
separately on the same page, the intabulation could be used
to accompany one of the voices, or the complete vocal
ensemble. The tablature represents the polyphony in full, so
there is no further clue as to its function.

8. Ms. Florence Mag.XIX. 168. 160

Written in a single hand, Ms. Florence Mag. XIX. 168 is

dated 1582, though it may well have been started before this
since the inscription occurs towards the end of the written
part of the volume (folio 18v). Three of the intabulations
of anonymous villanelle are presented with text beneath the
tablature (Occhi leggiadr'e, Vola vola pensier and Del
crud'amor) , and the other two intabulations, Rore's Anchor
che col partire and Cascarda's Giunto m'ha amor, are without

158. MacCl int ock, op. cl t., p. 3.

159. Volume 11, no. 36, p.275. For sources and concordances
see Volume IJ, no. p.V.
160. Ms. Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, Fondo
Magliabechiano, XIX. 168 (hereafter, Ms. Florence Mag.XIX
168). Literature: RISM B/VII, p.113; Becherini,
op. clt., p. 72, MacClintock, op. cit., pp. 4-5.
 perFormance practice 269

text. 161 The latter two arrangements represent the full

polyphony very simply with no added ornamentation; . indeed at
times the original cadential ornaments are omitted. The
opening of Del crud'amor (Example 5.12), is representative
of the texted intabulations which are also literal and
unornamented. The author of Ms. Florence Mag. XIX. 168 treated
the texted and untexted intabulations alike in a simple
unornamented style, which was of course most suited to their
unpretentious vocal models.

EXAMPLE 5. 12 1 6 2
Anon, Del crud-amor

.... .... ~
PI J .De. \ crlAd) io se."" - pre. -e- ..... +. ..J I) ...;..

.
0.. - MOl""
'0 .3e..'fIo"'\ - pre ''''' _ Me. ... - +0
I ""
t
()
.p
(I)
n f I
c~v.d' ;0 )re. .1
"", I I
.'De. I 0.. .. Mor .se.1fV\ _ ,0 se"" .:. fre. '0.. ""..,,- +0
Ll \ . ~ ~
""" b ..

v .:De. \ io se"" _ preo "",i +10

croAol ' "'- MOl' se"", - freo "0 10.. - ""e.,,-
..;

J
.. -e- ~ I..... .
jj
0

1. .1. ".t .J. ",~ .J. J ~ \'"'* ()

Ms.F lorence
-I'r- t .. (
+"
(I)

Mag. xrX.168
)
- r- '-0 se.V'-'\ _
F
,0 re
"'" - re. m': la. - Me" - +0\

161. Ms. Florence, Mag.XIX,168: Occhi leggiadrfe cari,

fol.lv. (Other intabulations with this title are in
Brown 1584-/3, no. 25 & Brown 1581/1, no. 11). Vola vola
pensier, fols.l0v-ll. (Other Italian lute intabulations
in Brown 1584/6, no. 54- & Ms. Brussels I I 1275, fo1. 51).
Del crud'amor, fo1. 17v-18. <Other Italian lute
intabulations in Brown 1584-/6, no.4-7 (CTB only».
Anchor che col partire, fo1. 19v-20. (See Volume 11,
no. 37, p.279 for transcription). Giunto m'ha amor,
fo1. 15v-16. (Model is RISM 1583/15, other Italian lute
intabulations in Brown 1563/7, no. 22; Brown 1581/1,
no.55; Ms. Modena C.311, fol.25 (mod. ed., C. MacClintock
The Bot trigari Lutebook, (Massachuset t s, 1965), pp. 75-
76. »
162. The vocal model of this simple napolitana is from
Adriaensen's Pratum Musicum (Brown 1584-/6) fol.54v.
There is a German lute tablature arrangement by Krengel
(Brown 1584/8) fol.B2v which is attributed to Jacob
Regnart, but I have not had the opportunity to compare
the two.
 performance practice 270

9. Ms. Genoa VII/I. 163

Ms. Genoa VIllI, a large undated manuscript, contains a

repertoire very similar to those of Terzis's two books and
Fallamero's Primo Libro of 1584. Dances and intabulations of
vocal works are interspersed with each other throughout the
book's 38 large folios. All of the intabulations are
literal, and without text or other performance indications.
We are informed on the front cover that the Marchese of San
Sorlino (who was the brother of the Duke of Nemours), had
kindly allowed the author of the manuscript to copy from his
rarest tablatures:

Giardino da Intav1atura [sid per i1 1euto delle

piu rare Madriga1i et Vi1ane11e [sic] et Capriccio
Brandi vo1 te et Corante, Gag1iarde, pas et mezzo
che i1 Principe I1 Sigr Marchese di San Sor1ino
frate110 del Sigr Duca de Nemours mt ha fatto
favore dt 1asciarme1i copiare sopra tutte le Sue
pi u rare Intavo1at ure.

The intabulations and dances of Ms. Genoa VIllI which were

copied from these unknown sources are full of
inaccuracies. 164 Some of the copyist's mist akes have been
corrected by hand, but many have not.

Joel Newman suggests that since the intabulations agree

with many of those in Fallamero's Libro Primo, they may have
been copied from that source. Although there are
similarities, Ms. Genoa VIllI is clearly not a copy of the
Fallamero book since there are important differences in
musica ficta and details of ornamentation. Even more

163. Ms. Genoa, Biblioteca Universitaria, Ms.F.VII/I

(hereafter, Ms. Genoa VII/I)j Literature: RISM B/VII,
p.125-126j J. Newman, "A Gentleman's Lute Book: The
Tablature of .Gabriello Fallamero", Current Musicology
(1965), vol. 2, pp. 175-190.
164. Newman, i bi d. , p. 181.
 performance practice 271

conclusive is the evidence of Fallamero's missing half

bars 165
which are complete in Ms. Genoa VIllI. If further
evidence should be needed to show that these two volumes are
not directly related, the intabulations of Rore's Fera
gentil would provide it, for here Fallamero's lute is
pitched to A <relatively speaking) and Ms. Genoa VIllI lute
is in G. 166 Surely a copyist would not bother to transpose,
for if he or she had those skills there would have been no
need to copy from another tablature in the first place.

10. Ms. London Add. 29247. 167

Five lutebooks in Italian tablature belonging to the

musician and collector Edward Paston <1550-1630), besides
being an import ant source of Byrd' s music, cont ain a large
number of textless intabulations, in which the highest voice
is generally omitted. 16e McCoy argues convincingly that the
presence of a text does not necessarily preclude
instrumental performance, or vice versa. The absence of one
or more of the upper voices, furthermore, is likely to
indicate that at least one of the parts would have been
sung. However, I disagree with McCoy's concl usion that the
textless intabulations "suggest the existence of a hitherto
undef i ned genre: the text 1 ess 1 ut esong. " 1 6 9 The 1 ut esong is
one genre within the larger genre of intabulations of pre-
existing vocal works. Whether the lutesongs carry a text or

165. See Volume 11, no. 16, b.l0 <p.157) & b.29 (p.164).
166. Volume 11, no. 10, p. 104.
167. Ms. London, British Library, Ms. Additional 29247
(hereafter, Ms. London Add. 29247)j Literature: RISM
B/VII, pp. 177-178; A. Hughes-Hughes, Catalogue of
Manuscript Music in the British Museum <London, 1906-
1909/R1967), vol. Ill, p.59; S. McCoy "Edward Paston and
the Textless Lute-song", EM (1987), p.221-227; W. A.
Edwards "The Performance of Ensemble Music in
Elizabethan'England", PRMA, vol. 97 <1970-1971>, pp. 113-
123.
168. McCoy, op.cit./ p.221.
169. ibid. I p.227.
 performance practice 272

not places them in different categories of notational

practice, not of genre. 170

The intabulation of Vesti va i colli in this manuscript

(Example 5. 11) starts wi th a bar's rest, which indicates
that the role of the lute is to accompany the soprano from a
set of part books. Furthermore, the canto part is entirely
absent from the tablature. The other voices are accommodated
on a lute pitched in D, or alternatively the voice could
transpose down a third or fourth to a lute in A or G.

11. Ms. Brussels 11/275. 171

This is one of the largest and most easily deciphered

manuscripts in Italian tablature. The first half of the
collection contains dances and arie da cantare such as the
ruggiero (fols 1-49) while the remainder of the book is
devoted mainly to texted intabulations of vocal polyphonic
music. The manuscript is so tidily arranged into sections of
arie da cBntare and mBdrigali e napolitane that one gains a
strong impression of a well planned compilation copied from
anothBr source or sources over a relatively short period of
time. Ms. Brussels 11/275 stands in contrast with other
manuscripts whose mostly haphazard arrangements result from
a gradual collection process over many years. 172

170. C.
MacClintock in "Notes on Four Tuscan Lutebooks",
JLSA, vol.4 (1971), p.5, makes a similar erroneous
distinction between "songs" and "intabulations" within
Ms. Florence Mag.XIX. 168. The pieces are in fact all
intabulations, the so-called songs merely being texted
int abulat ions.
171. Ms. Brussells, Biblotheque Royale de Belgique Ms. 11/275
(Cavalcanti Lutebook) (hereafter, Ms. Brussels 11/275).
Li t er at ure: RISM B/V1 I, p. 57-58.
172. Another notable exception to the usual haphazard
process of manuscript compilation is the Capirola lute
book, (c. 1517, facs.ed., Florence, 1981>, compiled
solely for the purposes of preserving the music of one
composer.
 performance practice 273

The manuscript is dated and identified on folio 1 by

the inscription, "Questo libro El di Raffaello Cayalcanti,
Genaio 1590." The intabulations appear to be lute-song
accompaniment s rat her than solos because the vast maj ori t y
of the arrangements are texted, and carry. a minimum of
ornamentation. The texts are in each case set beneath the
basso in such a way as to suggest that Raffaello Cavalcanti
sang the bass part while accompanying himself on the
lute. "173 The lute tablature does not always pr~eserve every
voice of the original. Cavalcanti sometimes altered the
voicing altogether, as in the introduction to Str~iggio' s
Nasce 1a pena mi a, and from time to time he omitted the
canto if those pitches were too high or too difficult to
execute, or if their inclusion would detract from the bass
part. "174 It is clear that simplicity and the preservation of
the bass was of the utmost importance in Cavalcanti's lute
arrangements. Similarly, some original cadent ial ornament s
are omitted in the tablature. "176 On the other hand, if the
bass needed support during a period of polyphonic inactivity
in the other voices, Caval cant i was not averse to adding an
appropriate simple passaggio. 176
However, the overall
impression is one of simple accompaniment, for just as oft en
he allowed periods of repose between ph.rases of the
basso. "177 (Th.is is not to say of course that the lutenist
may not have ~mprovised at such points in the intabulation. )

No two intabulations in the manuscript are exactly

alike technically. In the intabulation of quando mirai 178

for example, Cavalcanti took liberties not apparent in the

173. For examples see Volume 11 nos. 14 <p.148), 16 (p. 154) &
37 (p.279).
174. Volume 11 no. 16, b. 9 (p~ 157).
175. See for example, Volume 11, no. 37, b. 15 (p. 282), b. 17
(p. 283); no. 16, b.21 (p.161>.
176. See for example, Volume I I, n016, bb. 23-24- Cp. 162) &
b. 41 <p.168).
177. ibid. " bb. 29-30 Cp. 164), b. 32 <p.165), bb. 46-47
<p.170), bb. 49-50 (p. 171).
178. Volume 11, no. 14, <p.148).
 performance practice 274

above mentioned pieces, adding chords to the opening,

altering the part-writing by octave transposition, and
exchanging the relative positions of polyphonic voices. Thus
the original polyphony is relegated to mere homophonic
support for the voi ce, and somet imes in a way t hat makes
nonsense of the part-writing. 179 Terzi, in his intabulation
of the same canzonetta, on the other hand, faithfully
preserved the polyphony of the model even though the text
was similarly set beneath the bass.

12. Ms.Como s.s. 180

We also know the name of the original owner of Ms.Como

s. s from his inscription on the inside of the cover.
Raimondo entitled his manuscript "Libro de Sonate Diverse di
Pietro Paolo Raymondo Comascho, Luglio 1601". Little is
known of Raimondo other than that he was nominated a
Decurion in the city of Como in 1608, and died in 1647. 181

Among the 58 dances and fantasias that make up the bulk of

the collection are three intabulations of popular polyphonic
works - Lassus's Susanne ung jour, Striggio's Nasce la pena
mia, and Palestrina's Vestiva i colli. 162 Stylistically the
intabulations of this manuscript sit apart from most
manuscript intabulations in that they contain more passaggi
than usual. The ornamentation however, is never as
technically demanding as it is in a Terzi intabulat ion. In
Nasce la pena mia for example, Terzi's ornamentation moves
most ly in semiquavers, while Raimondo's is confined
predominantly to quavers. lea He did not limited himself

179. ibid., b.l1, (p.150).

180. Ms.Como, Biblioteca Comunale, Ms. senza segnatura
(hereafter, Ms.Como s. s.)j D. Fabris, "Prime Aggiunte
Italiane al Volume RISM B/VII: Intavolature mss. per
Liuto e Chitarra", Pontes Artis Musicae, vol. 29 (1982),
p. 106i Facs. ed. I Pietro Paolo Raimondo, Libra de Sonate
Diverse, 1601, ed. Oscar Tajetti, AMIS (Como, 1980).
181. See facs. ed. i ibid., p.2.
182. Susanna del Cavagliere (fol. 58v) j Madrigale/Mai la pena
mia (fol. 67v)j Vestiva i col1i (fol. 82v).
183. V01 ume I I , no. 16, p. 154.
 performance practice 275

to Terzi's practice of including every voice of the model,

but frequently simplified by omitting one or two voices. But
unlike the texted intabulations of Ms. Brussels II/27~ here
the upper voice in the model remains the highest part in the
lute tablature. Played on the lute the three above-mentioned
intabulations give the impression of being solo lute works,
tastefully ornamented. (See Vestiva i colli, Example 5.11).
Raimondo took the opportunity to inject variety by adding
further ornamentation into the repeated section in the
model, in a style that is reminiscent of free fantasia.
Furthermore, in both Nasce la pena mia and Susanne ung jour
an ornate coda extends both intabulations in a postponement
of the final cadence. If these works had been conceived of
as vocal accompaniments, the instrumentalist would not have
taken such liberties which would have been in direct
competition with the singer (or singers). In the latter half
of Susanne ung jour particularly, Raimondo clearly indicated
his preference for retaining the pitches of the upper voice
over the preservation of the whole polyphonic complex.

13. Ms. Naples 7664. 184

We know from inscriptions that this volume was begun in

January 1607, and that one of the three contributors was
Francesco Quartiron [Quartirone] from Lodi. Most of the
tablatures are dances, but the few intabulations of the
vol ume display yet further variety from those manuscripts
discussed thus far. Along wi th one piece for gUi tar are
eight pieces for the cittern (marked cetra in the
manuscript) which as Dinko Fabris points out, is an
instrument rarely catered for in Italian manuscripts. 16S

184. Ms. Naples, Conservatorio di Musica, Ms.7664 (hereafter,

Ms. Naples 7664); Literature: D. Fabris "Prime Aggiunte
Italiane al Volume RISMB/VII: Intavolature mss, per
Liuto e Chitarra", Pontes Artis Musicae, vol. 29 (1982),
pp. 114-115, contains an accurate listing of contents of
Ms. Naples 7664 pp. 114-115.
185. Fabris, ibid., p. 115.
 performance practice 276

EXAMPLE 5. 13
Caccini. Fillide mia. le6

c
A

- ...--::l ..-::l
.
11'1. J
\F,! - Ii· de
I
~
rnl -
\WI
"", se J.i "... \- to.. s.e.' '10.

I
-

... ,
I I I I 1 '-'0
11 ¥
J I ~
I I I

I r
~
w
\ I '..1.-1
Ms .Naples 7664
r lJ J
fo 1.84v/P.168

M'1l. I se
I
01, \ ~I
belt",
\
se •
. I
..e- t I I

., I
I, i r 1 i ~ I ~ -e-
1\ \
Ms .Naples 7664
fo 1.82v!p.164

r r r '\ T T T T

I I r-::I ~ ,......-::t

.
I S"', ])'0 -
--
.9,,',,\
~
-
\ \
tr", c.u .. r~o ~ Mo.\
''-'" ~
J.'I ' $:)0"",
L..-JiI -
I I

, g. .. 0 I
I
I I
.
J r-r
.
!'.
I
..
r 1\
.1
\ I
I' _ _

f --- fcl'o5"; '",\-k", Ic.u)o. I 0 MO.\. --'\ I

J1Se.0-
b ,.,
r I
I I

~.....-.
I

:
1 i r r .J. i 1 ..1.

r
I
I \ I I I

r I I

185. Vocal model from Le Nuove Musiche, ed H.W. Hitchcock,

(Wisconsin, 1970), pp. 129-130.
 performance practice 277

Example 5. 13 cont.

I
c~ )
. I I
liII
J - b.-';\
I
c<> - re,
\
fir -di et'", - ",,0
I
-
I
re. ( - Rr-
I

f ./'
+ ]3 " ,-s: U . */0 11

-r . . . . \

,./ I
'.....\
c.orJ J
r,

I
r it. a ---- <::: ~ -

.,
I
. i t.n n Ij
J. r IJ 1I ~ l j
-

""
I
r r'-' r I I
f
I \
I I

I I""'-=t: .-::I IEi ~,"'J

J di d>", - "'0 - re.! f.lr - Ji .,1'0. ~ ==:== I-.l::::t

- r~ - '
I I I

b '/0 CJ \ ~ In jy/o V--",Q

"

c:: ~:::::s=:a=: =: : ~
J
1 1 1
~ ~ f
J J 1\ t t f
\ I .. r I T I I
, I I
 performance practice 278

Fabris numbers the contents by folio, but page numbers have

been added to the volume some time after he published his
findings, and so both numberings are given here.

In the second section of the manuscript are two

different versions in Quartirone's hand of Caccini's Fillide
mia from Le Nuove Musiche (Example 5.13). In both
intabulations the placing of rhythm signs is often
inaccurate. The version on folio 82v (p. 164) is marked
"Cetra" [citternJ but it is obvious from the tablature that
it must be for lute. This textless intabulation concords
reasonably closely wi th the model and except for the root
position chord in bar 20 is an accurate continuo realisation
of Caccini's bass. The vocal pitches are not incorporated
into the tablature except where Quartirone considered it
necessary for the sake of full harmony (bars 13-15 and 17-
18). The other, more scanty version of Caccini's song found
four pages further on (folio 84v/p. 168) is underlaid with
text. Here the scribe was less careful to keep the upper
pitches of the tablature away from those of the canto, often
sharing the melodic notes, but inconsistently. This version
intabulates only the first half of the model, but at the
beginning of bar 5 there is a mark of a circle and a line
combined which could well signal a repeat of that sect ion.
The harmony of the second half of the song is very similar
to bars 5-12, so the earlier section could easily serve as
an aide memoire, although the final cadence would need
alteration. But why are there two similar versions of the
same piece occurring so close to each other7 1Ei1 7' The two
versions are intabulated at the same pitch, so it is not in
order to employ lutes of different sizes, or to accompany
different voices that we have the two versions. Their
exist ence is even more odd when it can be seen that the
first version on folio 82v is superior to the later version
on folio 84v.

187. Both versions share the same mistake in the first chord
of bar 5, which suggests that the model was itself a
manuscript copy.
 performance practice 279

Part Three. Conclusion

In a period when music printing was a new and rather

expensive process, publishers devised ingenious ways of
making the best available use of space. For this reason,
part-book and choirbook formats were preferred to vocal
score formats. Similar space-saving devices such as dashes
within lute tablature to indicate vocal parts, and underlaid
text without mensural vocal parts, spring from the same
spirit of economy. It is for this reason too that Terzi ' s
duets are not set out in score. One lutenist would have had
to copy out one of the parts by hand <or buy another book),
but successive presentation of the lute parts saves
considerable space. Terzi's publishers did not make the
choice, as some did, of setting the two parts out on facing
pages, because the contrappunti parts invariably required
twice the space of the other lute part. The enormous variety
of formats and notational methods in lute music springs from
the spirit of economy, but in addition, indicates a climate
of the utmost versatility in performance practice. Clearly,
if publ ishing houses could produce 1 ut e books cont aining
music to be performed in a number of ways, and for lutenists
of different abilities with a variety of musical tastes,
then those publications stood more chance of being
financially successful.

