Realized Continuo Accompaniments from Florence c1600

Author(s): John Walter Hill

Source: Early Music, Vol. 11, No. 2 (Apr., 1983), pp. 194-208
Published by: Oxford University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3137832 .
Accessed: 04/04/2013 12:23

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Oxford University Press is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Early Music.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
John Walter Hill
Realized continuo
accompaniments
Florence c1600
Historical instruction books for continuo realization
are plentiful, but in general they leave modern per-
formers with three major problems. Beyond the inter-
pretation of the figures and rules of part-writinggiven
in nearly every one, they leave much in doubt
concerning the texture, rhythm and melodic features
appropriateto accompaniments. As a body, they leave
many geographical and chronological lacunae, con-
centratedas they are in Germanyand Franceand in the
late 17th and 18th centuries. And they are over-
whelmingly written from the standpoint of keyboard
practice, providing little guidance for the use of other
instruments. It is a stroke of fortune (though no
accident), therefore, that nearly 60 of the earliest
Florentinemonodies survivewith both basso continuo
lines and fully written-out realizations, some in lute
tablature, others for keyboard, done at a time and
place very close to those of their composition. These
realizations give us valuable guidance for the per-
formance of solo songs by Giulio Caccini and Jacopo
Peri, and by extension, of songs by Monteverdi and
other monodists and, perhaps, of portions at least of
the earliest operas.
The principal Florentine manuscripts that contain
these realized continuo accompaniments are:
1 Brussels, Bibliothbque du Conservatoire Royal de
Musique, Codex 704 [B704], a 127-folio manuscript
with 140 songs, all but one for solo voice and basso
continuo. All the identified pieces are by Florentine
composers. They range chronologically from Piero
Strozzi's Fuor'dell'humidonido, sung by Caccini in a
celebration of 1579, through excerpts fromthe famous
Florentine intermediof 1589, fragments of the first
opera, La Dafne (Florence, c1594-7), by Jacopo Corsi
and Peri, to songs later published in Caccini's two
monody collections (1602 and 1614).1The repertoire
places the collection's origin in Florence.Threefactors
suggest that its main body, the workof Porter'scopyist
a, was created c1594-1600: the latest datable com-
positions arethe fragmentsfromDafne,since we know
that many of Caccini's songs were published well after
they were composed, and since the same might be true
194 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983
This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
from
of the song by Francesco Rasi, published in 1608,
which is in the manuscript;the manuscript contains
nothing from Euridiceor II rapimentodi Cefalo, the
operas performedat celebrations in Florence in 1600,
excerpts from which would presumably have been
included if it had been copied after that date; and the
earlyversions of Caccini'ssongs that it contains would
have been rendered obsolete by the more fully orn-
amented and rhythmicallydetailed versions published
in Le nuove musicheof 1602. In B704, 45 songs have
fully realizedaccompanimentsin Italianlute tablature,
in addition to the basso continuo and vocal lines in
staff notation. The other pieces have six-line staves on
which the intabulated realizations were never written.
Another indication that work on this manuscriptwas
not completed is the numberof errorsin the tablature:
although many were corrected, some remain for the
modern editor to rectify.
2 Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Magl.
XIX.30 [FXIX.30],a 43-folio manuscript bearing the
date 12 May 1595 and containing 36 dances and vocal
compositions entirely in lute tablature without staff
notation. The composers named in it are Santino Garsi
(1542-1604) and one Giovanni Galletti.Concordances
show that at least three of its songs are by Caccini, and
another three are found anonymously in the earliest
Florentinemonody manuscripts,where they also have
basso continuo accompaniments.2The date written in
the manuscript is corroborated by the fact that one
Caccini song in it, which appears in the 1602 Nuove
musiche, seems to be a pre-publication version. The
manuscriptlacks a vocal line to go with the wordsthat
arewrittenin, and even the rhythmsare not notated for
some of the intabulations. These songs could have
been played and sung only by a musician already
familiar with the pieces, presumably a Florentine
musician.
3 Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Magl.
XIX.115 [FXIX.1151,a keyboardmanuscriptof 15 folios
containing 24 songs and dances. 15 items seem to be
vocal compositions, including five arias for singing
terzerime, sonnets and other standard textual forms.