Returning to the questions posed at the beginning of

this chapter, it seems reasonable to conclude that Terzi's
intabulations headed in concerto signify inclusion within a
predominant ly inst rument al ensemble. Because of 1 ikely
conflict in the interpretation of tempo and ornamentation,
it is most unlikely that the contrappunti intabulations
would have been included within vocal ensembles. Where Terzi
has written in concerto before "solo" intabulations such as
the Maschera canzon1, the lute would be providing a rather
ornat e cont inuo accompaniment for "imperfect" melodic
instruments working directly from the model. In the case of
 performance practice 280

the "duet" in concerto intabulations however, Terzi's

rubrics do not seem to indicate inclusion of the more
literal first-lute parts in a supporting continuo role
within an instrumental ensemble. However, it is possible
that both lutes may have played in the 1 arger ensembl e.
Furthermore, the absence of directions for the literal
intabulations generally, should not lead us to assume that
they were always performed solo. There are reasons to
believe that sixteenth-century instrumentalists treated
tablature with the utmost flexibility and could have used
them in a variety of situations. Similarly, other Terzi
highly ornamented lute intabulations which did not carry
specific performance instructions and which hitherto we have
assumed to be "solos", may have been played in instrumental
ensembles. Paintings of the period overwhelmingly
demonstrate preference for the lute in ensembles of all
kinds over solo performance, and we know from many sources,
musical and non-musical, that renaissance music-making was
in the main a group activity. lee

188 The iconography of renaissance "concerts", could

contribute significantly to this line of enquiry. I
initially intended to include the results of such
research begun in Italy in 1985, but it is too
specialised and too vast a field to be dealt with in
this dissertation. It is however an inviting and
rewarding area for further research. For useful
information see R. Leppert, "Concert in a House:
Musical iconography and musical thought ", EM vol. 7
(1979), pp.3-17j J. McKinnon, "Iconography", Musicology
in the 1980s, Methods, Goals, Opportunities, eds. D.K.
Holoman and C. V. Pal isca, (New York, 1982), pp. 79-93j
H.M.Brown, "Instruments and Voices in the Fifteenth-
Century Chanson" Current Thought in Musicology, (Texas,
1976), pp. 89-138; H.M. Brown and J. Lascelle, Musical
Iconography: A manual for cataloguing musical subjects
in Western Art before 1800, (Harvard, 1972)j P. Egan,
"'Concert' Scenes in Musical Paintings of the Italian
Renaissance", JAMS,. vol. 14 (1961), pp. 184-195j M.
Southard, Sixteenth-Century Lute Technique, MA. diss. ,
 perfo rman ce prac tice 281

The contr appu nto lute parts that Terz i gave with
most
of his in conc erto intab ulati ons do of cour
se also allow the
piece s to be playe d as duets . From the abov
e surve y of the
style of lute duets throu ghou t the centu ry,
it is clea r that
the most domi nant duet style is that of one
lute play ing a
supp ortin g liter al intab ulati on with anoth er
elab orati ng one
or more polyp honic lines . This style is one
that could lend
itse lf read ily to "par tially -imp rovis ed" duet
s in whic h one
1 ut enis t reads from a lit eral int abul at ion
while anot her
impr ovise s from the same tabla ture, or from
one part of the
voca l orig inal or from memo ry. Even in those few
arran geme nts wher e the two lutes dupl icate
the polyp hony and
alter nate betw een ornam entin g and givin g
harm onic supp ort,
one liter al intab ulati on would suffi ce. Such
supp ositi ons
can be made from the know ledge that the art
of impr ovisa tion
cont inued throu ghou t the sixt eenth cent ury.
Furth ermo re, it
seem s odd that the writt en duet repe rtoir e
is so smal l in a
perio d when ensem ble perfo rman ce was the norm.
It is perh aps
perti nent that we are left with only a
few exam ples in
tabla ture of duet s which divid e the polyp hony equa lly
betw een the two play ers, since such a style is (in the
absen ce of mode ls in score ) relia nt upon
writt en tabla ture
parts for each 'play er.

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
---- ---- ----
(Iowa , 1976 ); A. Mora ssi, "Gia mbat tista Tiep
olo' s 'Gir l
with a Lute ' and the clar ifica tion of some
poin ts
in the work of Dome nico Tiep olo", The Art Quar
terly
(1958 ), pp. 177-1 85; C. H. Slim, "Pai nting s
of Lady in
Conc ert and the Tran smis sion of Jouis sanc e
vous
donn eray" , Imago Musi cae vol. 1, <1984 -) pp. 51-73
.
 performance practice 282

From the texted intabulations in lute prints, and from

the wide variety of notational styles in manuscripts
implying lute-song performance, it is clear that
intabulations were often used to support a solo singer (who
could of course have been the lutenist). That lute-song
performances of intabulat ions are implicit more oft en in
manuscripts than in printed lute books, points to the
probability that lute-songs were more widely practised than
has been hitherto thought. Whether the part to be sung was
indicated by the underlay of text, by text on the same
opening of the page, dashes wi thin the tablature, or by
mensural notation, the common factor in all of these
arrangements is their simple, unornamented nature. Some
intabulations, clearly intended to be song accompaniments,
omit from the tablature the part to be sung or in some way
simplify the original polyphony. 169 A great many
accompaniments however, include all the polyphony. Therefore
we can assume that polyphonically incomplete intabulations
must have accompanied a singer, whether the vocal part was
supplied or not, but equally we can say that any literal
intabulation is capable of accompanying a singer taking any
one part of the model. By concluding therefore that Terzi' s
literal intabulations could have been played solo or as
vocal accompaniments, and that highly ornate intabulations
(apart from the contrappunti parts) could have been

189. An unusual intabulation, unlike any other discussed

here, has been kindly drawn to my attention by H.M.
Brown: Barberiis included an intabulation of Antoine
Brumel's Vray dieu d'amors in his Intabolatura di
Lauto, Libro Nono (1549) [fo1. 4], in which he
transposed the tenor up an octave, above the other
voices. It does not appear that this transformation was
for the purpose of vocal accompaniment, rather, Brown
writes, Barberiis "presents the tune [tenor] in its
simplest form .... to give it a more prominent position
in the polyphony, to make it sound, even on a chordal
instrument, like the principal melody." (From a paper
soon to be publishedi "The Importance of Sixteenth-
Century IntabOlations". )
 performance practice 283

performed either solo or within an instrumental ensemble, we

are provided wi th an explanat ion for the wide var-iet y of
style of Terzi's output.

From evidence in the part-book repertoire in general

and from Ms. Verona 223 and Adriaensen in part icular, it is
evident that lutes were used to accompany more than one
singer, and that several lutes could provide accompaniment
for a vocal ensemble. It was of course in such a "cont inuo"
role that the lute family was to excel from the beginning of
the seventeenth century. But just as monody did not suddenly
spring from intellectual inquiry in the Florentine Camerata
of the 1580s alone, but had its forebears in the frottole
arrangements of Bossinensis and in the lute-song
intabulations, so too seventeenth-century chitarrone and
theorbo continuo technique had its beginnings in sixteenth-
century intabulations.

Those intabulations which in some way depart from the

original structure are unlikely to have been performed in
either vocal nor instrumental ensembles. However, the highly
ornamented intabulations of Ms. Como s. s, in which the final
cadence is extended in an "improvisat ion", or a paraphrase
(Ms.Lucca 774) in which the structure of the model and the
int abulat ion do not direct ly correspond, are surprisingly
rare in the Italian lute repertoire. This small group of
pieces is representative of the relatively slight emphasis
the renaissance musician placed on solo performance,
compared with group performance. Those intabulations which
do agree structually with their sources could have been
performed in concerto. Otherwise, if flexibility of
performance practice were not the aim, why would so many
pieces have been printed in which the tablature and the
model agree perfect ly bar by bar (apart from mistakes by
less competent intabulators)? As we have seen in chapter 4,
Terzi, for one, made considerable effort to give musica
ficta interpretations that would stand up to any
 performance practice 284

contemporary polyphonic analysis, and would therefore fit

within a vocal ensemble.

It would be wrong to assume that intabulations were not

played solo for the purpose of private amusement, for
clearly there was plenty of material available for just that
purpose, and the variety from simple to highly ornate
intabulations would have assisted such private study. If the
emphasis in this chapter has been on the ensemble
possibilities of the genre, this was simply to counteract an
assumption hitherto made by many present-day lutenists, that
the genre is a largely redundant collection of solos of
little interest to the performer.
 CHAPTER SIX

THE CONCEPT OF IMITAZIONE

Part one. Imitazione in the Arts

The following discussion of the renaissance philosophy

of imitazione attempts to place intabulation, as an
imitative art, within an intellectual environment which
fostered the pract ice. Consideration of the place of
imitation in the visual, literary and musical arts goes some
way towards placing the function of intabulation in
perspect i ve. In turn, intabulations offer a wealth of
perspective on the use of borrowed material in other genres
such as the fantasia.

USE OF CLASSICAL MODELS

The concept of imitation <imi tazione, mimesis,

imitatio)l in the arts is central to renaissance philosophy
and traditions and is inextricably linked with renaissance
man's view of his culture and his self-conscious awareness
of a modern art movement. Along with the renaissance
artist's veneration of the classical arts grew a disregard
by many for works of the immediately preceding centuries. A
belief that stUdying the arts of antiquity would lift
sixteenth-century man out of centuries of artistic and

1. In the discussion to follow, the Italian term

imitazione is usually used in preference to the Latin
imitatio, or "imitation" which has other musical
connotat ions.
 imi t azi one 286

intellectual unenlightenment was expressed by Vincenzo

Galilei when he wrote that he "would like to aid·· the world
not a lit t le to escape from t he darkness in which it has
been enveloped" since the passing of antiquity.2 Much
earlier, Francesco Petrarca <1304-1374), acutely aware of
differences between his age and that of the ancients, voiced
a similar hope that "this slumber of forgetfulness" would
soon be dispelled and that man would be able "to walk
forward in the pure radiance of the [ancient] past".3 The
sixteenth-century art historian Giorgio Vasari <1511-1574),
similarly derided artistic endeavours before 1250, after
which time, he said, "heaven took pity on the talented men
who were being born in Tuscany and led them back to pristine
forms." Helped by "some subtle influence in the very air of
Italy" artists were able "once again to imitate the works of
antiquity as skilfully and carefully as they could".""

Renaissance renewal of interest in the ancient arts and

philosophy unearthed Aristotle's theory of mimesis, which in
turn lead to the justification and nurturing of imitazione
pract ices in all the arts. From the middle of the sixteenth
century, after the dissemination of translations of the
Poetic,sS, Aristotle's theories had such an impact on the
arts that not only did it become desirable to relate new
works to those of the ancients, it actually became
obligatory to do so.

2. O. Strunk,
Source Readings in Music History, The
Renaissance (New York, 1950/R1965), p.114.
3. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Macropaedia, 15th edition
(Chicago, 1975), Vol 15, p.660.
4. G. Vasari, Lives of the Artists, translated by George
Bull (Bungay, Suffolk, 1965/R1984), p.45.
5. Poetics was published by Giorgio Valla in 1498 but did
not have an impact on the renaissance intellect until
the publication of mid-sixteenth-century commentaries
by Vettori (1560), F. Robertello (1548), B. Segni (1549),
and V. Maggi (1550). See C. Palisca, Girolamo Mei;
Letters to Vincenzo Galilei and Giovanni Bardi, AIM
(Rome, 1960), pp. 40-48.
 imitazione 287

In the plastic arts, while every artist was concerned

with the imitation of nature, some also placed great
importance on the imitation of specific details from
classical antiquity. Imitating the art of antiquity had not
been universal in the fifteenth century, even though the
influence of Aristotle's philosophy had begun some two
hundred years previously. The novelty of imitazione is
illustrated
, by one of the better documented early research
expeditions into ancient architecture and sculpture,
undertaken in Rome by Donatelle (1386-1466) and Filippo
Brunelleschi <1377-1446). Their studies were so unusual for
the early years of the fifteenth century that the Roman
citizens, who were only interested, according to Vasari, in
the fashionable "barbarous German style", thought that
Donatello and Brunelleschi "studied geomancy in order to
discover buried treasure". e;. By the late sixteenth century,
classicism was accepted as the final authority. By this time
the mannerist painters were ideologically opposed to the
infl uence of classical ant iqui t y in theory, but in pract ice
the ancients were still quoted as authorities whose example
must be followed. 7

Where renaissance musicians di ffered from visual and

literary artists was of course that they did not have
classical models from which to work, apart from the three
hymns of Mesomedes. e It is not surprising therefore to find
that music theorists disagreed on speculative details of
ancient music. What they all had in common however was a
desire to express, through various means, the effects
[effettiJ of Greek music. Music theorists had shown interest
in classical antiquity from the thirteenth century onwards,

6. Vasari, op. cit., pp. 139-140.

7. A. Blunt, Artistic Theory in Italy 1450-1660 (Oxford,
1940/R1982), pp. 150-159.
8. Printed in their original notation in Galilei's Dialogo
della Musica'antica e moderna (1581), Cited in D. P.
Walker, Musical Humanism in the Sixteenth and Early
Seventeenth Centuries, part 1, MR, vel. 2 (1941), p.2,
fn.7.
 imi tazione 288

but it was predominantly through Boethius's De Institutione

Musica (c. 500) that knowledge of the ancients was gained.
Most allusions to ancient authors were actually culled from
Boethius, and it was not until the writings of Franchino
Gafori (1451-1522) that the virtual monopoly of Boethius was
broken. In his constant search for truths of the past Gafori
revealed previously unknown Greek writings on music. In De
harmonia musicorum instrumentorum (1508) he mentions that he
had Latin translations made from the treatises of Aristotle,
Quintilianus, Ptolemy, and other Greek theorists. 9
D. P.
Walker in his articles on musical humanism thoroughly
documented the varying degrees to which humanists sought
truth from ancient writings. He points out that besides
Vincenzo Galilei, scholars such as Pontus de Tyard, Girolamo
Mei and Giovanni Battista Doni were disillusioned with the
political and intellectual climate of the end of the
sixteenth century and wished to revive the ancient artistic
val ues which they considered to be vast ly superior. Other
humanists Franchino Gafori, Giovanni Artusi, Francesco
Salinas and Pietro Cerone - took a scholarly interest in
ancient music but did not consider reforming their music,
while a third group - Heinrich Glareanus, Nicola Vicentino,
Gioseffo Zarlino and Marin Mersenne - admitted to the need
for some reform, yet considered modern music to be in many
ways superior to earlier music. 10 Along with prolific (and
often fruitless) argument among sixteenth century theorists
on the possible interpretations of the Greek modes and the
diatonic, chromatic and enharmonic genera, went enquiry into
the best manner in which to attain the "effect" of Greek
music. It was in this enquiry particularly that Galilei made
such a lasting contribution to the history of music.

9. G. Reese, Music in the Renaissance, revised edition

(London, 1954/R1978), p.180j and Palisca, op. cit.,
pp. 40-41.
10. D. P. Walker, Musical Humanism in the Sixteenth and
Early Seventeenth Centuries, part 1, MR, vol. 2 <1941>,
p.2, p.5.
 iroi tazione 289

It was, as Galilei saw, the spirit of classicism,

rather than the attempt to copy literally (an example of
which was Vicentino's misguided attempt to revive the
ancient genera), which was the main source of inspiration in
humanist thought. It was rare for a sixteenth-century visual
artist to be as literal as the architect Giovanni Lomazzo
<1538-1600), for whom the mere copying of details of Roman
architecture replaced the use of the imagination. 11

Generally it was believed, though, that mere copying would

produce a dead replica, as Castiglione's argument for the
use of Latin in literature illustrates:

And when we refer to the language of the ancient

world all we mean is the usage of the ancient
world in its language. It would be foolish to love
the language of the classical world for no other
reason than to want to speak as was the custom
then rather than as we do now. 1 2

IMITATION OF CONTEMPORARIES

As the practice of imitating the ancients became more

accepted during the course of the Renaissance, it also
became acceptable to extend the concept of iroitazione to
include the imitation of contemporary masters. In the visual
arts this was in part an inevitable product of the guild
apprenticeship system which was further justified by citing
the imitation practices of the ancients themselves. There
was no shame attached to imitating contemporary artistsj the
Venetian painter Giorgione da Castelfranco (1476/8-1510) for
instance was so attracted by Leonardo's colour and tone
techniques that according to Vasari, he "based his own work
on it and imitated it above all in his oil paintings",
unashamedly admitting to doing so. 13 The next generation of

11. Trattato dell ' arte (1584); cited in Blunt op.cit.,

p. 153.
12. B. Castiglione, The Book of the Courtier, translated by
G. Bull (Bungay, Suffolk, 1967/1983), p.81.
13. Vasari, op. ci t., p.272.
 imi tazione 290

artists in fact declared that they learned more from other

painters than they did from nature. 14 Imitation of
cont emporari es was a justifiable practice in the literary
arts too. Bernardino Daniello in La Poetiea (1536) for
instance emphasised the classical concept that the matter of
all literature was common property as much in his day as in
that of Homer and that anyone had the right to use what he
wanted of it,ls In music the belief was the same. Brown
cites a fascinating example of a sixteenth-century
composition student's efforts to build a new work on a model
of Vlvent vivent en payx tous loyaux pastoureaux as evidence
that "composers as well as poets and painters learned their
craft by imitating older masters. "16

Learning artistic skills through imitation of

contemporary art is a method not at all foreign to today's
teaching methods. Music students are still given models of
Palestrina, Bach and Mozart to emulate, and the aims then as
now remain the same, namely to assimilate the model's
techniques, to reinterpret the material by means of the
fruits of one's experience, and develop an individual style.
To improve on the model was the ultimate aim in the use of
lmitazione in the arts and it is in these terms that Vasari
praises Michelangelo highly. He tells the story of how
Michelangelo, apprent iced to Domenico Ghirlandaio, took an
ink drawn copy of the master's work, and using a thicker
pen, "went over the contours of one of the figures and
brought it to perfection. "17

The incorporation of the best of the work of

contemporaries was easily rat ionalised by the precedent of

14. Blunt, op. elt., p.138.

15. H.O. White, Plagiarism
Renal ssanee <New York,
16. H. M. Brown, "Emulation,
Imitation and Theories
JAMS, vo 1. 35 <1982 ), p.
17. Vasari, op.cit., p.328.
and Imitation during the English
1965), p. 21.
Competition, and Homage:
or Imitation in the Renaissance"
8.
 imitazione 291

Classical pract ice. It was suggested by the authors

Bernardo, Parthenio, Giraldi, Quintilian, Isocrates,
Daniello, and Minturno that to learn the art of writing, the
st udent must choose models from Greek authors, but also the
best from contemporary Latin authors. Quintilian said that
"from the study of these [contemporary] authors, and of
others worth reading, one should acquire a copiOUS
vocabulary, a variety of metaphor-s, and a method of
composition, then attention should further be given to the
copying of all their good qualities. "le The identical
philosophy is echoed by the sixteenth-century writer
Bernardino Parthenio in Della Imitazione Poetiea (1560):

By assiduously stUdying the works of the perfect

writer, and by practice in imitating him, we can
gradually through our efforts reach a stage at
which the right words with beautiful conceits will
come of themselves to our pen from memory, so that
we eventually become involuntary and conscious
imitators. 19

The idea that Parthenio is expreSSing is essentially

the three-fold classical ideal of "following,
reinterpretation and emulation".:2O The first stage of
learning involves gathering together the best features of a
model, borrowing phrases, sentences and paragraphs without
seeking to improve on the model but with the aim of
assimilating techniques and elements of the language of the
particular art. In the second stage the aim is to express an
old idea in the spirit of the day, supplementing the
material with the fruits of one's experience.:21 Here it is
not sufficient to copy the masters unceasingly.

18. W. L. Bullock, "The Precept of Plagiarism in the

Cinquecento", Modern Philology, vol.25 (1927/1928),
p.296.
19. ibid. I p.308
20 Other terminology in use is "following, imitatio and
aemulatio" or "transformative, dissimulative and
eristic" classes (G. W. Pigman Ill, "Versions of
Imitation in the Renaissance", RQ, vol. 33 (1980), pp. 1-
32), and "selection, reinterpretation, improvement"
(White, op.elt., pp. 9-11>.
21. White, op. elt., p.l0.
 imitazione 292

Rather, the aim is to invest the work with enough

originality to make it one's own and to make it at least as
good a work of art as the model. Finally, in the third stage
of artistic progress, with an injection of artistic rivalry,
the model is alluded to, but with the hope of surpassing it
gloriously. The work must display originality, but the
relationship between the new work and the model must not be
disguised so much that the "audience" does not recognise the
victory over the model. 22

For composers a healthy spirit of emulation is

particularly evident in the parody mass, well established by
the beginning of the sixteenth century, but in addition we
have documentation of emulation in examples of pupils
seeking to out-rival their masters. One such rivalry was
between Zarlino the teacher and Galilei the pupil which
began with Galilei writing a compendium to Zarlino's Le
Istitutioni Harmoniche (1558). Galilei's subsequent theories
in Dialogo della Musica Antica et della Modern a (1581)
surpassed Zarlino's and sparked the famous heated argument
between the two theorists. 23 Furthermore, Haar notes that
"Costanzo Porta set out to rival his great master Willaertj
that Baccusi during his years at Mantua did all he could to
perfect himself in emulation of his colleague Wertj and that
Tiburt io Massaino, having met Baccusi in Venice, modelled
his compositional activities on the latter's work." 2 4 We
need only look at one of the most popular Italian madrigals,
Rore's Anchor che col partlre, to find examples of emulation
in practice. As well as numerous lute and keyboard
int abulat ions and didact ic elaborat ions, several composers
wrote vocal parodies on Rore's madrigal. For example
Perissone Cambio, a singer at San Marco used the

22. Pigman, op. cl t., p. 26.

23. New Grove, vol. 7, p.97.
24. J. Haar, "Zarlino's Definition of Fugue and Imitation",
JAMS, vol. 24 (1971), p.197.
 imitazione 293

madrigal as a model for his four-voiced madrigals dedicated

to the printer Gaspara Stampa,26 and in a famous parody
Andrea Gabrieli (1570> rearranged it as a three-voiced
"Giustiniana" to be sung by three trembling and stuttering
men. The parody, which is not confined to the poetic text
only, is according to Einstein "hardly less artistic than
its serious model".26 Other vocal parodies were written by
Orazio Vecchi in his Amfiparnasso (1597>, in Fiorino's
Nobilita di Roma <1571>, and in Caimo' s Il Primo Libro de
Madrigali a quatro voei (1564>.27 We cannot know for sure,
Brown suggests, whether such imitation paid homage to a
composer, or whether it was intended to demonstrate superior
expert ise. Nonetheless the two impulses are closely
related. 2Et

The concept of plagiarism, although it existed for

renaissance artists, was rarely applied to those who openly
practised imitazione. The attitude then was very different
from today when greater importance is attached to
indiViduality. Well into the sixteenth century, translations
from Greek or Latin were considered to be new works of art.
This interpretation of originality finds a precedent in
Roman writers who considered a Latin translation from the
Greek to be worthy of the same honour as that awarded to the
original author. 29 That is not to say that there were no
instances in the Renaissance of an artist claimfng borrowed
mat erial as his own. Indeed, to put one's name to someone
else's work or to incorporate large sections of a work
without attempting to rework the material was liable to
receive the label plagio from contemporary artists. However,

25. A. Einstein,
The Italian Madrigal (Princeton,
1949/R1971>, p.441.
26. ibid., p.374. ,
27. Mod. ed. in Einstein, The Italian Madrigal, vol. Ill.
no. 66. For a transcription of Fiorino see this
dissertation, Volume 11, no. 39 p.305.
28. Brown, op. ei t. I p. 10. .
29. White, op. eit. I cites examples of this in Roman
literature, p.12.
 imi t azi one 294-

there was a thin dividing line between emulation and

plagiarism which then as now compounded the di ffieul t y of
discerning between the two. Sometimes the sheer skill
displayed in the act of copying a work, in the visual arts
at least, was regarded highly enough to transcend the
concept of plagiarism. This is illustrated by an incident in
which Michelangelo purposely sold his new sculpture
"Sleeping Cupid" as a genuine antique. When the mistake was
discovered, rather than receive derision for his deception,
Michelangelo was highly praised for his skill. 30

We need to take care therefore that we do not impose

our concept of plagiarism upon behaviour that may have been
perfect ly acceptable, or indeed cherished, in the
Renaissance. The work of music theorist Pietro Cerone for
example has received much derision from scholars from the
ninet eenth cent ury onwards, because he barely acknowledged
that a great deal of his material was borrowed from
Zarlino. 31
To call his work plagiaristic though would be
historically inaccurate, since it would have been perfectly
acceptable within the intellectual environment of the period
to summarize and represent ideas, even of one's
contemporaries. Galilei provides a further example of
apparent plagiarism which has inspired di ffering responses
from modern scholars. For the Dialogo de11a musica antica et
de11a moderna (1581), Galilei relied very heavily on the
letters he received from Girolamo Mei, to whom Galilei gave
very li t t le credi t for his original research - a behavior
which Walker interprets as entirely dishonest. 32
Palisca on

30. The Horizon Book of the Renaissance, ed. J.H. Plumb

(London, 1961), p.l06.
31. New Grove, vol 4-, p.79j See also F. Garcia, Pietro
Cerone's "E1 Melopeo y Maestro": A synthesis of
Sixteenth-Century Musical Theory, PhD. diss. ,
(Northwestern University, 1978), p.12.
32. D. P. Walker, Studies in Musical Science in the Late
Renaissance, (London, 1978), p18.·
 imi tazi one 295

the other hand points out that "there is no better tribute a

disciple could pay his teacher than to publish his master's
doctrines" and that Mei was "aware that Galilei was using
the material in his letters for a book" and undoubtedly
approved of him doing so. 33

IMITATION OF NATURE

A philosophy of imitazione central to the visual arts,

and one which influenced the other arts, was the imitation
of nature (imitazione del soggetto della Natura). To imitate
nature was of course a natural impulse and a necessary
practice in the visual arts, so it is not surprising to find
the practice rationalised. Springing not from expediency
alone, but from a guiding force of the time - naturalism -
imitation of nature assumed an importance even higher than
that of other forms of imitation and was intended to replace
imitation of the ancients during the course of an apprentice
artist's training. 34 There is of course little that nature
offers the composer for direct imitation. Nonetheless, music
theorists such as Zarlino attempted to place music within
the general philosophy of imitazione del soggetto della
Natura through such ideas as the "senario", and equating the
four voices CATB wi th the four elements and four seasons.
Just as the painters of the period strived to learn from
nature, so music theorists attempted to explain the laws of
music in terms of natural laws as they understood them, and
to place music alongside painting as an art imitating
nature. Of course ideas of numerology, number-mysticism, and
the ideal of a mathematical universe are not unique to the
Renaissance, but were already evident in the works of Plato.
The adoption of such ideas in the sixteenth century must be

33. Palisca, op. cl t., pp. 75-76.

34. A. Hauser, The Social History of Art, Renaissance,
Mannerism and Baroque, vol. 2 (London,19511R1977), p.55.
 imi tazi one 296

seen therefore as a manifestation of imitazione of ancient

philosophy.3s

The musical conception of the imitation of nature was

seen from three viewpoints. One saw nature as the sum total
of objects, another as an organisation that acted according
to a system of laws and yet another as an expression of the
simple emotions and passions of life. 36 But as Carapetyan
suggests, it was only in the imitation of the words
(imitazione delle parole) that the composer had a
compositional equivalent of the natural objects available to
the painter. 37 Galilei and Vicentino upheld the ideal of
imitating the text as a whole rather than that of figural
representation of individual words. Galilei in particular
deplored attempts to imitate single words or images
"literally", and in monody was able to imitate the text by
basing the rhythms on those of poetry and speech, and by
illustrating the affections by
use of low, middle or the
high registers within a narrow range. 3S By subjugating music
to the text Galilei aimed to attain the emotional effects
reported in the Greek writings. This theory was to have a
direct influence on musical expression and was probably, as
Carapetyan suggests, the first time that the search for
expressi veness combined wi th neo-classical ideas of music
and drama had become a force in the development of a new
style. 39

35. For a thorough survey of the Neoplatonic influence see

D.P. Walker, "The Harmony of the Spheres" in Studies in
Musical Science in the Late Renaissance (London, 1978),
pp. 1-13. For the influence of imitation of nature in
painting and sculpture see E. Panofsky, Meaning in the
Visual Arts (New York, 1957), passimj See also C. V
Palisca, Introduction to G. Zarlino: The Art of
Counterpoint (New Haven, 1968), passim.
36. A. Carapetyan, "The Concept of Imitazione della Natura
in the Sixteenth Century", Journal of Renaissance and
Baroque Music, vol. 1 <1946-1947), p.53.
37. ibid., pp. 53-:67.
38. New Grove, vol. 7, p.97.
39. Carapet yan, op. ci t., p. 58
 imitazione 297

For Vicentino too, music should imitate the mood of a

text in terms of tempo and expression:

Because music is made on words it is made only

in order to express the concept, the feelings and
the effects of these by means of harmony. If the
words speak of modesty then the composition will
proceed modestly and not furiously, and when they
speak of joy t he music must not to be made sad,
and if [the words speak] of sadness, joyful music
must not to be composed. 4 0

He also suggested that composers consider the pronunciation

of the words in the language of the text, placing long notes
on long syllables, and short not es on short syllables, a
practice which was the speciality of the Pleiade group in
France:

Many composers in their compositions tend to use a

certain idiosyncratic method of composition
wi thout considering the nature of the words, nor
their accents, nor which syllables are long and
which short, both in the vernacular and in Latin.
According to the practice and rules of the Latins
and Tuscans the long and short pronunciations are
to be observed, since if in French or Spani sh or
German, (for example), their long syllables were
pronounced short, and the short long, their
respective nation would laugh at such a
pronunciation. 41

40. . . . perche la musica fatta sopra parole, non e fatta

per a1tro se non per esprimere i1 concetto & le
passioni & gli effetti di que11e con l'armoniai & se le
parole par1eranno di modestia, ne11a compositione si
procedera modestamente, & non infuriato; & d'a1egrezza,
non si facci la musica mesta, e se di mestitia, non si
componga a11egra. Nicola Vicentino, L'Antica Musica
ridotta a11a Moderna prattlca (Rome, 1555), facs. ed.
(Basel, 1959), Chapter p.29, fol. 86.
41. Mo1ti Composltori che ne11e 10ro compositioni attendono
a far un certo procedere di compositione a suo modo,
senza considerare la natura delle parole, ne i 10ro
accenti, ne qua1i si11abe siano 1unghe ne brevi, cosi
ne11a lingua vo1gare come ne1la 1atina: & secondo l'uso
& le rego1e de i Latini & de Toscani se de osservare le
pronuntie 1unghe e brevi, (in essempio) come se ne11a
lingua Franzese, & Spagnuo1a, et Tedesca, le si11abe
loro lunghe fussero pronuntiate brevi, & le brevi
1unghe, la natione loro riderebbe di tal pronuntia.
ibid., fo1.85v.
 tmt taztone 298

Not only did imitazione pertaining to the text pervade

the composer's art, the performer too was expected to
practice imitazione in the execution of a piece - the more
extreme humanists being in favour of histrionic
performance. 42 Vicentino advised that the singer should
imitate the nature of the composition with his or her voice,
modifying the tempo and tone according to the mood of the
text. 43

DISEGNO INTERNO

The eventual ~ealization that musica theorica had

failed to imitate nature through number symbolism,
corresponded with the late sixteenth-century painter's
gradual shift away from the imitation of nature toward
disegno interno - the imperfect reflect ion of Nat ura wi thin
the artist. The term disegno interno was first used by the
paint er Federico Zuccaro (1540-1609) who argued that
everything derived ultimately from an imperfect reflection
of the divine within an individual. He attacked the belief
that painting copies nature but held that the idea was in
the artist's mind the proper object, he said, of
imit~tion.44 Holding a similar view earlier in the century,
the writer Gian Francesco Pipo wrote in a letter (1512) to
Pietro Bembo that artistic creation consisted of two
elements in equilibrium - imitazione and the inspiration and
instincts of the soul - thus admitting to the contribution
of the artist's imagination. 4s Vasari too admitted that in
choosing from nature according to personal jUdgement rather
than rational measurement, the artist may have been
improving upon nat ure. "In talking of t he art ist s of the
Quattrocento he says: I In proportion there was wanting a

42. D. P. Walker, "Musical Humanism in the 16th and Early

17th Centuries", MR, vol. 2 (1941), part 4, p.291-295.
43. See this volu!fie, Chapter 5, fn. 112.
44. A. Blunt, Artistic Theory, p.141.
45. E. Battisti, "11 concetto d' imitazione nel Cinquecento
Italiano", Rinascimento e Barocco (Turin, 1960) p.183.
 imitazione 299

certain correctness of jUdgememt, by means of which their

figures, without having been measured, might have, in due
relation to their dimensions, a grace exceeding
measurement' ".46 Zarl ino, in the course of arguing against
an idea of Galilei's that the voice can be corrected (in
terms of intonation) by instruments, also mentions in
passing the painter's predilection for improving upon
nature's design of the human form.

And if indeed (as the Philosopher remarks) the

Artist sometimes corrects the defects of Nature in
many details and [if] that imperfection and that
defect observed in the nat ural obj ect is simply
found or extracted from Nature rather than Art, he
then simply corrects such defects in the manner
shown him by his Mistress [Natura] on which art
depends and of which Art is, so to speak, the
inst rument. . . . [ But] t hat person would be
considered mad and depri ved of wisdom who want ed
to think of correcting the instrument of the
voi ce, made by st upendous Nat ur~, by means of the
instrument made by artisans. 4 7

46. Blunt, op. cit., p.91.

47. Et se ben l'Artefice spesse fiate (come auisa i1
Fi1osofo) sopp1isse in mo1te cose a i diffetti di essa
Natura; tuttavia que11a imperfettione &- que1 diffetto,
ch'ei stima esser ne11a cosa Naturale, non 10 imparo,
ne cavo semp1icemente da11'Arte, ma da11a Natura; onde
corregge semplicemente cotali diffetti; aiutato da i
modi mostratogli come da sua Maestra, dalla quale
L'Arte dipende, &- e quasi come suo Istrumento .... cosi
sarebbe riputato pazzo &- fuor di senno colui, che
volesse pensare col mezo de gli Istrumenti fatti da gli
Artefici, di corregger l'Istrumento della Voce.
fabricato dalla stupenda Natura; Gioseffo Zarlino
Sopplimenti musicali (Venice, 1588), facs. ed.,
(Ridgewood, 1966), p.23-24. This differs from James
Haar's interpretation of Capitolo VI that Zarlino is
suggesting that musicians can correct the natural sound
of the voice through the use of instruments, just as
painters can correct defects in the human form. In fact
the exact opposite would seem to be the casei See J.
Haar, "A Sixteenth-Century Attempt at Music Criticism"
JAMS, vo1.36, (1983), p.201
 imitazione 300

Disegno interno was essentially a corruption of the

philosophy of imitazione della Natura rationalised by
Neoplatonic metaphysics and resulting in, or at least
justifying, the distortions associated with mannerist art. 4S

A seemingly dissimilar int erpret at ion of "imi t at ion",

meaning the imitation of one musical point by another in a
composition can be embraced by the concept of imitazione del
soggetto della Natura, given that the soggetto has its
origin in "nature-given" musical instincts. 49 Certainly this
is what Zarlino had in mind when he said:

It is true that we should imitate Nature in this

and in all things, in whose workings one can see
much orderliness. Thus if we observe motion in
Nature, we shall see that it is somewhat slower in
its start than in mid-course or at the end; as one
can see in a stone, the motion of which when
dropped is without doubt faster at the end than at
t he beginning. Let us therefore imi tat e Nat ure by
proceeding in such a manner that the movement made
by the contrapuntal voices is not very fast at the
outset. We should also observe this in the middle
and end of each [contrapuntal] part, whenever that
part begins to sing after some rests. 5 0

48. For a fuller survey of imitazione and mannerism see H.

Kaufmann, Life and Works of Nicola Vicentino, AIM
(Rome, 1966) p. 175-224.
49. ibid., p. 186.
50. Et veramente in cia & in ogn'altra cosa dobbiamo imitar
la Natura, il cui procedere si vede esser molto
regolato; conciosia che se noi haveremo riguardo 13111
Moviment1 naturali, ritrovaremo, che sono ne i loro
principij alquanto piu tardi, di que110, che non sono
ne1 mezo & ne1 fine; come si pia vedere in una Pietra,
che s1a 1asciata cadere dall'alto 131 basso; del1a quale
i1 Movimento e piu ve1oce, senza dubio, nel fine, che
non e nel principio. Imitaremo adunque la Natura &
procederemo in tal maniera, che 1i Movimenti, che
faranno le parti de1li Contrapunti non siano molto
veloci nel principlo; il che osservaremo etiandio [sic]
nel mezo & nel fine di ciascuna parte, quando dopo le
Pause incomincieranno a cant are ... G. Zarlino,
Istitutioni Harmoniche, (Venice, 1558), facs. ed.
(Ridgewood, ~966), Terza Parte, Cap. 46, p.238. This
passage of Zarlino was first brought to my attention by
J. Haar, "Zarlino's definition of Fugue and Imitation",
JAMS (1971>, p.240.
 imitazione 301

Part two. Imdtazione and the lute.

PEDAGOGY

At least seven writers for the lute or vihuela

recommended intabulation for the purpose of learning the art
of fantasia, diminut ion, and improvisat ion. 51 This was an
age when players of the harmonic instruments increasingly
required a training in the techniques of contrapuntal
writing, and when the increasing complexity of music placed
more demands on a lutenist's technique. For the purpose of
learning the art of improvising or composing fantasias,
nothing it seems could teach the required skills better than
making and playing intabulations of good polyphonic music.

Bermudo recommended that the vihuela student intabulate

vi11ancicos, not for their musical value, for he wrote that
they "do not have a very good basis in music", but rat her
for "developing and acquiring a good style of fantasia". He
warned players against starting their training by learning
fantasias, as this would result in a bad style. 52 Five years
later the Spaniard Sancta Maria in Arte de Taffer Fantasia
gave five reasons why musical benef i t can be deri ved from
the setting of vocal pieces:

51. Oanassi, Regola Rubertina (Venice, 1542); Ortiz,

Tratado de G10sas (Rome, 1553); Sancta Maria, Arte de
Taller Fantasia (Madrid, 1565); Sebastiani, Be11um
Musica1e (Strasburg, 1563); Bermudo, El Libro 11amado
Dec1araci6n de instrumentos musicales (Ossuna, 1555);
Oalilei, I l Fronimo (Venice, 1568 and 1584): Fuenllana,
Orphimica Lyra (Seville, 1554).
52. Brown 1555/1, fo1. 99v (see also fo1. 29v); J. M. Ward,
The Vihuela de mano, PhD. diss., (New York, 1953),
p.214; J. M. Ward, "The Use of Borrowed Material in
Sixteenth-Century Instrumental Music", JAMS, vo1. 5
(1952), p.89;. H. C. Slim, The Keyboard Ricercare and
Fantasia in Italy, c.1500-1550, with reference to
parallel forms in European Lute Music of the same
period, PhD. diss., (Harvard, 1960), p.404.
 imitazione 302

1. to understand the imitation of voices,

2. to note whether a voice enters before, after, or during
a cadence,
3. to not e and remember the types of cadences,
4-. to note the types of consonances and dissonances,
5. to note all the variations <difereneias) made in
imi t at ions. ' 5 3

The German theorist Sebastiani recommended that the

young instrumentalist play a mass or motet, and toward its
conclusion improvise a fantasia using the same points of
imitation. 54 Fuenllana too credited the practice of
intabulation with teaching him the skills of composition:

he who does not enjoy studying transcriptions

will find fantasias with which to satisfy his ear
and better to train his hands. Although in this,
my opinion is that whoever wishes truly to learn
music always trains himself ,in studying and
transcribing composed works since true profit is
to be obtained from them. And if the fantasias I
present in this book have some fragrance of
composition, I confess the cause to be [my] having
seen and transcribed [for vihuela] many works of
excellent authors. uss

In contrast with Fuenllana, the theorists Ortiz and

Ganassi were less concerned with learning the art of
fantasia but recommended the study of vocal music for
learning the art of ornamentation. Hence their aims may seem
to be at variance with writers concerned with the lute and
vihuela, but in fact Ganassi and Ortiz were concerned wi th
the training of those very skills necessary for the
invention of fantasia, namely, ornamentation, diminut ion,

53. Brown 1565/5, fols.57v-58; Ward, op. eit., p.225i Slim,

op. eit., p.4-07; L.E. Eubank, Spanish Intabulations in
the Sixteenth Century, PhD. diss., (Indiana, 1974-) p.33.
54-. Bellum Musicale, (Strasburg, 1563), fol. Vi Ward,
op.eit., p.221; Slim, op.eit., p.4-05.
55. C. Jacobs, ed., Miguel de Fuenl1ana, Orpheniea Lyra,
(Oxford, 1978), p.lxxxix.
 imi tazione 303

and counterpoint. Ortiz, at least, equates original

composi t ion wi th ornament at ion, for he refers to the
rieereare as a series of florid counterpoints over a cantus
firmus, or as the playing of diminutions on a single voice
of a vocal work. s6 While Sebastiani, Fuenllana, Sancta Maria
and Bermudo all expected improvised fantasia to come after
the study or performance of intabulation, Ortiz's treatise
was devoted, not to fantasia, but to the art of either
adding voices to a polyphonic composition or ornamenting an
existing melodic line. It is clear that the purpose of using
polyphonic composi t ions in such ways is didact ic. The few
theorists who do discuss intabulation, unanimously recommend
that the student absorb the storehouse of motives, cadences
and t urns of phrase of polyphonic music, which can
subsequently be used in creative composition.

INTABULATION. FANTASIA AND IMITAZIONE

Clearly, the treatises attest to the fantasia's debt to

intabulation, but how close a connection can we see between
the two genres, and in turn with the theory of imitazione?
It seems feasible to regard the three main varieties of
intabulation and fantasia composition as expressions of the
three-fold process of imitazione. It must be more than
coincidence that the concepts of "following,
reinterpretation, and emulation" so aptly represent the
techniques of "literal intabulation, glosa, and parody-
fantasia" respectively. The making of literal intabulations,
apart from their musical value, was clearly regarded as a
useful didactic exercise in the assimilation of the
techniques of musical language without attempting to improve
on the model. In the glosa an "old idea" is supplemented
with new material from the intabulator' s expe}~ience, and in
the parody-fantasia an essentially original work alludes to

56. Brown 1553/3; Brown 1542/2; Slim, op. eit., p.417.

 imitazione 304

a model with the aim of either paying homage to a composer

or of attempting to surpass the model.