Another five pieces are found also in the earliest ms.C311, a 55-folio manuscript containing 132 items,
Florentinemonody manuscripts where they have only mostly solo songs, with voice lines in staff notation
a basso continuo line as accompaniment. The only and accompaniments in lute tablature.This collection
composer named in the manuscript is Santino Garsi, was begun on 4 November 1574, in Munich by the
although concordances establish Caccini and Peri as Florentine Cosimo Bottegari(1554-1620), whose own
composers of other items.3 Again, a pre-1602 version compositions dominate the manuscript. After he
of a Caccini song helps to date this manuscript; returned to Florence in the early 1580s, Bottegari
additional evidence is supplied by the watermarkson continued to add to the manuscript. It contains one
the paper,which seem to have been made by the same song by Caccini and two others found in B704, also
forms as those that made the paper for a household with realized accompaniments.8
account book belonging to Jacopo Corsi in Florence 8 London, British Library,Egerton 2971, a 37-folio
and begun in 1593.4 manuscript of English origin, whose earliest owner
4 Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Magl. was one Robius (?Robert)Downes. Along with some 20
XIX.138 [FXIX.138],a 48-folio keyboard manuscript English continuo songs by Nathaniel Giles (c1558-
with 23 songs and dances. Seven of these pieces have 1634),RobertJones (fl 1597-1615) and others, and four
text underlaid,while another two seem, either because instrumental pieces, it contains five Italian monodies
of the rubric'Terzarima' or because of the title given, with vocal line and accompaniment in French-English
to be vocal compositions. One of the texted pieces is lute tablature. Two of these monodies (Dolcissimo
found in B704 and in two other early Florentine sospiroandAmarillimia bella)are by Caccini. All five are
monody manuscripts, where a basso continuo line written with considerably more ornamentation than
only is added to the vocal part.5 Again the only Caccini used in his printed collections. The lute
composer named is Santino Garsi.The manuscriptwas accompaniments are thinner and more contrapuntal
once part of the library of the Tuscan grand dukes, than those in the Florentine manuscripts.
which tends to support the hypothesis of Florentine 9 TenburyWells, St Michael's College, 1018 [T1018],a
origin. mixed manuscript of 48 folios containing some ten
In addition, there are two manuscripts that seem to motets arranged for solo voice and instrumental
be Florentineand have importantsimilaritiesto one or consort, another ten untexted motets for consort
more of those alireadymentioned, but have no known performance, 21 English continuo songs by Robert
concordances in basso continuo manuscripts. Johnson (c1583-1633), Alfonso Ferrabosco (1578-
5 Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Magl. 1628) and others, 30 Italian monodies by Ferrabosco,
XIX.168[FXIX.168],a 58-folio manuscript containing Caccini and others, with continuo accompaniment,
26 songs and dances entirely in lute tablaturewithout one English partsong, and one Italian monody (Se di
staff notation. Threepieces have text underlaid,while farmimorire),the vocal line of which is accompanied by
another three have titles suggesting vocal models, a French-English lute intabulation somewhat more in
including Ancorche colpartireby Ciprianode Rore.One the Florentine style than those in the preceding
page carries the date 10 May 1582.6 The paper bears manuscript.9
the same watermarkas FXIX.115 (no.3 above) and the 10 Tenbury Wells, St Michael's College, 1019, six
Corsi account book (see fn.4). folios that may once have been part of the preceding
6 Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Magl. item. Alongwith 13 English lute songs, one ascribed to
XIX.109[FXIX.109],a 58-folio manuscript containing John Coprario (c1l570/80-1626), and three English
29 titled songs and dances entirely in lute tablature. 17 continuo songs, it contains one Italian monody, Occhi
of these pieces have text underlaid and another two stelle mortale by Caccini, with an intabulated lute
seem, because of rubric or title, to be song accom- accompaniment similar to the one in T1018.
paniments. The manuscript was once part of the 11 Brussels, Bibliothbque Royale de Belgique, Codex
Tuscan grand dukes' library.7 II 275D, a 98-folio book of lute tablatures begun by
There are three further manuscripts that, while not one RaffaelloCavalcanteduringthe 1590s. It contains
Florentine in origin, contain realizations of continuo a lute intabulation accompaniment to Piero Strozzi's
accompaniments to the earliest monodies. They can Fuor'dell'humidonido, which Caccini sang in 1579, as
be used for comparison. mentioned earlier,a song that also surviveswith basso
7 Modena, Biblioteca Estense e Universitaria, Mus. continuo accompaniment.'o