1. Highly Ornamented Intabulations

Some int~bulations are enlivened with so much new

ornamental figuration that they fall midway between mere
arrangements and new compositions. Indeed, some very ornate
intabulations may be considered to be fantasias upon
borrowed harmonic structures. A category from the Spanish
repertoire which serves as a comparison with the elaborate
Italian lute intabulation is the glosa. Ward's definition of
the glosa as a "free enlivening, by means of diminution, of
borrowed vocal music"57 aptly describes many of Terzi's
intabulations. In an earlier publication Ward spoke more
specifically of the glosa as a "transformation of the
borrowed music by means of cont inuous diminut ion, changing
not only the character of the original, but also sacrificing
the discant melody to the abstract figuration". ss This would
descri be Terzi' s highly ornament al int abulat ions, were it
not that in a sense the discant melody is preserved. As we
have seen in Chapter 3 the basic outline of the discant is
usually kept intact, for even when it carries ornamental
figuration, the original pitches remain in a prominent
audible position within the ornament. 59 This is true even in
the intabulations marked con passaggi and a modo di
two
viola bastarda. JSo Ward thinks of Terzi's eontrappunti not as
being like glosas <although they are quite similar in style
to Ortiz's glosas on Arcadelt's 0 feliei oeehi miei and
Sandrin's Doulee memoire)JSl but as figural variations where

57. Ward, op. eit., p.86. Unfortunately, the Italians did

not have a specialized term like glosa for highly
ornate arrangements of borrowed vocal music.
58. J.M Ward, "The Use of Borrowed Material in 16th-Century
Instrumental Music", JAMS, vol. 5 (1952), p. 91.
59. For example, Volume~ 11, nos. 1, 4, 8, 11, 12.
60. Volume 11, nos. 16 & 18.
61. D. Ortiz Tratado de glosas sobre elausulas (Rome,
1553), partial facs. ed (Basel, 1967), pp. 73-75 & 90-93
 imitazione 305

Terzi weaves ornamental figuration around harmonic

structures without attempting to preserve the original
melodic structure. 62 The eontrappunti really are in a
category of their own since they are paired wi th another
lute (or other instruments) which preserves the original
structure to a large extent. If one was to add to Ward's
first-quoted definition of the glosa as a "free enlivening,
by means of diminut ion, of borrowed vocal music", that the
melodic structure of the model is preserved,we would have a
working definition of Terzi's highly ornamented
int abulat ions.

It is clear in the very ornate intabulations that the

borrowed music is transformed, and the character of the
original changed. Just as a translation of a literary work
from the Latin was considered to be a new work, in the same
cultural environment the highly o.rnamented intabulation
would surely have been thought of as an original work.
Certainly Terzi's contain so much new figuration that they
may be considered reinterpretat ions of the original. In an
intabulation such as that of Striggio's Nasee la pena miaG 3
in which the model merely acts as a harmonic structure on to
which endless passaggi are grafted, Terzi has most
definitely imposed his individuality upon an old idea. To
borrow the words of Isocrates, he is setting forth "events
of recent date in a new fashion. "64 Furthermore, Terzi's
eontrappunti elaborations have so thoroughly transformed the
original vocal works into virtuoso instrumental pieces that
one could grant that he has surpassed the original concept.
In these pieces, though, one lute performs the original
madrigal in its unadorned st ate, and so, the relat ionship
with the vocal work remains clear. In other words, in the

62. Ward, op. eit., p.96.

63. Volume 11, no. 16, p. 154.
64. Quoted from Panegyrieus in White, op. eit., p.l0.
 imitazione 306

creation of a new work the relationship between it and the

model is not so disguised that the victory cannot be
recognised.

2. The parody-fantasia

The parody-fantasia in which short sections or

particular melodic features of a vocal model are interwoven
with original material is less common in the lute repertoire
than the highly ornate intabulation. 6s Terzi did not admit
to parodying works of other composers in his fantasias, and
no parodies have so far been identified. Nonetheless a short
discussion of the genre usefully illustrates the philosophy
of imitazione in practice. 66 Ward's research in this field
has provided scholars with an often quoted definition of
parody technique as "free <often random) variat ion of an
autonomous thematic complex. "67 He adds that this definition
does not embrace monophonic themes in cantus firmus
arrangements <such as La Spagna) , nor the " great skeletal
patterns of the 16th cent ury". He also points

65. Of course there may be more lute parodies than we

think: our current assumption that most seemingly
original fantasias are not parodies, may be proved
wrong in many cases; indeed, previously unknown
examples of parody have been discovered. Ward for one
mentions a discovery by Lowinsky that the opening
section of Master Newman's Fancy draws on Marco Antonio
<Cavazzoni) da Bologna's Salve Virg~ Ward further
identifies other borrowing in the fantasias of Albert
da Ripa, Mudarra, Cabez6n and Narvaez. <"Parody
Technique in Sixteenth-Century Instrumental Music", The
Commonwealth of Music in honor of Curt Sach~ ed.
Gust ave Reese and Rose Brandel, <New York, 1965),
p. 222. )
66. "Parody" is a term that has come under attack in recent
years because the factual historical basis for its use
is slight. However, until an acceptable substitute is
generally agreed upon it is too convenient a term to
abandon. It should not of course be confused with a
composition of humorous or satirical intent.
67. J.K Ward, "Parody Technique in Sixteenth-Century
Instrumental Music", The Commonwealth of Music in honor
of Curt Sach~ ed. Gustave Reese and Rose Brandel, <New
 imitazione 307

out that parody may include the quotation of "vertical

slices of the thematic complex" as well as melodic
quotation. 5e

Apart from random borrowings of thematic elements from

other works, which are allusion rather than parody, 59 two
broad categories of parody style are evident in the lute
repertoire. "Quotation parody" is essentially the technique
Cerone recommended in Melopeo y maestro (1613) for so-called
parody masses, namely, to quote sections of the model at the
beginnings and endings of movements while varying the
contrapuntal treatment, as well as borrowing some of its
melodic motifs. "Paraphrase parody" combines thematic
elements with new counterpoint in a reworking of the model.
The former is essentially a scissors-and paste-process with
the insertion of new material, the amount of which may vary
from one piece to another; the latter is the reworking of
melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic ideas. 70

An important feat ure of print ed Italian lute parody-

fantasias, is that the composer usually cites the model with
rubrics such as fantasia sopra or fantasia de
followed by the title of the model. Clearly such imitation
is seen as matter for pride, not a factor to be hidden.

The earliest printed parody-fantasias of the Italian

lute repertoire are included in Spinacino's Libro Primo as
Recercare de tous biens <Hayne von Ghiseghem) and Recercare
a Juli amours <Ghiselin) the models of which were published
by Petrucci in the Odhecaton (1501) and in Canti B (1504).

68. i bi d., p. 209.

69. H.M. Brown, "The Chanson Spirituelle, Jacques Buus, and
Parody Technique", JAMS, vol. 15, p. 163.
70. Ward gives many examples of both types from the vihuela
repertoire in "The Use of Borrowed Material in 16th-
Cent ury Instrumental Music", JAMS, vol. 5 (1952) t
passim, and in "Parody Technique in Sixteenth-Century
Instrumental Music", The Common weal th of Music in honor
of Curt Sachs, ed. Gust ave Reese and Rose Brandel, <New
York, 1965), passim.
 imitazione 308

Earlier in the same volume Spinacino intabulated both models

for two lutes,71 which has led some scholars to argue that
the rieereari
may have been performed as preludes to the
intabulations. 72 However, there is no real basis for this
argument, especially considering their physical separat ion
within the volume and the fact that the intabulations are
for two lutes while the rieereari are for solo lutes. Ward
has demonstrated that, rather, they are free paraphrases, a
point upon which Slim agrees. 73

Barberiis's parody-fantasia sopra Se mat provastt donna

on a Verdelot madrigal, like the Spinacino parodies, is
published in the same volume as an intabulation of the model
but unlike Spinacino, Barberiis places the intabulation
directly before the parody-fantasia. 74 Whether this
indicates that one was expected to be performed after the
other, or that the intabulator wished his "art of fantasia"
to be compared with the model, can at this stage be
conjecture only. Paladino's Premier Livre (1560) published
in Lyon, contains four parody-fantasias which are similarly
preceded by intabulations on the same model, ent it led,
fantasia sopra a1 detto. 75

Francesco da Milano's fantasia paraphrasing Richafort's

De mon triste is also preceded by its intabulation. 76
(Another fantasia-parody of De mon triste is attributed to

71. Brown 1507/2 nos. 8 & 9 (intabulations) and nos. 22 & 23

(parodies). Mod. ed. of the parodies are in Slim,
op. elt., vol. 11, pp. 601 & 602.
72. O. Gombosi, Compositione di Meser Vineenzo Capiro1a
(Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1955), pp. xxxii-xxxiv.
73. Ward, op. eit., p.219. This is a different position from
that of a decade earlier in "The Use of Borrowed
Material in 16th-Century Instrumental Music", JAMS,
vol.5 (1952), p.98, where he referred to them as
"artless little preludes"; Slim, op. eit., p.228.
74. Brown, 1549/2, no. 15.
75. Brown 1560/3 nos 9 & 10, 11 & 12, 21 & 22, 23 & 24.
76. Brown 1547/2 nos. 7 & 8. Mod. ed. in A. J. Ness, The
Lute Music of Franeeseo Canova da Mi1ano (1497-1543),
(Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1970), p.114, and in Slim,
op. ei t., p.626.
 imitazione 309

Perino Fiorentino in the "Siena Lute Book". )77 Fantasia de

mon triste is the only identified parody by Francesco, but
as Ness points out, others undoubtedly await detection, and
he goes so far as to cite three other Francesco fantasias
which quote material from La works by Fage, Josquin des
Pres, and an anonymous chanson writer. 7s

Two known parodies in lute manuscripts further to that

in the Siena Lute Book mentioned above are found in
manuscripts: fantasia sopra le canzone degli uccelli in the
Bottegari lutebook 79 and Anchor che col partire in Ms. Genoa
VII/IsO which although a parody fantasia is not
differentiated by rubrics from the other 26 literal
intabulations. This appears to be an artless, loosely
paraphrased parody of Rore's madrigal but it could prove to
be an intabulation of a yet to be identified vocal parody
<one of the many) of the original madrigal.

The two remaining known Italian sources of fantasia

parody are volumes by Galilei and Molinaro. Included in
Simone Molinaro's Libro Primo are two works based on
Lassus's SusBnne ung jour. The first is a glosB intabulated
by Giovanni Battista dalla Gostena <Molinaro's uncle) and
the second is a parody by Giulio Severino. The Severino
parody quotes the model extensively while at the same time
reworking the counterpoint and adding small sections of new
material. s1 In contrast, Galilei's fantasias on Rore's

77. The Hague, gemeentemuseum, Music Department Ms. 20.860

"Siena Lute Book", fo1. 7; facs. ed. of the manuscript, is
in preparation (Minkoff); mod. ed. of the work cited is
in Ness, op.cit., p.471.
78. Ness, ibid., p.8.
79. Ms. Modena, Biblioteca Estense. Ms.mus.C.311, fol.38v.
80. Ms, Genoa, Biblioteca Universitaria, Ms.F.VII/I, fol.22.
Transcription in Volume 11, no. 43, p.314.
81. The piece has been thoroughly documented in J.M. Wa~d
"Parody Technique in Sixteenth-Century Instrumental
Music", The Common weal th of Musi c in honor of Curt
SBchs, ed. Gustave Reese and Rose Brandel, <New York,
1965), passim and a complete transcription of it is
given in the present dissertation, Volume 11, no. 45,
p.318.
 iroi tazione 310

EXAMPLE 6. 1
Striggio, Nasce la pena mia
a

,.. I I

(v)

J ~\ i 1~ ~ t
i~ .1 ~ 1 ~J f
~ ~t
Ij
' rI
\
Q

, I I
I
I I I I
I I I

- ...
11 ~ ~ 1 4 ~ i 1 ~~
I
Ij J ~r
I I
I I \ I \ \ \ \

i) striggio bb.1-4, Galilei bb.1-4, (ii) St.6-8, Gal.6-8

iii) St.8-10, Gal.11-12, (iv) St.10, Gal.8,11,14,15,17
1 v) st.36-38, Gal.61-62.
 imi tazi one 311

Anchor che col partire and Striggio's Nasce la pena mia are
typical examples of paraphrase parody technique in that
borrowed melodic and harmonic fragments are combined wi th
new material. s2 The complex reworkings and subtle allusions
to the original material are demonstrated in Example 6. l.
Galilei has considerably reworked the material, reducing
Striggio's six-part madrigal to a more managable four-part
texture. The opening three bars are recognizably Striggio's,
since the point of imitation is identical, but thereafter
Galilei freely develops the fantasia with motives derived
from the model. At times the melodic references are obvious
and at other times they are subtle to the point of
obscurity. Galilei preserves enough melodic motives and
short sections from the models::a to guarantee that those
listeners already familiar with Striggio's madrigal would
recognise it. Galilei's skilful manipulation and reworking
would not have gone unnoticed.

3. Casual borrowing in the lute fantasia.

A less overt imitazione practice is seen in those

fantasias which owe some or all of their material to other
sources but which fail to ascribe it to them. Unattributed
borrowings in the lute fantasia may take the form of casual
melodic quotations from familiar vocal works, or of the
uplifting of small or large sections from a fantasia of
another composer, or even of blatant misattribution of a
complete fantasia. Casual allusions to vocal melodies do
not really constitute plagiarism since such melodic elements
taken from one voice of a model were considered common
property. Most sixteenth-century instrumental music owes its
existence to vocal music in any case. Dance music was of
course indebted to vocal music, both directly and

82. Brown 1568/2 p92 & p.94. For a transcription of Nasce

la pena mia, .see Volume 11, no. 40, p.347. This may be
compared with no. 16, p.154.
83. Striggio bb.36-38 = Galilei bb.61-62; Striggio b.58 =
Galilei b.89.
 imitazione 312

indirectly. Many dances from the folia, romanesca,

bergamasca, villotta, bel fiore and ruggiero families are
modelled directly upon popular vocal pieces. s4 Similarly, as
Ward notes, there are many instances in the vihuela fantasia
repertoire of quotations from villancico and other cantus
firmus melodies used as the basis for free fantasia. ss In
these cases the vihuelists acknowledged t~eir sources, but
there are undoubtedly further fantasias in both the vihuela
and the lute repertoires based on casual cantus firmus
borrowings. Ward wrote in 1953 that "the assumption that all
music not otherwise labelled was composed by the vihuelists
cannot be supported"SS He confirmed this a decade later in
his discovery of casual borrowings in lute and keyboard
fantasias. s7 Of particular interest to the present
discussion is Ward's ci t ing of an "inexplicable appearance
midway through one of Albert de Rippe's [Albert da Ripa]
fantasias of the Josquin Cum Sancto SpiritU'.ss Furthermore
Ward draws attention to another Albert da Ripa fantasia
which parodies two vocal works, one by Josquin, the other by
Gombert. ss This is undoubtedly more widely practised in the
lute fantasia than research has so far revealed. so

84. For a survey of these forms see L.H. Moe, Dance Music
in Printed Italian Lute Tablatures 1507 to 1611
(Harvard, 1956), pp. 154-189.
85. J.M. Ward, The Vihuela de mano and its Music (1536-
1576), PhD. diss., (New York, 1953), p. 138-210; see in
particular the discussion of Valderrabano's treatment
of villancicos, p. 156.
86. ibid., p.151.
87. J. M. Ward, "Parody Technique in 16th-Century
Instrumental Music", The Common weal th of Music: in
honor of Curt Sachs, ed. G. Reese and R. Brandel (New
York, 1965), passim.
88. ibid., p.222. For further discussion of parodies on
Josquin's Cum Sancto Spiritu, see Ward, ibid., pp.90-
91.
89. i bi d., p. 222.
90. It is not the task of this dissertation to undertake a
search for casual borrowings in the lute fantasia from
a common pool of vocally derived melodic material but
it would be a
fascinating, if problematic, topic for
further research. For examples of casual quotations in
the chanson, see Brown, op. ci t., p. 163.
 imi tazi one 313

Very similar to cantus firmus borrowing is the practice

of quoting a section, without ascription, from a lute
fantasia of another composer. An interesting example of this
can be seen between the Vincenzo Capirola lutebook and
Spinacino's first lute book. A piece entitled Recerchar
primo contains a literal quotation of 25 bars of a Spinacino
ricercare embedded within it. 91
Although the borrowed
section constitutes only about one sixth of Capirola's
ricercare, the piece may be regarded properly as a parody
since the surrounding (presumably original) material is
thematically related to it. The quotation is cleverly
inserted in a way that does not appear out of character with
the rest of the ricercare, and in fact the whole work is
superior to the original Spinacino ricercare in the way that
the themat ic mat erial is worked. By comparison, Spinacino's
ricercare is an aimless exercise in scale passages. I am
assuming of course that the quotation is from Spinacino to
Capirola and not vice versa. It could be proved otherwise as
more information comes to light, but for now it looks as
though Capirola parodied Spinacino. This is deduced not from
the dates of Spinacino's publication (1507) and the
est imated date of compilat ion of the Capirola manuscript
(1517), which anyway may not truly indicate the date of
composition. Rather, it is the missing bar in the middle of
an otherwise literal quotation in the Capirola version which
implies that it is the copy. But why would a composer insert
a small quotation like this in an otherwise original work?
Capirola could not have been attempting to learn the art of
fantasia from such a meagre exercise; he was an accomplished
composer as it was. Possibly he was attempting to
demonstrate his patently superior skill by reworking
material of another composer. He may even have been paying
homage to Spinacino as a composer or lutenist. Even if it
may be discovered in the future that Spinacino borrowed from
------------------------------------------------------------

91. Spinacino, Libro Primo, fol. 52, (Brown 1507/1, no. 37),
and Compositione di Messer Vincenzo Capirola (c. 1517),
fol. 5Vi facs. ed., (Geneve, 1978), p.l0.
 imi tazione 314

Capirola, or perhaps that the quotation comes from a third

source, the two ricercari remain a good example of a literal
quotation. 92

Altogether different are those works where large

sections of a fantasia are taken over by another composer.
Furthermore there are cases of misattribution of whole
fantasias. Sometimes the misattributions may be
unintentional - the author's name may merely have been lost
in the process of recopying from one source to another - but
in the rare cases where a composer actively signs his name
to a fantasia that is patently not his (or where his
publisher does so on his behalf), the accusation of
plagiarism must surely apply. Thanks to recent research by
scholars and performers of the lute we are becoming
increasingly aware of examples of plagiarism in the lute
fantasia. James Meadors for one has discovered many
misattributions, the most dramatic being in the fantasias of
Fabritio Dentice. He reveals that all four fantasias in
Thesaurus Harmonicus of 1603 attributed to Dentice come from
Melchior Newsidler's first and second books of 1566.
Furthermore, in Thesaurus Harmonicus two fantasias
attributed to Jacobi Reys are from Newsidler's first and
second books. Meadors mentions a further piece attributed to
Dentice in the Hainhofer lute manuscript which was also
originally Newsidler's.93 In misattributions like this, the
fantasias are often reproduced exactly (except for added
scribal mistakes). Where there are alterations from the
original they are usually random and unsystematic, and
certainly not of the type one could call "reworking".

92. This borrowing was discovered accidentally while

playing through fantasias. There may yet prove to be
many more references to other works in the Capirola and
Spinacino lute books.
93. James Meadors, Mis-attribution, Borrowing and
Plagiarism i,n 16th Century Lute Fantasia, from the
microfilm catalogue #7 (Additional Seminar Lecture
Tapes) of the Lute Society of America, T-16.
 imitazione 315

Howard Mayer Brown's bibliography Instrumental Music

printed before 160~ catalogues a great many fantasias <and
other pieces) printed in several sources. It was common for
the original author not to be cited in the cases where
fantasias were reproduced in different publications.
Becchi's Libro Primo· of 1568 for example includes three
Spinacino ricercari and one by Francesco da Milano, but
there is nothing in the Tavola or the body of the book to
indicate the original authorship. 94 Publication of
unattributed fantasias is more common in the French printed
repertoire than the Italian. There are no extant Italian
equivalents of the French tablature anthologies such as
Luculentum Theatrum published by Phalese, or Theatrum
musicum pUblished by Phalese and Bellere. 9s The 21 fantasias
in Luculentum Theatrum are by a variety of composers:
Francesco da Milano, Raphael Viola, Rotta, Gintzler,
Borrono, Paladino, Morlaye, Bakfark, Narvaez and Giovanni
Maria da Crema. Of these only four are attributed to a
particular composer. That there are attributions at all
seems to imply that, rather than being plagiaristic, Phalese
simply did not hold consist ent at t ribut ion in part icularly
high regard. It is unlikely that the original
composers' names would have been unknown to Phalese, since
all but two of the fantasias had been published in various
lute books prior to 1568, and these undoubtedly served as
his sources. Similarly, the 11 fantasias by Francesco da
Milano printed in Borrono's lute book of 1548 are not
acknowledged. 90s

94. Brown 1568/1 nos 41-44. For modern editions of no. 43

see G. Lefkoff, Five Sixteenth-Century Venetian Lute
Books, PhD. diss., <Washingt on, 1960), p. 163, and Ness,
op. cit., p.406. The Francesco ricercare pUblished in
Becchi's book <Brown 1546/6, no. 10) is set a tone lower
than the same fantasia published in Francesco's Libro
Primo.
95. Theatrum musicum <Brown 1571/6)j Luculentum Theatrum
<Brown 1568/7). Pierre Phalese published three other
anthologies between 1552 and 1571 <Brown 1552/11,
1553/10, 1563/12), and numerous collections pUblished
jointly with Jean Bellere.
96. Brown 1548/2.
 imi. tazione 316

Hans Gerle's German tablature anthology Eyn Newes sehr

Kilnstlichs Lautenbuch of 1552 s7 is unusual for its
consistent attribution. This collection of pieces formerly
in Italian tablature retains the names of the original
composers in the table of contents. The numerous preambel
are also cited in the preface:

A new and very art ful 1 ut ebook cont aining many

Preambel and foreign dances for four voices, and
by the most famous lutenists, Francesco Milaneso,
Anthoni Rotta, Joan Maria [da CremaJ, Rosseto
[Rot t aJ, Simon Gint zler and by others, collect ed
together. And the tablature has been altered from
the foreign into the German ... se

Erratic citation practices like these, frequent in

printed sixteenth-century instrumental volumes, seem to
indicate mere laxity on behalf of the publishers. Apart
from actual cases of misattribution such as that by Fabritio
Dentice or his publisher (a clear case of deception),
absence of at t ri but ion does not signi fy plagiarism as it
would today. Rather, the practice exemplifies the
renaissance conviction of mutual ownership of music in the
public domain. At the same time there are many examples of
sixteenth-century composers artists and writers signing
their work to ensure public recognition of their labours.
This apparent contradiction simply points to a changing
attitude in a period of artistic development midway between
the restrictions of gUild and ecclesiastical patronage, and
the elevation of the artist to the rank of genius. ss It was
partly this change in attitude toward the originator of

97. Brown 1552/1.

98. ibid.
99. Giorgio Vasari's Life of the Artists, English
tran.lation by George Bull (Bungay, Suffolk,
1965/R1984), chronicles this attitude in the visual
arts. For an illuminating article on "genius" see E.E.
Lowinsky, "Musical Genius - Evolution and Origins of a
Concept" MQ no. 50, 1964, pp. 321-340 and 476-495,
particularly pp. 338-339 and p.479: "At the very time
when the composer began to emancipate himself from the
double dominion of mathematics and theology,
 imitazione 317

works of art that inspired Bottrigari to claim the discourse

Il Desiderio as his own. The preface to the revised 1599
edition outlines the quaint story of how Cavaliere Ercole
Bottrigari allowed his discourse with M. Annibale Melone to
be published in 1594 under the name Alemanno Benelli, an
anagram of Annibale Melone. This, Bottrigari explains, he
did out of diffidence "so that he might remain in the
background and hear what t he world would say about it." 1 00

He offered the print er the fict it ious name, because

"nowadays it is not permissible to pUblish anything,. or to
print any book without the name of the author. "101 Hence he
makes a token gesture to the growing propensity to
acknowledge authorship, but some months after the
publication of Il Desiderio, when "the world" had formed a
favourable opinion of the work, Bottrigari wished to claim
credit, particularly since people were learning the secret
of the anagram and attributing the .work to Melone. Thus
after Melone's death in 1598 he declared himself to be the
true author of the book. The story of Il Desiderio does not
stop there, for Artusi (Bottrigari's arch rival), possessing
the Melone manuscript after Melone's death, used the
material in his Imperfezzioni della Moderna musica (1600).
Bottrigari accused Artusi of plagiarism and subsequently
Artusi scornfully republished Il Desiderio in Milan in 1601
under the name of Annibale Melone. 102

and to acknowledge as his new masters human emotion and

,
free imagination, at the time when composition based on
a pre-existing cantus firmus gave way to free musical
conception kindled by the poetic text, we encounter the
idea of musical genius in the writings on music".
(p. 479).
100 finalmente egli [Bottrigaril impetro che fusse
publicato questo Dia1ogo senza nome di autore, per cosi
potere i1 Sig. Cavaliere star dietro la tavola & udire
que1 che '1 mondo ne dicesse. Hercole Bottrigari, I1
Desiderio (Venice, 1594), facs. ed., (Bologna, 1969).
English translation by C. MacClintock, AIM (Rome,
1962), p. 10.
101. in questi nostri tempi non si concede i1 far
pub1icatione, ne stampar libro senza nome d'autore,
ibid.
102. E. Bottrigari, Il Desideri 0, facs. ed., (Bologna, 1969)
p. 2. )
 imi tazione 318

Part three. Terzi's Fantasias.

In the light of the above discussion two questions

arise concerning Terzi's fantasias. First one may ask
whether Terzi composed all of the fantasias of Libro Primo
and Libro Secondo himself, and whether some of them may be
parodies. Second, whether Terzi's fantasias are
stylistically related to his intabulations in anyway
suggesting that the process of intabulation served partly as
a method for learning the art of fantasia writing.

ATTRIBUTION IN TERZI'S LUTE BOOKS

In his Libro Primo Terzi clearly claims the six

fantasias as his own with the rubrics segue sei fantasie
del'Auttore in both the Tavola and· on page 95. In Libro
Secondo Terzi signs fantasias [Prima] , Sec on da and Terza
<pp. 2, 39 and 93) , as well as, of the related forms, two
Toccate <pp. 26 and 38) and one Preludio <p. 1). Furthermore
he includes in this volume, two Fantasie in modo di Canzon
Francese de l'auttore <pp. 61 and 89).10S All other
fantasias, toccatas, and canzonas are clearly attributed to
ot her composers. These include in Libro Secondo, two
Fantasie in modo di Canzon Francese by Francesco [Gioseffo]
Guami, a fantasia by Giovanni Gabrieli, a fantasia by Paulo
Justi [Tusti or GiustiJ, and another by Vicenzo Bell'haver
[Vincenzo BellavereJ.10s- In the Tavola of Libro Secondo
Terzi clearly distinguishes between fantasias in the style
of the canzona, and intabulations of vocal canzonas <Example
6.2), that is, between the instrumentally derived canzona
and the vocally derived chanson intabulation. In Libro Primo
however such a distinction is not made; the Tavola lists
chansons such as Lassus' Susanne ung jour wi th Maschera's
canzonas under the single heading "Canzoni Francese &
Italiane".

103. On attribution, refer also to pp. x-xiii, and pp. 4-5.

103a. See Appendix 3.
 iroi tazione 319

EXAMPLE 6.2
Extract from the Tavala, Libra Secanda

Ji'ant.t/ie & toccate' •

Rcl/ldiO dell'auttore, t
P
, Fantafia dell.'atlttore ,
Joanta{ia in modo di, Can '{on Francefe di Francefco Guami 10
~

Pn'altra ,antafia dt! ditto ' u

Fantajia[ec.ondadefauttore ,. 39
Fantafia in m(l~o di CalZ~Oll Francefe del'auttore 6
Fant"jiadi G;(}uann; Gabrieli ' .. '6~
Fantalia di P4 ol?rum' , ' ' '4
Fantafia re~o1idd.in modo di Can1..0nFrancejt dell.'auttorr: g9
Panttt/ia comtdi/ilpra di ncen'{~ aell.'hauer' 9I
Fantafia teJ''Za dell.'auttore !J J
Toccata dt lI.'auttQre 26
Tocc4tafeconda dtlt auttore 3g
Ctfn7,2n Franceft.
Canz.on FI'anure louiflms'~ioA1ria~o • ' 14
Car.~"n !rance!c oAJlr:rm'i/ilule, di oXdrzano, 'PerfOna:- adue
LluttI "
'Per il fecon~o L~utto
'.

Can'{on;aJ'Jlach,ara det Ma{(ara;

' : 9!la. " . 6

Cau'{'ln Pranccfe G(;fred de Incerto- 10Q

Can'"<.Pn a 8: ,),,,,i deU'auttorr, perjrJ1l4r a.+ Liu,ed '117

There is little doubt that Terzi (or his publishers

Amadino and Vincenti) placed more importance on giving full
attribution than did most Italian publishers or composers of
preceding decades of the century. Molinaro in his lute book,
also of the last decade of the sixteenth-century, was
equally careful to cite Battista dalla Gostina and Giulio
Severino as authors of half of his fantasias. 104 These
printed volumes of tne last decade of the century contrast
with the earlier lute books cited above, in which
attributions are inconsistent.

As far as I know, the fantasias Terzi claims as his own

are indeed his original compositions, Neither am I

104. Brown, 1599/7, ,nos. 35-63.

 imi t azi one 320

aware of any of the f ant asias parodying vocal or

instrumental works, nor that they contain casual references
to existing vocal or instrumental works. Such an
investigation is not within the scope of this dissertation,
and borrowings like this are more likely to come to light
accidentally, than to be revealed by systematic searching.

ATTRIBUTED FANTASIAS AND CANZONAS

The models of three of the five fantasias attributed to

four other composers in Terzi's Libro Secondo, are available
for direct comparison. The original fantasia of Paolo
Tusti 1 0 S is lost, if indeed it was ever published. 106

Similarly, nothing is known of Vincenzo Bellavere's

fantasia. 107 Bellavere was well known as a madrigalist and
organist, but unfortunately there is no record of his
canzonas. The Giovanni Gabrieli fantasia is pUblished in an
edition by Sandro dalla Libera, but this is merely a
transcription of Terzi's intabulation, not the Gabrieli
original. However, Gabrieli's canzona is available in a
manuscript in Verona. loa Both of the Giosefo Guami (cited
Francesco Guami by Terzi) fantasias however are available in
various original sources and in a modern edi t ion by Fuser
and Mischiati. The Guami fantasia on page ten of Terzi's
Libro Secondo is entitled La Diodatina in original sources,
but Terzi does not retain this title. The model is printed
in two sources, 1601 and 1612, although obviously there must

105. He is cited as Paolo Justi in the Tavola of Libro

Secondo, which could perhaps be an alternative spelling
for Giusti. If so, it does not seem to be the Conte
Agostino Giusti mentioned in dedications to three
printed volumes of sixteenth-century secular vocal
music, cited in NV 289, 1346 & 1484.
106. Terzi (1599), p.64. Mod. ed. in Volume 11, no. 33, 253.
107. Terzi (1599), p.91.
108. Verona, Biblioteca capitolare, Ms. 1128., no. 39. Terzi's
transcription is in Giovanni Gabrieli, Composizione per
organ 0, ed. Sandro dalla Libera, (Milan, 1957-1958),
vol. 3, no. 13, pp. 42-46.
 imitazione 321

have been an earlier source (possibly in a manuscript) for

Terzi to have used it in his 1599 publication. There are
earlier sources of these two pieces in Vincenti's Canzon dl
diversi per sonar ... Libro Primo (1588) but these versions
differ sufficiently from Terzi's to exclude the possibility
that they may have been the models. 109 Terzi's arrangements
of La Diodatina and the other Guami canzona (Libro Secondo
p.12) are both glosas. The intabulati.on of La Diodatina
opens with very little ornamentation, but from bar 10 it
becomes increasingly complex. Terzi's fantasia on an
instrumental canzona is essentially the same as his
treatment of an intabulation on a canzona such as Maschera's
La Martinenga. 110 That is to say, a fantasia on a canzona
preserves the structural fabric; Terzi reworks it through
ornamentation, rather than write a free variation on the
model.

TERZI'S FANTASIA STYLE

Luis Milan in El Maestro described the fantasia as a

work that "proceeds only from the fancy and industry of the
one who has created it", 111 and Thomas Morleyl12 in his oft-
quoted definition of fantasia describes the compositional
process as one of manipulation of a musical point in free
imitation. Rather than attempt to survey the historical
development of fantasia and ricercare (or the other
instrumental forms toccata and pre1udio) , Terzi's "absolute"
music is discussed here in relation to his style of

109. A transcription of the Terzi fantasia on La Diodatina

is given in Volume 11, no. 34, p.257. For full
bibliographical citations for the two Guami fantasias
see Appendi x 3.
110. Volume 11, no: 23, p.232.
111. Brown 1536/5, fol. B.
112. T. Morley, A Plain and easy Introduction to Practical
Musi c (1597), ed. R. A. Harman (London, 1952), p. 296.
 imi tazi one 322

intab ulati on. For this discu ssion ,

113
Ward yet again give s
us a well teste d desc ripti on:

The 16th -cent ury fanta sia, if it can be

char acter ized in any summ ary fashi on, was a
relat ively free, mono them atic or poly them atic,
more or less polyp honic , two or more voice d,
some times high ly ornam ented or tocc ata-l ike musi
of grea tly vary ing leng th occa siona lly based c
on
borro wed music but more often newly inven ted. 1
14

Terz i's piece s of "abs olute " music (fant asia,

prelu dio,
tocca ta, and fanta sia in modo di canzo na) are
all polyp honic
to vary ing degre es, and are witho ut exce ption for four
voice S. Ther e are some styl istic diffe renc es amon g
the
piece s beari ng these title s but one can only be
very gene ral
abou t gene ric diffe renc es since the samp le is
too smal l. The
tocc atas and prelu des are poly phon icall y freer
than the
fanta sias and begin wi th four -part harm ony
rathe r than a
poin t of imita tion. Tocc ata del'a uttor e l 1 5 for exam ple is
loos ely writt en aroun d a risin g figur e "min or
third , tone,
tone" and is rathe r shor ter than the fanta
sias. Tocc ata
Secon da on the othe r hand is as long as
most of the
fanta sias and is a freel y polyp honic , poly them
atic work. The
fanta sias in the style of canzo nas cont ain
the sort of
styl istic char acte risti cs we would expe ct
of canzo nas:
secti onal struc ture inclu ding secti ons in
tripl e time,
homo phoni c secti ons, repe titio n of open ing mate rial at the
end, and the char acte risti c J Jj open ing rhyth m.

113. Slim, Ward and Grif fiths amon g them have thoro
ughl y
surve yed the fanta sia and relat ed genr es both
in
histo rical devel opme nt and term inolo gy: H.C. Slim,their
Keyb oard Rice rcare and Fant asia in Italy c1500 The
-1550 ,
PhD. diss ., <Har vard, 1960 ); see part icula rly pp.
392-4 21
for a surve y of termi nolog Yi Ward, The Vihu ela
de mano
and its musi c (1536 -1576 ), PhD. diss ., <New York,
1953 ),
pp. 210-2 84i J ..A. Grif fiths , The Vihu ela Fant asia
- a
comp arati ve stud y of forms and style s, PhD. diss.
,
<Mel bourn e, 1983 ), passi m.
114. War d,op .cit., p.211 .
115. Volum e 11, no. 27, p.242 .
 imi t 8zi one 323

EXAMPLE 6.3
Toccata Seconda l 1 6

116. Volume 11, no. 28, p.243.

 iroi tazi one 324

1. Poly thematic works

The toccata-like nature of Toccata Seconda (Example

6.3) is part icularly evident in bars 16-28 and 38-44, where
free rhapsodic semiquaver passages prevail. In the first of
these sections Terzi introduces motivic imitation of the
type we have seen in his contrappunti elaborations (bb.20-
21). The rest of the Toccata is a free polyphonic working
out of di fferent themes which are all relat ed, if at times
loosely, to motivic elements of the opening theme (that is
to figures a, b, c, and d of Example 6.3). The work does not
open with a solo thematic statement as his fantasias do but
the opening theme is accompanied by three other voices,
producing together a D minor chord. The first statement in
the treble is echoed in bar 2 by a bass entry which, were it
not for the second and third notes, would be the same as the
first entry an octave and a fourth lower. The third entry in
the treble in bar 4 quotes the middle part of the initial
theme, a fourth higher. From then on, as Example 6. 3
illustrates, the various themes incorporate one or more
element from the opening theme. By the time the piece
reaches bar 29 the successive entries are essentially
figural variat ions on (b), and from bar 35 the focal point
is the interval of a fourth, the contour of figure (b).
Finally, the last thematic statement from bar 45 is an
inversion in the treble, of the ascending scale of figure
(c) against an angular bass line containing fourths. Toccata
Seconda is somewhat more varied harmonically than the
fantasias discussed below. It is in the Dorian mode and
cadences twice onto the fifth degree, A, as well as to C
and D.

Fantasia Sesta is polythemat ic, or more properly, bi-

thematic (Example 6.4). It is in the Lydian mode, with all
cadences on the first and fifth degrees of the mode, as are
all thematic entries. Like Fantasia del' Auttore discussed
below, the note values become progressively smaller so that
the fantasia is at its most active in the middle. In
 imi t 8zi one 325

EXAMPLE 6.4-
Fant asia Sest a l 1 7

Theme I
I b 2 . Theme II
b .1
I -\
I I ..gl. l-t.
*-:1
(;J
I b.8 I
.- -e- I I I
b.6
-/ , -j I
I
1 I I b.21 I I
b .19
I -, I I
r I I "
b.20
- +' .. ,,1 I b.27 I.,.. . I
I
I I
I I
\ I I b.3'S I I
b.21
I I I I I
I b.38 1
......,-,-, I iTiI .............
..
- ... -
~ I..,..
I
b.26
] t ...... I I I
I In I b.45
.
I I
b.31
(J
I
I I I I I
I
I I
I
b.37
I I
I I I
I
b.41
" I I

J
I I I ,
1
\ ~ 1 I
b.45
I -r

Fant asia Sesta the two them es are state d in dimi nutio n at
times from bar 19 onwa rds, and furth er quav er activ ity is
produ ced in coun terth emat ic mate rial from
to 31. bars 26
Terz i uses both them es,
the secon d of which is an inve rsion
of the first , from the outse t. Them e I
is first state d in
the trebl e, follo wed by theme 11 in the alto. At bar 6,
theme I appe ars in the teno r range , and at
the caden ce on F
at bar 8 theme 11 is state d in the bass. The
two them es then
conti nue to be state d in alter natio n with the vario us
rhyth mic muta tions illus trate d in Exam ple
6,4.
---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
---- ---- ---- ----
117. Volum e 11, no. 26, p.241 .
 imitazione 326

Fantasia in modo di Canzon Francese is a poly thematic

work in which the themes are not particularly related to
each other (Example 6.5). From the beginning, theme (a1)
enters once in each of the four voice registers, followed by
four statements of the theme with a truncated first note
(a2). From bar !20, themes (b) (c) and (d) are st at ed twice
each, followed by a new theme (e) set homophonically in a
triple time section. From bar 50 much is made of the theme
(f) in close imitation, after which the fantasia closes with
a polyphonic section employing material from the beginning
(a2), while counterthematic material provides quaver and
semiquaver passaggi. Fantasia in modo di Canzon Francese is
in the once-transposed Ionian mode, and all themat ic
entries, with one exception (bar 25) are on the first and
fifth degrees. It is a little more adventurous tonally than
the other fantasias though in that it modulates more often.