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 195

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 These manuscripts containing realized continuo
accompaniments have been known to researchers in
some cases since the early years of this century, but
their significance has been recognized only recently;
no transcription from any of the Florentine sources
has been published or described until now. The
Brussels manuscript(B704)was first reportedby Alfred
Wotquenne in 1900 (see fn. 1), and Johannes Wolf, in
1919, gave its contents as 'songs with basso continuo
and lute'. Wolf also listed FXIX.109as 'Italian songs
with lute', FXIX.168as a lute manuscript containing
songs, and FXIX.115 without comment under the
heading 'Italian organ and keyboardtablature'." Sig-
nificantly, Wolf did not mention these sources in his
chapter on scores and Generalbass.Instead, he and
other writerson continuo sources and practice, from
the pioneers Riemann(1907-13), Kinkeldey(1910) and
Schneider (1918) to the authors of the major surveys
between Arnold(1931) and Williams(1970), uniformly
conceived of basso continuo as a figured bass part
implicitly to be realized on a keyboard instrument.12
Even Quittard'searly description (1910) of membersof
the lute family as continuo instruments relied on
I Giulio Caccini Udite, udite amanti (Le nuove musiche, 1602), from FXIX30, f25r
A&
-!r:I. .....iiii~i?~ii
I.y
0
L:
Ow
R.-.
yIr-ii
'PP-
N0111N
i Wll 00
41i
196 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983
This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
descriptive evidence without mention of musical
manuscripts; the same is true of Neemann's article
(1934) on the same subject.'3 Only B704 among these
sources was used in Fortune'svery importantsurvey of
Italian monody in 1954, though he did offer the first
recognition of the significance of the continuo
realizations in that manuscript: 'A few songs have
survivedin manuscriptswith realizedaccompaniments:
the textureof these accompanimentsis alwayschordal.
I have come across a few [printed]song-books which
provide a tablaturefor the chitarrone,and they tell the
same story.'"4
The first study to present all these manuscripts as
sources of monody accompaniment was William
Porter'sexcellent dissertation of 1962. Less summary
and more cautious than Fortune, he left only this
evaluation: 'Undoubtedly, much can be learned con-
cerning lute accompanimentfrom the manytablatures
found in Brus.,Bottegari,and Cavalcante.An adequate
appraisal of these accompaniments, however, must
wait for a complete transcription of all these tab-
latures.'"The complete transcriptionhas not appeared,
so that in 1970, when Joan Myerswrote about Robert
:..
p
:sol
.ii--.aiili~ii-iiii:,ii-
&ljo
wili it
A:.
01
0111
-- -00. i
poo
NOw:INNolft-,
Ex.1 Giulio Caccir1 Udite,udite amanti,from Le nuove musiche(Florence, 1602), with intabulations from FXIX30 and B704

Voice liF FPPr FPri

U- di- te, u.di- te a-man-ti u- di - te, 6 fe - re e-ran-ti O cie-lo, 6stel- le 6 lu-na 6 so - le Don-na e don-zel- le
I"I i..I .. I
ha,% II fIM -I_., I I I
FI% Ed
,II .. I I
... I I
.,%_, I ,%- I ..I
vi I
4 MA M

Transcription
of tablature,
r
F F F
FXIX.30, FFIFiiF

Tablature, FXIX.30, 0 0
Tablature, FXIX.30, 0 , 0 00 a322 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 02 2
f.25r 1 1 00 00 0 00 100 3 1 3
00
0303 0 3 00 10 1 3a 10 10 3 2a3 3 0 0
3 2

*MS:1

Transcription
of tablature, B704 F F T F F F

I h I I I b I l I I
2 2 2 2, 2 e o 0 0
TablatureB704, p.81 T13 31 3 1 0 0 0 1 03 0 1 O 01 1 3 10 10 3 1 3 3 3 30 3 2 3

fm iw I I I F :i
Iaj. .. , , ,
le mie pa-ro- le E s'i ra-gion mi do-glioPian-ge- te al mio cor-do-gliopian- ge - te al mio cor - do - glio.

Scorresponds to the vocal * corresponds to voice

line in B704, p.81 and bass in B704, p.81
0

2 2 2 0 e0 2 2 0 2 0 4 2 4 0 0

0 0 3 3 0 0 0 2 2 0 e 32 22 Of 2
. . ..0 *MS:5 *MS: these notes
repeated in error

Scorresponds to voice and bass in B704

I '-D
I T r
I !* 1I I
F IF IFIF F F IF

*MS: 2 lines

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 197

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Dowland'srealization of the accompaniment to two of
Caccini's monodies, she incorrectly stated, 'unfort-
unately, no written-out Italian models of the period
exist for us to emulate'.16And when Hitchcock pro-
duced the first criticaleditions of Caccini'stwo printed
collections, in 1970 and 1978, he did not list FXIX.30
or FXIX.115 under 'manuscriptversions' of the songs
and used only Dowland's intabulations as models for
his own continuo realizations."
As we shall see, Dowland's intabulations are sig-
nificantly different from the early Florentine realiz-
ations. Likewise unreliable as models for continuo
realizations for Florentine monody are Luzzasco
Luzzaschi's keyboard accompaniments to his solo
madrigals(1601), as Newcomb pointed out in 1969,18
Schiitz's organ realizations transmitted by his pupil
Ex.2 Giulio Caccini, Tamo mia vita, B704, pp.9-10
Bernhard,and Viadana'sinstructionsfor accompanying
motets-though Williams offers all three as guides.19
The examples chosen
To illustratethe typicalfeaturesof these earlyFlorentine
continuo realizations, I have chosen three examples.
Caccini's Udite,uditeamante(ex.1) shows the extent of
agreement between two different intabulated realiz-
ations from Florentinemanuscripts(B704,and FXIX.30
(illus. 1)). These realizations represent what is usual in
accompanimentsof simple,metrical,dance-likestrophic
arias within this manuscriptrepertoire.The harmoniz-
ations in them cait be comparedwith Caccini'sfigured
bass as printed in 1602.
The second example, Tamo mia mita, is from B704
(illus.2). Slightly different versions of this song are

VoiceV I1 O'-W
IiO""F ' I . . . . . I. . ""IW I I I i i
%,
i. ,
Ta - mo mia vi - ta, la mia ca-ra vi - ta. Mi di - ce e'in que-sta so - la Si so-

Continuo 1"[" o'

Transcription
of tablature K X

5 13 0
1M 0 0

ve pa-ro la Par che tras-for- me lie-ta men-til co re per far - me-ne si-gno re.
T
ablatur

iIF I 1I i

MSO M2 :

3 MS:i
MMS:2

198 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
2 Giulio Caccini, Tamo mia vita, B704, p.9

...
+;+: ..... ....".... Q ..
ft+

- ---------I--

1 P
4: -4Pr~rS~r -? I ci r,?:
,.,
Jl--

rf ~ ~ ; ? *
-~"9~~ -
-1

f T
t4?ttzt.
.7?44#
ftt Ott?A 4 _

I: -

7 "
ii ." .

'IF
kgI ~ ~ r

A' _ AF_ -A

;i- 7 11 4
I#Lt4
•x . '.t..
_4_A
wt
.... ..... +

+
.. .

. .................

1 IL 2 I iiW
T.- . ....

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 199

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Ex.3 Jacopo Peri, O mieigiomi fugaci, from Le variemusiche(Florence, 1609), with keyboard harmonization from FXIXII15

Voice *.
0 miei gior - ni fu - ga - ci 0 bre- ve

Continuo
I1"33F
FXIX. 115, ff. 9v-10v

; 7 00
vi - ta - - me gia sei spa-ri - ta Gia sen - to o
Oi

-_ 0 I

10

sen tir - mi
par - ro sa trombada-van ti a te
Lari,-go - stoSi- gnorchia
Giu mar

Gia nel cor mi il bil suo no. - re re di

- ba for-mi-da- - -
emi ri-gbom- t Miase

200 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
19
me, mi - se - re - re di me, Si - Si- gnor - -
gnor, per do no.

r wx

I-W

3 JacopoPerit0 mieigiomifugaci(Levariemusiche,1609),fromFXIXI15, f.9v

Aw-
r
- -- -
A A ..... .. ...
.. . .. .+ i .....
.
+..

L -A
-r13

i7
+"
41

++ .. i+•i . .
• +.- •. .......ii. • -ii ' . . I, . .... ..
." +'+i.... + ++ : '•=-: ............ +P•
.I# +
? , + +....... ..• ...........
....
. ... .. . ... .
•
- -...
AL .

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

.... ,

. . ..

I
. . .
'

+
+

found in Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale, presumably early version that differs in rhythm and
Magl. XIX.66, and T1018 with only unfigured bass ornamentation from the one printed in his Varie
accompaniments.In the lattermanuscriptthe madrigal musiche (Florence, 1609). This example comes from
is ascribed to 'Giulio Romano',that is, Giulio Caccini. FXIX.115(illus.3) and, like the other pieces in this
This piece, never before published, is chosen to manuscript,it includes both the vocal melody and the
illustrate the realization of an unfigured bass and the accompaniment on two staves. Since only the incipit
style of accompaniments used for madrigaliansongs. of the text is provided, it may have been intended for
The third example is a keyboard harmonization of performance on a harpsichord alone. However, other
Jacopo Peri'sspiritualmadrigal,0 mieigiornifugaci,in a pieces in this manuscript that are entirely untexted