EXAMPLE 6.5
Fantasia in modo di Canzon Francese1 1 El

(a1)~~r~r~J~r§Er~·~;P1~;)~
~

(a2)~' j IJ J J ~§J~~m§~
b.10

. (b)1bV l~ J. J j
ib:22

(c)~& J j F4~J~Ja~±~~~
I b • 25 . ~ ~=J.-t= :a

(f) ~V t
b.51

118. Volume 11, no. 32, p.251.

 imitazione 327

2. Monothematic themes

Fantasia Prima (Example 6. 6) is similar to Toccata

Seconda in its free thematic development, but is essentially
monothematic. The theme mutates gradually, rhythmically and
motivically, providing thematic variety. Sometimes it is
clear that the variations result from contrapuntal
expediency. The opening theme is stated four times in the
first six bars, entering in the treble, alto, tenor and bass
registers on the pi tches g', d', g, D, that is on the first
and fifth degrees of the tWice-transposed Aeolian mode. The
theme is stated in augmentation in the alto simultaneously
with the third entry in the tenor at bar 4, but this is an
isolated case of augmentation. Two other statements of the
theme in bars 8 and 10 are followed by a phrygian cadence at
bar 11. Then a new theme appears in the treble which is a
modified inversion of the first five notes of the initial
theme. This mutation is also an isolated case. From here on
the theme enters on G or D in its various mutations. From
bar 27 the version with three crotchets at its head is
systematically presented five times in the various
registers, and then from bar 35 four entries wi th the first
note omitted are stated in quick succession in the four
registers from treble through to bass. Example 6.6
illustrates the way three motivic elements (a, b & c) of the
first theme are used throughout.
 imitazione 328

EXAMPLE 6.6
Fantasia prima l 1 9

q.. b

b.1 ,~~\1~t=fj~.
~~.\~i~ir~t; t ~
b.4 ~i~ ~ ~cQ~~

119. Volume 11, no. 24, p.237.

 imitazione 329

Fantasia del'Auttore <Example 6.7) is also

monothematic, but the theme mutates rhythmically in
successi ve ent ries in a far more advent urous way than the
previous fantasia. Typical of Terzi, the first four entries
of the theme <which is canzona-like in its j 1j opening
rhythm), are stated in the order treble, alto, tenor and
bass, on the pitches c" F' c' F. The four entries up to bar
15 are identical, and the next five entries from bars 22 to
43 which also enter on C and F pi tches, di ffer from the
opening theme only in that the initial note is omitted.
<There is an entry in two voices simultaneously at bar 30 on
e'). From bar 48, after a complete entry in the bass, the
theme is subjected to successive rhythmic mutations. At
first the rhythmic differences are slight and confined to
the head of the theme, but by bar 73 the original minims of
the theme's second and third bars have now become crotchets,
then from bar 95 the whole theme is. st at ed in diminut ion.
The fantasia is very conservative harmonically, in that
every thematic entry is on either C or F, that is, the first
and fifth degrees of the once-transposed Ionian mode, and
all important cadences are on the final F, or <once) on the
fifth degree, C. Interest is maintained in what would be an
otherwise harmonically and thematically monotonous piece, by
a sense of motion created by introducing progressively
smaller rhythmic values. The motion increases from minim and
crot chet values of t he opening, to quavers from bar 25, and
then to semiquavers in bars 45-54 and 78-104. The final
phrase of the fantasia begins in bar 104 with a full
statement in the alto of the theme in its original note
val ues. This is gi ven in count erpoint against the theme in
diminution in the treble. Then another three entries appear
in various not e val ues, but wi t h quavers at t he head. The
fantasia ends in the predominantly crotchet note values of
the opening.
 imitazione 330

EXAMPLE 6.7
Fantasia del'Auttore1 2 0
 imitazione 331

Terzi creates melodic interest in the monothematic

Fantasia Seconda from Libro Primo 121
by giving the theme in
diminution from one third of the way through the fantasia
<illustrated below). From bar 15 the theme first appears in
diminution. At first it is in counterpoint with the theme in
its original val ues, but from bar 23 t he not e values are
freely varied. From bar 26 halved note values remain the
norm, until two false entries in original note values in the
bass of the last 5 bars.

Note values in Fantasia seconda. Libra Prima

b. 1 0 J j j j J~jJ
b. 15 0\ j j J J J.
b. 23 0\ j J. j fffi
\ \ J. ~ J
b. 24 0 0
•
b. 25 j J 0\ J J
b. 26 j J J J 0
b. 28 l J J n
b. 37 J. J J J J
Diminution is used to greater effect in Fantasia
Secanda from Libro Secondo. 122 This is a monothematic piece
with the appearance of being poly thematic (Example 6.8).
Terzi presents the opening theme 17 times in counterpoint in
all registers up to bar 69. From there a new theme (bD,
which is really an inversion of theme (a), is polyphonically
stated in each of the four registers. Subsequently he
introduces both (a) and (b) themes in diminution. From bar
99 the rate of activity of the theme is increased even
further so that it becomes four times greater than at the
outset, that is, the minims of the opening are now quavers.
In the last 16 bars of the fantasia Terzi slows the pace by
reintroducing theme (a) in halved note values, followed by

121. See Volume 11, no. 25, p. 239.

122. Volume 11, no.31, p.249 ..
 imitazione 332

EXAMPLE 6.8
Fantasia secondB, Libro Secondo

(a4) * J.
1b.102
FF1:=t f' P j' ~~~~
(b2) 9' )& ~ d id~~j~\~J~~~
b.104

the inversion (b) in halved note values. Finally in bars 111

and 113 the theme reappears in its original note values.

Preludio del'Auttore 1 2 3 is a purely monothematic piece

in which the theme is worked without any systematic
variation, either rhythmic or melodic. The only thing that
distinguishes this prelude from the fantasias is that it
opens with a homophonic 9 bar introduction before the first
statement of the theme in the alto range. The theme is
subsequently treated polyphonically.

3. An ensemble canzona

In Libro Secondo Terzi includes the only known ensemble

canzona for four lutes. 124 He gives explicit instructions
regarding the tuning and the roles of each lute, defining
lutes I and 11 as the first choir (coro) and lutes III and
IV as the second choir. The two treble lutes (pitched to G)
lead each choir 12s
and the two tenor lutes are tuned a

123. See Volume 11, no. 29, p. 245.

124. Terzi (1599), p. 117i See Volume 11, no. 35, p.266.
125. Terzi (1599), Liuto Corista del Primo Coro, p. 117; and
Liuto Corista del Secondo Coro, p. 120.
 imitazione 333

fourth below the treble lutes. 126 The canzona opens with the
first choir playing a two-bar homophonic phrase, which is
repeated antiphonally, with a few added passaggi, by the
second choir, and then again by the first choir. A second
two-bar chordal phrase is similarly played antiphonally
three times. From bar 13 short themes are worked
polyphonically among the four instruments until bar 21 where
the whole ensemble plays repeated chords as a single choir.
From there until its close some 64 bars later the canzona
combines all previous elements: antiphonal homophonic
material, homophony in a single body of sound, and four-part
polyphony in a manner characteristic of late renaissance
ensemble canzonas.

CONCLUSION

Terzi's fantasias are so consistently four-part

polyphonic works that it would be possible to take anyone
of them and with very little adjustment write it in four
parts to be played on four instruments. Indeed, the addition
of a text would render the fantasias suitable for vocal
performance, except for a few places where the ornamentation
blurs the part writing. The construction of Terzi's melodies
is entirely consistent with vocal melodic style. Of all
Terzi's "absolute" pieces the only one where an instrumental
melodic style prevails is Toccata Sec on da. All other pieces
differ in no significant way from Terzi's intabulations of
motets and madrigals. As regards form, Terzi's style differs
little from motet style except that the fantasias, preludes
and toccatas are conceived on a smaller scale, keep more
conservatively to the first and fifth degrees of the mode,
and are often restricted to the working out of one theme.

126. Terzi (1599), p.119, Segue i1 Liutto Tenore del Primo

Coro cioe accordato una quarta piu basso del Corista.
 imitazione 334

Hallmarks of Terzi's fantasia style are his invariable

presentation of the first theme in the four voice-registers
followed by polyphonic working of that theme or new
material; conservative organisation of his material within
the mode; and an absence of homophony, except in canzonas.
Considering the stylistic similarities to many of the vocal
models he intabulated, it is not inconcei vable that Terzi
modelled his "absolute" music on his lightly ornamented

EXAMPLE 6.9
Dissonance

(a) (b) "

. .
- J[J tLLJ UtJt J
.
r
.... " ,..
-I
"Y I I ~
( c) (d)' t
..J I

" "
I I
- 1 I J I \ J J J ITIl J I I I
~
I I I I I I' I.....J-W r I
"() e "- ..t. (f ) •

.... .
.. :f....
"
!llll ,I 1
r f I r
I I
""
I
f I I r
(a) no.26~ b.29, (b) no.28, b.39, (c) no.24, b.23,
(d) no.24, b.24, (e) no.25, b.26, (f) no.31, b.73.

intabulations. If he did not do so consciously, certainly

the elements of style with which he was dealing most of the
time filtered through at an unconscious level. The only
indication in Terzi's fantasia, prelude, or toccata styles
to suggest that he conceived of original music for the lute
as distinct from vocally derived arrangements is his
 imi tazione 335

treatment of dissonance. Here we see isolated examples -

usually only one or two in each piece - of sounded discords
on a relatively strong beat. This would seem to point to the
beginnings of an instrumental style, since he does not allow
himsel f such freedom in his intabulat ions of vocal music.
However, the examples of dissonance are few (Example 6.9)
and all but one of the discords are produced by notes of
small rhythmic value. The only example of a sounded discord
in minim values is that of Example 6.9f, which is in any
case a prepared suspension, and it is the sort of sounded
discord Terzi creates most often in the intabulations. To
summarize, only in the passaggi does Terzi's music suggest a
difference in style which could be interpreted as
instrumental, and that is so slight that it does not detract
from the impression that essentially his intabulations and
fantasias are written in the same style.

Common to all the pieces mentioned above is an increase

in rhythmic activity towards the middle or end of the work,
followed by a return to original note values in the last few
bars. Thus Terzi's fantasias conform to Zarlino's suggestion
that music should imitate nature by being slower at its
outset and increasing the rate of activity toward the
middle. 127 Today this manner of organising the rhythmic
activity of a fantasia seems only natural, which of course
it is in the sense that it imitates a law of nature.

-------------------~----------------------------------
------

127. Refer to p. 300.

 Epi 1 ogue 336

EPILOGUE

If, like Ga1i1ei, Terzi had written about the art of

intabulation and his attitude toward his work, he might have
written something similar to the following extract from
Galilei's Il Fronimo:

Each time that you observe what I have done, not

only in these but in any of the cantilena I may
have intabu1ated, you will find it to be correct;
that is, that the addition of passages and
diminutions or other things have been accommodated
wi th such art that they have never prevented all
the not es of any part what ever from being heard,
even the smallest values. And where this has been
impossible because of the great number of them, I
have tried with great diligence to make the most
necessary ones heard. Further, I have never <i f I
remember correctly> committed any of the
abovementioned errors 1 or other kinds of errors in
any of the parts; nor have I spoiled or impeded
the order of fugues [voices] so that they could
not be heard entirely. Rather have I proceeded to
help them <if I can use that word in such a
connotat ion> by making the voices clear and by
augmenting the parts and the whole with sonority,
beauty and grace in the best possible way that I
knew how and was able to do, in order to
completely delight the sense of hearing - which is
indeed the proper aim of Musi c in our times
without any regard to inducing in the souls of the
hearers one virtuous habit rather than another, as
formerly the ancient Greek writers had it, and
which they wished to be their duty in order that
those things which had been given to reasonable
men should be used for the purposes for which they
had been introduced. 2

1. Galilei is referring to those errors which violate

rules of musica ficta and counterpoint as discussed in
Chapter 3, pp. 111-128.
2. Translation from C. MacClintock, Vincenzo Galilei,
Fronimo 1584, AIM <stuttgart, 1985>, p.61. The original
passage is in Galilei <1584>, pp. 29-30.
 Epilogue 337

The analyses of this dissertation reveal that like

Galilei, Terzi respected the polyphony of the model, never
allowing the ornamentation to "spoil or impede the order of
the fugues". Similarly, he preserved the original harmony
and applied musica ficta that was consistent with
contemporary vocal practice. Terzi applied more extensive
ornamentation than did Ga1i1ei but never in a manner which
destroyed the original structure. In fact, he "augmented the
parts and the whole with sonority, beauty, and grace",
highlighting the polyphonic entries with imitative
ornament at ion.

From the beginning of the practice of intabulation as

we know it from extant manuscripts and prints, it is clear
that modifications have been necessary in the adaptation of
the music to the new medium of the lute. Springing from such
necessity, but also becoming an end in itself, Terzi often
took considerable liberties in the degree to which he
ornamented. At times he produced music which transformed the
model, part icularly in the in concerto intabulat ions, but
never to the point where the original work was
unrecognizable. Despite modifications to the music of the
models, it is remarkable that late sixteenth-century lute
intabulations nonetheless strictly retained the form of the
model, paraphrases being more rare than int abulat ions which
preserve the bar-by-bar form of the originar. Clearly,
1utenists played intabulations to enjoy the music as nearly
as possible as it was originally conceived.

Terzi encapsulates two principles in his intabulations:

he adheres strictly to original polyphonic structures while
at the same time imbuing the works with lively filigree
inspired by the technical peculiarities of the lute.
 Appendi ces 338

APPENDIX 1. 1
THE GENRES WITHIN TERZI'S TWO BOOKS

S INGLE DANCES LIBRO LIBRO TOTAL

PRIMO SECONDO

Gagliarda 10 12 22
C ourante/Courante Francese 2 4 6
Balletto Francese 0 1 1
Balletto/Ballo Alemano 0 10 10
Padouana/Padoana 0 3 3
Bariera Balletto 0 1 1
Branle/Branle Francese 0 4 4
Balia Polaco 0 1 1
Balletto Italiano 0 1 1
Vol t a Francese 0 4 4
Preambulo 0 1 1

TOTAL 12 42 54

P AIRED DANCES

Pass'e mezzo & Gagliarda 5 3 8

Pass'e mezzo & Saltarello 2 0 2
Ballo Tedesco & Saltarello 1 0 1
Ballo Tedesco & Gagliarda 1 0 1

TOTAL 9 3 12

I NTABULATI ONS

Madrigali 10 12 22
Canzoni Francese, & Italiane 3 15 5 20
Mottetti 9 6 15
Canzonette (con parole) 0 12 12

TOTAL 34 35 69

ABSTRACT MUSIC

Fantasie 6 61 12
Toccate o 2 2
Preludio o 1 1
Fantasie/canzone 2 o 4 4

TOTAL 6 13 19

-----
-----------------------~---------------~--------

1. Not all original Terzi fantasias.

2. Fantasie in modo di Canzon Francese de ...
3. Includes an or'iginal Canzona a 8 for four lutes.
 Appendi ces 339

APPENDIX 1. 2

PERFORMANCE MEDIA WITHIN TERZI'S TWO BOOKS

LIBRO' total LIBRO total TOTALS

PRIMO nos. SECONDO nos. COMBINED

S ingle tablatures 1-9, 43 1-6 75 118

28-61 11-29
31-37
43-54
57
60-86
88
91-92

Texted intabulations· - 0 7-10 13 13

39-42
56
58-59
89
90

Tablatures with one 10-14 5 - 0 5

or two con t rappun t i
marked "in concerto"

Lute duets 15-16 2 30 3 5

38
87

Single tablatures 17-27 11 55 1 12 ,

marked "in concerto"

Four Lutes - 0 93 1 1

--------------------------------'-"'--------- ---------
1- _ _ _ _ _ _
.... -------
1. The numbers of columns 1 and 3 refer to pieces in Terzi's
lute books as they are numbered in H.M. Brown, Instrumental Music
Printed Before 1600, (Cambridge, Massachusetts 1965/R1979),
1593/7 and 1599/11.
 Appendl ees 340

APPENDIX 1. 3

FOUR GENRES IN PRINTED LUTE BOOKS IN ITALIAN TABLATURE

( ) indicates name of publisher rather than author. Reprints of

whole books are not included. The contents of sources are
classified according to Brown, op. elt. Those items marked t
indicate suites of dances.

ABSTRACT DANCES INTABS LUTE

MUSIC SONG
1507/1 SPINACINO 15 2 21 -
1507/2 SPINACINO 10 1 32 -
1508/2 DALZA - 38 4 -
1509/1 BOSSINENSIS 26 - - 70
1511/1 BOSSINENSIS 20 - - 56
1527/1 TROMBONCINO/CARA - - - 37
1536 1 FRANCESCO da M. 40 - 15 -
1536/3 FRANCESCO da M. 19 - 16 -
1536/8 (VERDELOT) - - - 22
1536/9 (CASTELIONO) 13 6t - -
1546/1 ABONDANTE - 32 - -
1546/2 BARBERIIS 4 - 62 -
1546/3 BARBERIIS 4 - 22 -
1546/4 BARBERIIS - - 11 -
1546/5 BIANCHINI 6 8 11 -
1546/6 FRANCESCO da M. 4 - 9 -
1546/7 FRANCESCO da M. 7 - 6 -
1546/8 FRANCESCO da M. 8 8t 10 -
1546/10 G. M.DA CREMA 15 7 25 -
1546/13 PIFARO - 27 - -
1546/15 ROTTA 6 13 14 -
1546/17 (VINDELLA) - - 17 -
1547/2 FRANCESCO da M. 16 - 8 -
1547/3 GINTZLER 5 - 31 -
1548/1 ABONDANTE 5 - 21 -
1548/2 BORONO 4 13 7 -
1548/4 FRANCESCO da M. 25 - - -
1549/1 BARBERIIS 4 25 3 -
1549/2 BARBERIIS 19 - 9 -
1547/1 BIANCHINI 1 6 9 -
1547/5 PALADIN 2 5 5 -
1553/1 BAKFARK 4 - 16 -
1554/1 BALLETTI - 11 - -
1559/7 MATELART 22 - 1 -
1560/3 PALADIN 10 4 14 -
1561/2 GORZANIS 4 15 - -
1563/4 FRANCESCO da M.SI 4 - - -
1563/7
1563/8
GALILEI 6 - 24 -
GORZANIS 4 16 1 -
1563/11 (SCOTTO) 11 3 - -
1564/4 GORZANIS 2 24 - -
1565/1 BAKFARK 3 - 9 -
1566/1 FRANCESCO 5 - 6 -
1566/2 NEWSIDLER 4 - 18 -
1566/3 NEWSIDLER 4 2 12 -
 Appendices 341

Appendix 1.3 cont.

ABSTRACT DANCES INTABS LUTE

MUSIC SONG
1568/1 BECCHI 9 19 17
1568/2 GALILEI 17 79
1569/2 BARBETTA 6 22
1567/3 GORZANIS 6 19
1570/1 GORZANIS 25
1570/5 ANTONELLI 33
1571/4 FIORINO 32
1574/1 KARGEL 4 3 22
1581/1 CAROSO 83
1582/1 BARBETTA 14 14 21
1584/3 FALLAMERO 2 22 20
1584/5 GALILEI 31 75
1585/1 BARBETTA 41
1586/8 (VEROVIO) 20
1587/1 ABONDANTE 13 16
1589/8 (VEROVIO) 25
1591/14 (VINCENTI) 10
1591/15 (VINCENTI) 10
1591/16 (VINCENTI) 10
1592/1 BELLASIO 16
1592/9 RADINO 7
1593/7 TERZI 6 21 34
1594/7 GASTOLDI 16
1595/10 (VEROVIO) 18
1596 4 OROLOGIO 14
1597/14 VECCHI 34
1599/7 MOLINARO 41 19 8
1599/11 TERZI 13 45 23 12
-----------------------------~---------
---------~.-------- ------
1. Intavolatura de viola 0 vero lauto ... Libro Primo/Libro
Secondo (Naples, 1536).
2. Includes a whole Fevin mass
3. Reprint of Brown 1546/6 with 4 additional ricercari
4. Canzonette a tre voci di Alessandro Orologio intavolate per
sonar di liuto &- novamente stampate, (Venice: Vicenti, 1596)
 Appendi ces 342

Appendix 1.3 cont.

SUMMARY

ABSTRACT DANCES INTABS LUTE

MUSIC SONG
25 YEAR PERIODS

1500-1524 71 41 57 163
% OF TOTAL 21 12 17 49

1525-1549 207 150 255 22

% OF TOTAL 33 24 40 3

1550-1574 125 138 219 90

% OF TOTAL 22 24 38 16

1575-1599 120 246 183 205

% OF TOTAL 16 33 24 27

50 YEAR PERIODS

1500-1549 278 191 312 185

% OF TOTAL 29 20 32 19

1550-1599 245 384 402 295

% OF TOTAL 18 29 30 22

100 YEAR PERIOD

1500-1599 523 575 714 480
% OF TOTAL 23 25 31 21
 Appendi ces 343

APPENDIX 1.4-
TRANSPOSITION LEVELS IN TERZI'S INTABULATIONS

T UNINGS PIECESl COURSES2 TOTALS

6 7a 7b
untransposed G 1593: 6 :x:
1593: 12 :x:
1593: 22 :x:
1593: 29 x
1593: 33 x
1599: 13 x
1599: 16 x
1599: 41 :x:
. 1599: 42 :x:
1599: 43 :x: 10

untransposed D 1593: 4 :x:

1593: 10 :x:
1593: 20 :x:
1593: 23 x
1593: 24 :x:
1593: 25 x
1593: 28 x
1593: 30 :x:
1593: 31 :x:
1593: 32 :x:
1599: 7 :x:
1599: 30 :x:
1599: 40 :x:
1599: 60 x
1599: 62 x
1599: 67 :x:
1599: 68 :x: 17
untransposed A 1599: 8 x
1599: 10 :x:
1599: 55 x 3
 Appendices 34-4

Appendix 1.4 cont.

TUNINGS PIECES COURSES TOTALS

6 7a 7b
transposed C 1593: 7 x
1593: 13 x
1593: 17 x
1593: 18 x
1593: 26 x
1593: 27 x
1599: 12 x
1599: 66 x
1599: 83 x
1599: 87 9

transposed G 1593: 8 x
1593: 11 x
1593: 19 x
1593: 21 x
1593: 34- x
1599: 5 x
1599: 6 x
1599: 11 x
1599: 28 x
1599: 38 x
1599: 80 x
1599: 90 x 12

transposed D 1599: 9 x 1

-------------------~---------~--- ---- -----~-------------

1. The numbering is as in Brown 1593/7 & 1599/11

2. 6 = up to six courseSj 7a = up to seven courses, with
seventh
tuned a tone below the sixthj 7b = up to seven courses
with the
seventh tuned a fourth below the sixth course.
 Appe ndi ces 345

APPENDIX 1.5
TERZ I'S SING LE ORNAMENTAL UNITS
OCCURRING MORE THAN ONCE

Bos: 16 17 34 13 12 11 8 2 9 1 23 total s
unit
Cl 62 :51 5 6 6 15 9 12 7 7 12 172.
C2 36 20 15 7 9 14
C3 15 4 10 14 144.
33 13 19 8 1 7 6
C4 5 10 6 108
21 5 11 14 7 4 6
Al 9 3 15 95.
17 9 8 2 2 6 10 10
C5 4 10 5 83.
16 4 6 5 7 11 3 5
B1 2 7 13 79.
17 4 5 1 7 5 10 4 3
B2 17 5 78.
10 5 3 5 3 1 2
A2 1 21 7 58.
13 3 7 2 5 7 6 4
C6 2 4 1 54.
5 3 3 1 2 5 4
B3 3 2 2 30.
15 3 1 1 1 1
C7 2 3 27.
6 1 12 1 1
B4 5 2 23
1 7 5 1 1 1 1
C8 4 3 22
3 1 1 4 3 1 20.
C9 5 6 3
B5 1 1 3 19
3 3 3 2
C10 1 3 15.
4 7 1 1
Cll 3 1 14
3 4
C12 1 4 14
4 1 2 2 1
C13 6 2 11
2
C14 2 5 10
1 1 1
C15 2 10
1 2 1 1 1
A3 8
5 2 7
C16 1 5 1
C17 2 2 7
1 1 6
C18 3 2 1
C19 1 6
1 1 2 5
C20 2 2
A4 1 1 5.
2 1 1 5
C21 3 1 1
C22 5
1 1 1 1 1 5.
A5 2 1 2
B6 3 5
1 1 5
C23 1 1 2
C24 4
1 2
C25 1 4
4
C26 3 4
1 4
B7 2 1
B8 3 3
C27 3
1
C28 2 3.
3
C29 3
2 1
C30 3
3
C3I 3
3 3
C32 1 1 1
B9 3
1 1 1
A6 3
1 1
BI0 2
2
BI1 2
2
B12 2
1 1
B13 2
2
C33 2
2
C34 2
2
C35 2 2
C36 2
2
C37 2
1 1
C38 2
2
2
TOTAL 1230
• Stepwi se orname ntal units 70% of total occurr ences
 Appe ndi ces 346

APPENDIX 1.6
TERZ I'S PAIR S OF ORNAMENTAL UNIT S
OCCURRING MORE THAN ONCE

nos; 16 17 34 13 12 11 8 2 9 1 23 total s
units
Cl/Cl 12 5 1
B1/C1 1 19
5 2 1 1 4 1
C2/C2 1 15
4 3 2 2
B2/A1 2 13
1 2 1 1 4
C4/C1 4 1 10
1 1 1 1 1 1
C1/C2 1 2 10
2 3 8
B3/C2 4 1 1
A1/C1 1 1 8
1 3 1 1 1
B4/C2 1 7
4 1 6
C6/C1 1 1 1 2
C4/C6 1 6
4 1 5
C7/C1 4 1
C5/C2 1 5
1 1 1 1 5
A1/C2 1 1 1
B2/C3 1 4
3 1
C3/C3 4
1 2 1
C3/C1 0 4
2 2 4
C3/C2 3 1
C4/C2 4
2 1 1 4
C7/C3 4
C5/C3 1 4
1 2
A2/C2 1 4
1 1
B3/C2 2 3
1 3
B6/C2 1 1
B4/C2 1 3
1 2
C6/C8 3
3 3
C4/C8 3
C1/C3 2 3
1
C31/C 11 3
3 3
A2/C1 1
C4/C3 2 3
A1/C11 3 3
A2/C3 3 3
1 1 2
Al/C5 2
B5/C1 2
1 1
Bl/C4 2
1 1 2
B2/C4 2
B4/C13 2
1 1
C2/C2 l 2
1 1
C3/C4 2
2
C4/Al 2
1 1
ClO/C 10 2
2 2
Cl3/C1 3 1 1
C37/C 10 2
1 1
C1/A2 2
1 1 2
C38/C1 2
Ci8/C5 2
2 2
C30/C 2 2 2
C9/C1 0 2 2
C15/C 16 2
CB/C2
2
2 2
 Appendi ces 347

APPENDIX 1. 7
RHYTHMIC GROUPS_
nos. 16 17 34- 13 12 11 8 2 9 1 23 total
~ of
~roup
group A
a 68 53 59 68 86 23 58 - 50 33 93 4-2.6
b 3 - - 16 - 65 - 72 13 4-0 7 32.6
c 11 6 23 - 14- - 7 7 25 - - 7.8
- - - _.-
d 8 18 6 6 21 20 - 6. 7
e 6 23 12 - - 6 7 - - - 4-.6
f - - - 16 - - - 7 - - - 2
g 4- - - - - - 7 - - - - 0.9
h - - - - - - - 14- - 7 - 1.7
i - - - - - - - - 12 - - 1
group B
a 29 54- 45 90 32 36 42 70 14- 15 14- 4-0
b 3 - - - - 22 8 10 30 56 14- 13
c 32 8 35 - 40 7 14- - - - - 12
d 7 - 5 - 7 14- 14- 10 14- 9 30 10
e 9 - - - 7 7 8 - 14- 11 21 7
f 1 38 - - 7 - - - - - 21 6
g 16 - 5 - 7 - 14- - - - - 3.8
h 3 - - 10 - 14- - - - 9 - 3
i - - 10 - - - - - 14- - - 2.2
j - - - - - - - - 14- - - 1.3
k - - - - - - - 10 - - - 0.9
group C
a 69 76 81 69 48 50 49 4-6 26 48 30 55. 7
b 22 10 19 26 50 4-1 26 50 68 52 66 37.5
c 7 13 - - - 7 23 - 3 - - 4-.6
d - - - 5 - 1 - 2 - - - O. 7
e - - - - 2 - - 2 3 - - 0.6
f - - - - - - - - - - 3 0.3
g 1 - - - - 1 - - - - - 0.2
h ~ - - - - - 2 - - - - 0.2
i - 1 - - - - - - - - - O. 1
j - - - - - - - - - - 1 O. 1

- all numbers represent the percentage distribution of a rhythmic unit

within a group.

group A
a
n / n / J t j. ~ / 7 ft
.\1/ J JI
bed
.\. t
e f g h

group B nt ~ fl;t ffl;1 ffi; n); r) t ffl; J. n; .\. rL

a bed e f g h i

rlt J ~1
j k
group C Iffl/
a
ITn/ Jm/ JHt ~. t1t f1jJ/
bed e f

rm/ fffl/
g h
f.lf]/ 1. DJ
i j
 Appendi ces 348

APPENDIX 1. Ba
ORNAMENTED INTERVALS.

treble inner bass total cross TOTAL

unison 19 44 11 74 11 85
ascending 2nd 55 58 21 134 18 152
descending 2nd 71 51 19 141 6 147
ascending 3rd 28 32 17 77 36 113
descending 3rd 30 26 34 90 48 138
ascending 4th 2 3 3 8 19 27
descending 4th - 3 15 18 11 29
ascending 5th 7 5 22 34 51 85
descending 5th 1 3 16 20 29 49
ascending 6th - - - - 10 10
descending 6th - - 1 1 10 11
ascending 7th - - - - 9 9
descending 7th - - - - 14 14
ascending 8th - - - - 10 10
descending 8th - - - - 14 14
ascending 9th - - - - 2 2
descending 9th - - - 5- 5
descending 10th -
-
- -
-
3- 3
ascending 13th - 2- 2
descending 20th - - - 1- 1
- - - r------ 1------- --- ------ 1 - - - -
TOTALS 213 225 159 597 309 906

--- _. -f-----
e - -_ _

% of total 23 25 18 66 34
'-----~._-

APPENDIX Bb

treble inner bass total cross TOTAL

ascending
intervals 43% 44% 40% 42% 50% 45%

descending
intervals 57% 56% 60% 58% 50% 55%
-----'--- '-------'--._-

.data are from Volume Il, numbers 1, 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 23,
and 34
 Appendi ces 349

APPENDIX 1.9a
DISTRIBUTION OF PASSAGGI
No.8 t Caro Dolce

5 10 15
I I I I
· I I to I r= . I . I I I .t 1: If I .

20 25 30
I~ . .r I~. I~ . I . IF .F IF . I It . I I I~ . ,I t.
35 40 45
L.... I I I L Lt. I . I I . I . I I .tJ I I . I

50 55 60
I U . I I
· I l~ . I • ~I I F ,Ft'" I I I I I

65 70 75
. . . ,i ~,I t P J~ ~ I
I I I I
· I I I I I I I

85
• r_-I--_-l----l, .
~I I . I I
 Appendi ces 350

APPENDIX 1.9b
DISTRIBUTION OF PASSAGGI
No. 19, Erano i cape!

5 10 15
I
· I LL I . I
· I
· I I I I . I I , I ,
20 25 30
I Lt.. I . I . I I
· I I I I I r I Lt I I

35 40 45
I
· I I I I I .. I ~ I I . Lt.. I t. I I I

50 55 60
. 1', IF' 1"', Li.-J .t..L- , ,
I
· I I I I
· I I

65 70 75
It, I I I I
· I I . I I I . I r- I I LU
80 85 90
L... I I I I I I
· I I L I t. L tt. I

95 100 105
I
· ,~ .r',~ 11 l~ • I~ , t- 1 I~.r, I I I . I I I

110 115 120

I
· I I . L I I ,I' I . I t..J L.J. . I I 11
 Appendices 351

APPENDIX 1.9c
DISTRIBUTION OF PASSAGGI
No. 16, Nasce la pena mia

I . I ~. . , ,.J j::, fp r--,f=i r: ,r pr F

l

10 15
IP " ,/,F,r,lt,r IF, !Ir. , I· . ,~,i, ,F. , , ,J! , ,r
20
L.. ,i,r,r.F,r.,r, . J. . ,P,t, ,r,r::, ,i r I,F,r,F I

25 30
le. , ~, i
, , ,
• 1 . .~ , i It t" I , , , I

35 40
L... t. ~ r- L .L- i'l P ~I
45
I.~.~J, , • .F . ,E. , . J, ,f, ~,f

50 55
Lt r ,t" l' r li P if, i lE i, r
60
~ I , I' ~, . I ,
I
 Appendi ces 352

APPENDIX 1. 9d
DISTRIBUTION OF PASSAGGI
No. 3, In Te Domine Speravi

5
I • I . I . . . I . .L, ... L L , . L
10 15
~ _L-..--_ L.
I . . . I . \ I, I . _. • • I •
-l'"'
20
IL. t I . • . li \ ,r--,II .. I . . . I . . . t.l. L . ...:..-i---l
25 30
I . ,I . I ~, I ,
to I . I

35 40
I . . I . . . I . . I 1 r \ r- I I I . I I

45
I ~ I . . . I . t", 1,
-I I ~ I 1 \ , ~

50
I I i', fl: Ii. ,I ,i , i
55
I ~ IF r
60
I\.~, .i l r ,t,i,i, ,F.i I I I
 Appendi ces 353

APPENDIX 1. ge
DISTRIBUTION OF PASSAGGI
No. 23, La Martinenga

[A] 5
I . I • • . I . . . I • . . I . . . I • . . I . . . I . . • I

10 15
I . . I . . . I . . . .r ~ I . I~ i
20
[13]
.l I . . • ,.~i,"",,-,_--L.--""'--'~--l
I . ~ I I I

25 30
I • ....i"""'--............_---', . L I . . . ~ . . I . . . I . . . I . • • I

35 CC] 40
I\
~

I . • • I . . • . I . . • I . . .L. L
45 [CzJ
I • • . I . . • I . . . I . . . I . . . I . . I i I

50 55
L... . L i ..........J-....:..~.......;I---.J,_..:....~
----.1-_--.1 .t

I ,r.t. IrJ .. .I ... I . U

65
I • • • 11
 Appendi ces 354

APPENDIX 1. 10
PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF ORNAMENTED MINIMS

Volume 11 % of minims ornamented

number 2/2 time 4/2 time

1 30
2 33
3 41
4 49
5 43
7 30
8 40
9 26
10 5
11 34
12 33
13 22
14 4
15 0
19 22
20 30
22 0
23 27
34 48
----------- ------------ -----------

Total as % 19 38

(Numbers 6, 16, 17, 18 and 21 are unusual in that they

are for more than one lute, or marked "con passaggi" or
"A modo di viola bastarda" and are therefore not
included. )
 APPENDIX 1.11 Appendices 355
BOLLETTINI IN TERZI'S LIBRO PRIMO
1\ Bollettini in the Florence editipn

l l!I] !~ ~"r'], r··..·\.

:, 1
! • .~h
r~--~
~ ~ ~~ -r'f--
- - 9 - - - -..
. 4r--&-:r-4--r ' -i'"'r---
-%--
f ) - - - ' - - _ ..
-.:t--~-';-=t ,-~ --e--r-4--W .
' 0-r&-i--3-+- . ""--e--i-+- , -+-- f~ t~:o-
2 ;0

p.4, 1,2, b.5 p.5, 1.4, b.3

J-
• ';CL....:..
::::.:.._-- .
•
.
'3
- 3

p.7, 1,7, b.3 p.13, 1,7, b.3 p.64, 1,7, b.5

B Bollettini in the Bologna edition

-----'---
0-

i 3~:ih 0-2-3
p.39, 1,5, b.2 p.47, 1,4, b.1 p.115, 1,7, b.1 p.117, 1,4, b.12

l !
'.~
-2 - .
---_.
0·--2--' .j:4:-:.2~~
;t:=.r -0- "

~. --:-B~'t
+-')-+B---'
. -3-
. j;---e~-7""'r
'-')---
,
.--"
- .

p.117, 1,8, b.4 p.128, 1,5, b.4 p.88, 1.2, b.2 p. 82, 1. 3, b.3

C Bollettini common to both editions

.'r'
I:.' ,I t I
I I
t~}til~
.~-------­
+4----=------4-~--,.­ '

-- ~
,"-0 . ---.-
----%-----x.--x--
of 3 I 0 9+30 'Ill' o--o+-- -~-2-3 -5'--3-2
.:;---%--,..:...;2...:.....,
--- . '

't'
o
p.4, 1,7, b.5 p.11, 1,6, b1

'3-3-_~
(hand cor.) I! (.) p.22, 1.5, b.1
(hand cor.) !. p.24, 1.6, b.6

---
--
--- ,-~
- 1~~~_:H::;tt
-4-~HT+ 1~.in.
4--G6+-.
-*-9-
p • 30, 1. 2, b. 1
ea).:r ,,'
p.32, 1.2, b.1
~~~:;jj:tt
5' 04 5'
p.34, 1.8, b.5
4~t+ t~~t
p.44, 1,3, b.4

l!
'~-
-----
. -4-+
-'-'-2-e--o

p.50, 1,7, b.2 p.53, 1,5, b.2 p.54, 1,7, b.1

 Appendi ces 356

Appendix 1.11 cont.

l -----.-
=-r~'
._----4---r-4-
-4' ~e-e-­

~-rr~ ~
"'·EH3 -:'-1
7"-- -&
";;'
1>.59,1.7, b.1 1'.57, 1.7, b.2 p.63, 1.7, b.3 p.63, 1.7, b.4 p.64, 1.7, b.4
(hand cor. F1. ad.) (hand cor.)

• l •
----.-~
: t+---

j*l&:
-e "2-
p.70, 1.1, b.3/4
--~0+l!h
-3-
-re-,=; s:-~
p.75, 1.2, b.1
T.--e---2
+--++o-
l~-=-
e-
p.76, 1.2,

4 .
-+--ID-=t
*---~-l
-EH4-5"-----ff
---4-+4-
Q .
p.81, 1.5, b.3 p.87, 1.2, b.3 p.87, 1.6, b.1 p.88, 1.4, b.3

!t .
.-~~~
•
1~ ---4=
'-r--3--e--
~----@9--'
--4----'"5
0.---7----9---
00-9--8·7'-5"---
- -- ..:;--- -5-- - - -
7--;:-90----
p.97, 1.4, b.4 p.98, 1.1, b.1 p.101, 1.6, b.3 p.119, 1.4, b.4 1'.121, 1.3( b.10
(hand cor. J

tt1 ~l !
'1!E:-~-t
-7-~~
1E-+-9-'.
;
+---tr-r t
3
~t.
-9+-+--3- ~.

p.122, 1.7, b.4

(hand cor.)
l--l
'-9--'
-r---"

p.124, 1.7, b.7

mfIDl---
Q--

p.131, 1.5, b.3

:--EB-~==t
23 ~-l.
-e--9-r.--9--e
p.132, 1.2, b.2
.
fiB
-9-=1
---
p.132, 1.7, b.B

p.106, 1.4, b.3

 Appendi ces 357

APPENDIX 1. 12
MUSICA FICTA IN EIGHT TERZI INTABULATIONS

SAMPLE: Volume 11, nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, 18, 19.

<numbered according to Volume 11)

A. CAUSA PULClIRITUDINIS

Subsemitonium modi
no. 2, b.11 no. 2, b. 25 no. 6, b. 7 no. 6, b. 7
no. 6, b. 12 no. 6, b.22 no. 6, b. 28 no. 6, b. 31
no. 7, b.18 no. 7, b. 22 no. 7, b. 27 no. 7, b. 42
no. 7, b. 86 no. 7, b. 95 no. 7, b.l02 no. 7, b.127
no. 7, b.164 no.7, b.172 no. 8, b.81 no. 8, b. 86
no. 13, b. 20 no. 16, b. 5 no. 16, b.8 no. 16, b. 9
no. 16, b.l0 no. 16, b.13 no. 16, b. 15 no. 16, b. 17
no. 16, b. 20 no. 16, b. 22 no. 16, b.28 no. 16, b. 36
no. 16, b. 46 no. 16, b.53 no. 16, b. 60 no. 18, b. 3
no. 18, b. 6 no. 18, b. 17 no. 18, b. 19 no. 18, b. 23
no. 18, b. 24 no. 18, b.32 no. 18, b. 37 no. 19, b.18

Tierce di picardie
no. 19, b. 116 no. 18, b. 33

Propinquity
no. 19, b. 116 <phrygian cadence)

B. CAUSA NECESSITATIS

mi contra fa
no. 2, b.40 no. 2, b.40 no.2, b.16

fa super la
no. 19, b.95
 Appendi ces 358

APPENDIX 1. 13
PASSAGGI FICTA IN EIGHT TERZI INTABULATIONS

SAMPLE: Volume 11, nos. 2, 6, 7, 8, 13, 16, 18, 19

Upper auxilary note flattened

no. 2, b.11 no. 2, b. 12 no. 2, b. 14 no. 6, b. 6
no. 6, b. 24 no. 8, b.16 no. 8, b.20 no. 13, b. 18
no. 16, b. 55 no. 18, b.23 no. 19, b.54 no. 19, b.85
no. 19, b. 114

Lower auxilary note sharpened

no. 6, b. 1 no. 18, b.22 no. 18, b.23 no. 18, b. 24
no. 18, b. 27 no. 18, b. 56

Countered accidental·
no. 18, b. 13

Contradictory ficta
no. 18, b. 32

Sharp in ascending scale

no. 2, b.24 no. 6, b. 6 no. 6, b. 14 no. 6, b.21
no. 6, b. 22 no. 6, b. 23 no. 6, b. 28 no. 6, b.31
no. 13, b. 36 no. 16, b. 15 no. 16, b. 17 no. 16, b. 30
no. 16, b.32 no. 16, b. 42 no. 16, b. 47 no. 16, b. 55
no. 18, b. 3 no. 18, b. 4 no. 18, b. 9 no. 18, b. 27
no. 18, b.29 no. 18, b. 36 no. 18, b. 40 no. 18, b.43
no. 18, b. 49 no. 18, b. 56

Flat in descending scale

no. 2, b. 12 no. 6, b. 1 no. 6, b. 2 no. 6, b. 6
no. 6, b.l1 no. 6, b.29 no.8, b.7 no. 13, b. 47
no. 16, b.28 no. 18, b.27

Anticipatory ornament before subsemitonium

no. 8, b.21 no. 8, b.81 no. 13, b.34 no. 16, b. 15
no. 16, b.36 no. 18, b.40 no. 19, b.59

Raised sixth before subsemitonium

no. 19, b.92 no. 19, b. 116

Ni contra fa
no. 18, b.17 no. 19, b. 17 no. 19, b. 116
 Appe ndi ces 359

APPENDIX 2. 1
INCIP ITS: TERZ I DANCES FROM OTHER SOURCES

Exam ples a. b. c and d, are from Londo n. Brit ish Lirar y. MS

Addi tiona l 31389 . Exam ple e is from G. L. Fuhrm ann, Testu do
gallo -germ anica (Nure mber g. 1615 ),

<a) Pavana 'ala Ferare sa' di Jo. Ant O da Bergamo

..... , , ..... \ ..... I I

f .19 )

. f, ~ ~ ,) r r t ~ G~ fnTl iY '
.
r f \ { \ . I \

j .
I

I f r I I
; i; ;1;:13 6
J

(b) El Saltar ello di la stessa Padoan o

... I I I I , ~ l- t •

. I ./ v ~I.
J
f.19v
J
r~ ~r
~ I T, T r~
. . 0

.
I t:. I I
I k I
(J Q 3 3 3
~ ,. e e
1

,
G
J t,s; 'Cl

-
0 ii
9 (}
:to J 3 9 5 & El
;J
iIo
e ~
3
r--t==:t 00i4 ~
" ;3

IJ r ' I
Ij,l
~~ ~

§ ; to 3 & , 5' 1 ., fi' 3 i 3 S- a iIo Q

'J I El i ( 9 ;
-
 Appendi ces 360

Appendix 2. 1 cont.

(c) La Tintorella di Jo Ant O da Bergamo

=
-J .
f.20v
t l
do .J- J 1 ~ t~~i
\ I ( \ l.-' \ I I
,

l'"""\ .~ .- .. -
r J. 11 T ~~ ~
I
I I

(d)
El Saltarello di la stessa Tintorella
• I \
-
f.21
J
r \ ~ \
J J I
I r I
. . -
I I
I I- I I I

6
., e El
3 '3 3
19
3 s
3 I
?> 2 53 z
3
: Q
2-
t ~ :3 3 3 " 1 El e
~ I to. \ \
\. I
•
.I
I
.
IJ I I I
..I J J_
I I V I
 Appendi ces 361

Appendix 2. 1 cont.

(e)

Passemezo in F fa ut b mol. Antoni del Pergamasco, variatio a

I I , I I I \ I I

. .
p.97 I
\ ~ ~r .~ ~ \ J\ \ i T l Itf
.e- "
I ... I \ I •

I ... , \ I I I

) -e- .ll-
f;. ~
- l

UI
I
LJ I \ \

J ! J r J
i t:t3J
~ la ... f
pt
£l

t ~ (,
ill b

II b <le
f)
 Appendi ces 362

APPENDIX 3

TERZI'S INTABULATIONS - CONCORDANCES AND SOURCES

The capoversi of intabulations are entered after the

name of the vocal author, where known. Doubtful or erroneous
authorship is discussed in footnotes. The abbreviations used
for the citation of Terzi's intabulations are "1593" for
Libro Primo and "1599" for Libro Secondo. In the citation
of other Italian lute intabulations the surname of the
author under which the volume is printed is given followed
by, in parentheses, the date and number according to the
catalogue numbering of H.M. Brown's Instrumental Music
Printed Before 1600 (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1965).
Manuscript abbreviations conform to the numbering in the key
below. Other abbreviat ions used are "nk", indicat ing that
the particular source is not known, and RISM and NV,
consistent with use throughout this dissertation. (Refer to
abbreviat ions at the beginning of this volume). The vocal
sources cited give the first known publication only of the
work and not subsequent reissues. Modern editions are given
in footnotes. The entries in the column "Italian lute
tablatures" include known extant intabulations, in Italian
tablature, in both printed and manuscript sources. Sources
in French and German Lute tablature as well as keyboard
sources are listed in Brown, ibid., but are not listed here.
The works marked with *
include a seconda parte.

Key to manuscript abbreviations

Ms. 1 Ms. Brussels, Bib1iotheque Roya1e de Be1gique,

II 275;
Lutebook of Rafaello Cavalcanti.
Ms. 2 Ms.Como, Biblioteca Comunale, Ms. Senza
Segnatura, Pietro Paulo Raimondo: Libro de
sona t e di verse, 1601.
Ms. 3 Ms. Florence, Biblioteca Naziona1e, Ms Fondo
Landau-Fina1y, Ms. Mus.2 [appendix to
Ga1i1ei's IL Fronimo 1568].
Ms. 4 Ms. Genoa, Bib1ioteca Universitaria,
Ms. F. VII /1.
Ms. 5 Ms. London, British Library, Add. 29247.
Ms. 6 Ms. Lucca, Bib1ioteca Stata1e, Ms. 774,
Intavolatura di leuto da sonare e can tare.
Ms. 7 Ms. Modena, Bib1ioteca Estense, Ms.C.311, Arie
e canzone in musica di Cosimo Bot tegari.
Ms. 8 Ms. Verona, Bib1ioteca Capito1are, MS 1128,
no. 39
AUTHOR WORK TERZI SOURCE VOCAL SOURCES ITALIAN LUTE
TABLATURES

Anonymous Gofred. Canzon Francese 1599, p. 100 nk nk

Non hebbe tante fog1ie 1 1599, p.52 nk nk
Areangelo da Donna la be11a mane 1599, p.85 RISM 1582/4, nk
Bergamo p.19

Barbato, Un gi orno passeggi ando 1599, p.114 RISM 1587/7 nk

Angel 0

Bellavere Fantasia 1599, p.91 nk nk

<Bell' haver)
Vineenzo

Bieei, Candi de per1 e 1599, p. 7 NV 1665, p.4 nk

Antonio

Cavaecio, Amorosa Fenice 1599, p.83 nk nk

Gio.Maria

Ad dominum cum 1593, p.17 nk nk

tribu1arer

Dragone, Se da1 soave, e amoroso 1599, p. 86 RISM 1582/4, p.12 nk

Gio.Andrea sguardo ::t.
:g
Gabrieli, Caro do1ce ben mio 1593, p.87 RISM 1576/5, p.28 nk m
::J
Andrea
S:
()
m
Cl)

VJ
O'J
1. Possibly by Alessandro Orologio (1593) NV2062, p.16. VJ
 Diligam te Domine 1593, p. 1 Ecclesiasticarum nk
cantionum
(Venice, 1576)

Ego rogabo patrem 1593, p.3 Ecclesiasticarum nk

cantionum
(Venice, 1576)

Fantasia in modo canzon 1599, p. 48 2 Ms. 8, no.39 nk

francese

Hodie completi sunt 1599, p.56 nk

Gastoldi, Ahi che mi tien'il core 1599, p.9 NV 1102, p. 22 nk

Gio.Giacomo

Giovanelli, Mi parto ahi sorte 1599, p.53 NV 1241, p.29 nk

Ruggiero

Non ved' hoggi ' 1 1599, p.52 NV 1241, p.4 Ms. 6, fo1. 48
mio sola

Guami, Fantasia in modo di 1599, p. 10 Partidura pera nk

Giosefo Canzona Francesa sonare delle
[La Di odat ina] canzonette ...
(Venice, 1601), p.7

::t.
:g
2. Transcription in S. dalla Libera, Giovanni Gabrielli, Composizione per Organo (Milan, ~
Cl.
k
1957-1958), vol. 3, no. 13, p.42. ()
3. This is clearly a later source than the one Terzi used. The only known earlier source is m
(l)
Vincenti's Canzon di diversi per sonar (Venice, 1588), p.4, but this differs considerably
(;.l
from Terzi's intabulation. A modern edition of the 1601 source is available in I. Fuser (J)
and O. Mischiati, eds., Canzoni da suonare di Giuseppe Guami (Florence, 1968), p.89. ~
 Un'a1tra Fantasia 1599, p.12 Ms. 8, p.31 4 nk
Ingegneri, s Non mi tog1ia i1 ben mio 1599, p. 106 NV 2422, p. 7 Galilei (1568/2)
Marco Antonio p.68
Galilei (1584/5)
p.170

Surrexit 1593, p.11 RISM 1583/2, no. 14 nk

Janequin,6 A11er m'y fault sur 1599, p.46 7 RISM 1529/3, no. 9 nk
Clement la verdure

Justi (Giusti?) Un'altra [fantasia] 1599, p.64 nk nk

Paolo

4. Like the preceding work it appears in Vincenti, op. cit, p.2. Another source is Raverij's
Canzoni per sonare con .ogni sorte di stromenti ... Libro Primo (Venice, 1608), no. 17.
Modern editions of the manuscript source and Raverij are available in Fuser and Mischiati,
op. cH., p. 101 & p. 104.
5. Attributed to Ingegneri in his Primo Libro de Madrigali a quatro Voci (Venice, 1578).
Attributed to Rore in Le Vive Fiamme ... Rore ... (Venice, 1565) (NV 2422, p.7). For
discussion of authorship see, B. Meier, ed., Cipriano de Rore, Opera Omnia, CMM xiv (Rome,
1959-), vol. 5, p.x. Modern edition in Meier, op. cit., vol. 5, p.18
6. Attributed to Willaert in Mellange de chansons (Paris, 1572), fol.20; Also attributed to
Arcadelt in Li vre de mes1anges . .. (Paris, 1560/R1572). Terzi attributes the work to
Willaert. Modern editions: H.M. Brown, Sixteenth-Century Instrumentation; The Music of
::t.
the Florentine Intermedii, AIM <Dallas, 1973), p.215; A. T. Merritt and F. Lesure, eds.,
Janequin, Chansons Polyphoniques (Monaco, 1965), vol. 1, p.119; A. Seay, ed., Pierre
:g
m
Attaingnant: Transcription of Chansons for Keyboar~ AIM (Philadelphia, 1961), p.75 :J
Q
(A transcription of Brown 1531/2, fol.41v). k
()
7. Transcription in Brown, op.cit., p.215. m
(j)

w
m
01
Lassus, Susanne ung jour 1593, p.38 e NV 1389, p.26 9 Barbetta (1582/1)10
Orlando di fol. 13v
Molinaro (1599/7)11
p. 130
Molinaro (1599/7)12
p. 133
Newsidler (1566/3)
p.18
Kargel (1574/1)
fol. Clv
Ms. 7, fol. 3V '3
Ms. 2, fol. 58v

Veni in hortum meum 1593, p. 14 Saerae eantiones'4 nk

(Nuremberg, 1562)

Marenzio, Leggiadre Ninfe 1599, p.6 NV 1665, p.3 '5 nk

Luca

8. Modern edition in R. Erig and V. Gut man, Italian Diminution~ The Pieces with more than
one Diminution from 1553 to 1638 (ZUrich, 1979), p.133.
9. Modern edition in F.X. Haberl and A. Sandberger, eds., Orlando di Lassu~ Samtliehe Werke
(Leipzig, 1894-1926), vol. 14, p.29.
10. Transcription in B.W Thomas, The Lute-books of Giulio Cesare Barbetta, PhD. diss. , (North
Texas, 1973), p.592.
11. A glosa by Gio.Battista Gostina. Modern edition in G. Gullino's Intavolatura di Liuto di ::t.
Gio. Battista Dalla Gostina (Florence, 1949), p.65. ~
12. A fantasia by Giulio Severino. Modern edition in Gullino, op. eit., p.69. Partial ~
transcription in J. M Ward, "Parody Technique in 16th-Century Instrumental Music", The ....Q
Commonwealth of Music: in honor of Curt Saeh~ ed ~ Reese and R. Brandel (New York, ()
(I)
1965), p.210. £J)
13. Modern edition in C. MacClintock, ed., The Bottegari Lutebook, Wellesley Editions no.8 tu
(Massachuset t s, 1965), p. 9. (j)
(j)
14. Modern edition in Haberl and Sandberger, op. eit., vol. 5, p.120.
15. Modern edition in A. Harman, Popular Italian Madrigals (Oxford, 1976), p.73.
 Liquide perle amor 1599, p.30 16 NV 1597, p.1 17 Barbetta (1582/1)1$
fol. E3
Fallamero (1584/3)
p.15

Quando i vost ri 1593, p.88 NV 1597, p.5 19 nk

begli oeehi

Maschera,2O Canzon la Villaehiara, 1599, p. 78 Maschera nk

Fiorenzo over fantasia (1584/10) p.18

Canzon Prima, 1593, p.57 21 Maschera nk

La Capirola (1584/10) p. 1

Canzon Seeonda 1593, p.59 22 Maschera nk

La Martinenga (1584/10) p.2

Canzon Terza 1593, p.61 Maschera nk

(584/10) p.4

Canzon Quarta 1593, p.63 Maschera nk

La Maggia (1584/10) p.5

Canzon Quinta 1593, p.65 23 Maschera nk

(1584/10) p.6

16. Transcription in Erig and Gut man, op. cit., p.282. ~

17. Modern edition in A. Einstein, Luea Marenzio, Samt1iehe Werk (Leipzig, 1931), vol. I, p. 1 :g
18. Thomas, op.eit., p.391. ~
19. Modern edition in Einst ein, op. ei t. I vol. I, p. 10 Q
I-<.
20. All of the Maschera canzonas are in modern edition in W.E. McKee, The Music of F1orentio ()
lD
Masehera (1540-1584), PhD.diss., (North Texas, 1958). Terzi's numbering of the canzonas ()j
does not coincide beyond Canzon Seeonda, with Maschera's numbering. W
21. Transcription in Brown, op. elt., p.180. (J)
'-l
22. Transcription in McKee, op. ei t., p. 141.
23. Transcription in McKee, op. cit., p. 108.
 Canzon Sesta 1593, p.67 Maschera nk
<1584-/10) p.8

Canzon Set tima 1593, p.69 Maschera nk

La Rosa <1584-/10) p. 10

Canzon Ottava 1593, p. 73 2 4- Maschera nk

L' Averolda <1584-/10) p.11

Canzon Nona 1593, p. 74- Maschera nk

La Girella <1584-/10) p.13

Canzon Decima 1593, p. 76 Maschera nk

<1584-/10) p. 15

Canzon Undecima &- Ul tima 1593, p. 79 Maschera nk

<1584-/10) p. 17

Merulo, Canzon 1593, p. 48 nk nk

Claudio

Canzon 1593, p.52 nk nk

In Deo speravit 1599, p.55 IL primo 11 bra de nk

cor meum mottetti, (Venice,
1583)25

In te Domine speravi 1599, p.26 IL primo libro de nk :::t>.

mottetti, (Venice, "0
"0
1583)26 lTl
:::J
0..
N.
()
24. Transcription in O. Chilesotti, Lautenspieler des 16. Jahrhunderts (Leipzig, 1891/R1926), lTl
Cl)
p. 108
VJ
25. Modern editions: J. Bastian, ed., Claudio Merulo, Collected Sacred Work~ AIM (stuttgart, en
(l:l
1970), vol. 4-, p.29i L. Torchi, ed., L'arte musicale in Italia (Milan, 1897-1908), vol. I,
p.393
26. Modern edition in Bastian, op. cit., vol. 4-, p.l.
 Petit Jacquet, 1593, p. 43 2'7
nk
Canzon francese

Qui me confessus 1593, p. 13 Li ber secundus nk

sacrarum (Venice
1578)2e

Monte, Ahi chi mi rompe 1593, p.93 NV 754, p. 729 nk

Philippe de 11 sonno*

Mortaro, Come faro cor mi 0 1599, p.9 NV 1964, p.21 nk

Antonio

Nanino, L'Bmata Ninfa mia 1599, p.115 NV 1987, p. 15 nk

Gio.Maria

Erano i cBpei d'oro¥ 1599, p.81 NV 1989, p.4 nk

----- Quando fra bianche 1593, p.81 RISM 1574/4, p.20 nk

perlef

Padovano, Domine Deus* 1599, p. 75 Il primo libro nk

Annibale delle messe
(Venice, 1573)

Palestrina Angelus ad pastores 1593, p.9 nk 30 nk

Pierluigi da
::t:.
:g
(J)
27. Modern edition in G. Gasperini, N. Pelicelli, P. Molmenti, and others, Claudio Merulo dB :J
Correggio, 1533-1604 (1904), p.8. Q..
28. Modern edition in Bastian, op. cit., vol. 3, p.96. """
l)
(J)
29. Modern edition in C. van den Barren and J. van Nuffel, eds., Philippe de Monte: Opera Cl)
<Bruges, 1927/R1965), vol. 25, p.51. A transcription of a lute intabulation by J. Rudenium w
(1600) is transcribed in Barren and Nuffel, op. clt., p.7. O'l
l.D
30. Terzi's intabulation of Palestrina's madrigal appears to be the sole extant source.
 Vestiva i eolli* 1593, p.19 31 RISM 1566/332 Galilei (1568/2)33
p. 15
Galilei (1584/5)34
p.26
Ms. 3, fols. 1 &12v
Ms. 2, fo1. 82v
Ms. 5, fo1. 43
Ms. 7, fo1. 4135
o bella Ninfa mia 1599, p.86 RISM 15821436 nk

Tu es Pastor ovium 1593, p. 7 Moteeta Festorum nk

(Rome, 1563)37

Paratico, Di pianti e di sospiri 1599, p.9 NV 2138, p.2 nk

Juliano

Porta, Verra ma 11 di'f 1593, p.90 RISM 1576/5, p.16 nk

Costanzo

Renaldi, Se di dolor 1599, p.53 NV 2333, p.11 nk

Giulio

Virgo prudentissima 1593, p.4 nk nk

31. Transcription in Erig and Gut man, op. eit., p.347 ~

32. Modern editions: F.X. Haberl and F. Espagne, Pierluigi da Palestrina: Werke (Leipzig, :g
1862-1903), vo1. 8, p.239; R. Casimiri, Le Opere Complete (Rome, 1939-), vol. 9, p.117. m
::J
33. Transcriptions: Chilesotti, op. eit., p.58; F. Fano, La Camerata Fiorentina, Vineenzo ....Q
Galilei, 1520 (?)-1591): la sua opera d'artista e teorieo espressione dl nuove ldealita ()
musieale IMAMI IV (Milan, 1934), p.33. (J)
Cl)
34. Transcription: Fano, op elt, p.33. V)
35. Transcription in MacClintock, op.eit., p.126 -...l
36. Modern edition in Haberl and Espagne, op.elt., vol. 27, p.192. o
37. Modern editions: Haberl and Espagne, op. eit., vol. 5, p.41; Casimiri, op. elt., vol. 3, p.49.
Rore. Beat us homo qui 1599. p. 102 Motetta, 5vv nk
Cipriano da invenit sapientiam (Venice. 1545)38

Fera gentil-t 1593, p.92 NV 2422. p. 939 Fallamero (1584/3)

p. 18
Ms. 4, fcl. 3v

Non mi toglia i1 ben mi04° 1599. p. 106 NV 2422, p.7 Galilei

(1568/2) p.68
Galilei (1584/5)
p.170

Scaletta. La velenosa vista 1599, p. 77 nk nk

Oratio

----- Qual piu crude1 mart ire 1599. p. 78 nk nk

Striggio. Anchor ch'io possa dire 1593. p.34 41 NV 2672, p.4 Fallamero (1584/3)
Alessandro p.75
Galilei (1568/2)
p. 153
Ms. 3, fol.14v
Ms. 4, fcl. 25

Chi fara fede 1599, p. 70 RISM 1583115, nk

fcl. 20v
::t:.
~(I)
::J
38. Modern edition in B. Meier, ed., Cipriano de Rore, Opera Omnia. CMM xiv (Rome. 1959-), Q
vol. 1, ~34 ....
f)
39. Modern edition: ibi~ vol. 5, p.43. (I)
fJ)
40. Also attributed to Ingegneri. See fn.5.
41. Transcriptions: Brown, op. cit.• p.179; Erig and Gut man, op.cit., p.211. W
"-J
.....
 Nasee la pena mia 1599, p. 18 NV 2672, p. 342 Becchi (1568/1)
p.66 43
Fallamero (1584/3)
p.77
Galilei (1568/2)
p.24
Galilei (1568/2)
p.92 (fantasia)
Galilei (1584/5)
p.44
Ms. 1, fol. 55v
Ms. 2, fol. 67v
Ms. 4, fol. 16v
Ms. 7, fol. 39v 44

S'ogni mio ben'havete 1593, p.28 4S NV 2676, p. 15 Galilei (1568/2),

p. 153
Ms. 4, fol. 17v

Vecchi, Quando mirai sa be11a 1599, p.8 NV 2796, p. 19 Ms. 6, fo1. 44v
Orazio (aeeia Ms. 1, fo1. 60

Vinci, Pietro Mandatum novum do vobis 1599, p.74 nk Ms. 7, fol. 20

::t..
:g
m
::J
42. Philippe de Monte wrote a parody mass on Striggio's madrigal which is published by Borren ....
Q.
and Nuffel, op.eit., vol 10, passim. ()
43. Transcription inG. Lefkoff, Five Sixteenth-Century Venetian Lute Book~ PhD. diss. , m
Cl)
(Washington, 1960), p. 153. tu
44. Transcription in MacClintock, op.eit., p.120 -...I
N
45. Transcription in O. Chilesotti, op. eit, p.98
Wert, Giaches Cara la vi ta mia" 1599, p.97 NV 2967, p. 14- 46 nk

D' un si bel focaf 1593, p.84 RISM 1576/5 47 nk

Wil1aert, Aller m' y fault sur 1599, p. 46 RISM 1529/3, no. 9 nk

Adriano la verdure4 6

Jouissance vous donneray 1599, p. 14- RISM 1545/14, Newsidler (1566/3),

fo1. 2 p.22

:l::.
46. Modern edition in C. MacClintock, ed., Giaches de Wert: Collected Work~ CMM, no.24 IJ
IJ
(Rome, 1961-1977), vol. 1, p.45 lb
::J
47. ibi~ vol. 14, p.68. Cl.
J-,t.
48. Also attributed to Janequin. See fn.6 f)
lb
Cl)
(;j
-...,J
(;j
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