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 201

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
seem to have been intended as accompaniments for
singing, as is suggested by the rubic 'Terzarima'.The
absence of full texting would therefore seem no
certain indication of purely instrumentalperformance.
Furthermore, FXIX.138 contains similar keyboard
harmonizations with melody included, but here the
full texts of the songs have been written in under the
music, as if to be sung. The main purpose of this third
exampleis to show that some featuresof the intabulated
accompaniments for instrumentsof the lute family are
not necessarily the result only of the idiom, technique
and limitations of these instruments, since they are
shared by all the keyboard harmonizations in these
manuscripts as well.
The instruments
The choice of instruments in this group of continuo
realizations seems significant. Most by far are in lute
tablature.The two most importantof the manuscripts,
B704 and FXIX.30,call for an instrument with up to
four unfretted, diatonically tuned contrabass strings
in addition to the classical six courses of the Renais-
sance lute (A-d-g-b-e'-a' or G-c-f-a-d'-g'). Most of
the intabulationsrequireeither G or A tuning (both are
used in each manuscript)in order to match the voice
and bass parts written in staff notation; in B704, one
accompanimentwould requiretuning based on B, and
another D tuning in order to match. But the actual,
absolute pitch used in performancewould have been a
matterof simple agreementbetween singerand accom-
panist, if they were indeed two individuals. The bass
line is included in all these intabulations, and there is
no reason to suggest that any melodic bass instrument
should be added in performingthese accompaniments.
Judging from the disposition of the chords and the
distribution of notes in runs, these intabulations were
probablymade with an instrumentin mind that had its
first two courses tuned as on a lute, not an octave
lower as some sources give for the chitarrone or
theorbo. Although Banchieri in 1609 reportedthat the
first two courses of a chitarrone could be tuned to the
upper octave,20 both Spencer and Smithhave recently
argued that an instrument with this lute tuning and
added contrabass strings ought to be called an arch-
lute.21 Still, early 17th-century usage was not con-
sistent, and the instrument that the Florentine in-
tabulators had in mind may be no different from the
one that Caccini called a chitarrone, the instrument
'more suitable for accompanying the voice, especially
the tenor voice, than any other'.22
202 EARLYMUSICAPRIL1983
This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Largeinstruments of the lute family, whether called
'chitarrone', 'tiorba', 'arciliuto', or 'liuto attiorbato',
continued to be favoured by Florentine monodists:
Jacopo Peri,FrancescaCaccini,VittoriaArchilei,Marco
da Gagliano,GiovanniBattistada Gaglianoand others
accompaniedthemselves on them. Andthey continued
to be the instrumentsof accompanimentmostfrequently
named on the title-pagesof printedmonody collections
through the 1630s.23
Texture of the accompaniments
Fortunewas correct in describing these realizations as
chordal. In general, all the voices in them move to the
rhythmof the bass, as is most easily seen in Udite,udite
amanti. The most common exceptions are places
where the upper line takes instead the rhythm of the
vocal line, where the bass line contains passing notes
and where cadences are elaborated by suspensions,
anticipations, and added sevenths over the dominant
chord (e.g. Tamo mia vita, bar 7; Udite,bar 12). Other
cases are rare,and ex.4 represents the extreme limit of
contrapuntal texture in these accompaniments. Ex.5
shows a passage from RobertDowland'srealization of
the accompaniment to Caccini'sAmarillimia bellaand
ex.6 the simplerone from B704, which is typical of that
manuscript.
The keyboard harmonizations are really no more
elaboratethan those for archlute, except that the vocal
melodyincludedin them contains some ornamentation,
as in 0 miei giomi fugaci. It is primarily only the
inclusion of the bass part and some variety of chord
voicing that distinguishesthe archluteaccompaniments
from the strummed,rasgueadoguitar accompaniments
to monodies, which have recently been studied by
RobertStrizich.24As with the guitar accompaniments,
these archlute realizations show very little concern
about giving the upper line a distinct melodic shape.
Indeed many of them are as disjunct as the two
versions of Udite,udite amanti given here. In general,
ease of fingering and fullness of sonority seem to have
weighed more than smoothness of line in the judge-
ment of these Florentinemusicians. A simple, chordal
texture, free of the counterpoint that Vincenzo Galilei
maligned for obscuring the text and free of rhythmic
complication that mightinhibit the singer'ssprezzatura
(rhythmicfreedom), was their ideal.
Parallelisms
No modern editor would dare to writethe parallel 5ths
and octaves that confront us in the first two bars of
Ex.4 Anon, Poi chel mio largopianto, B704, p.35, bars 10-15
10

Voice- a - sciut-ti mai que- stoc - chi non ve - dra - i fin-che non man-di fuo - re

Continuo
K

Tran-
scription r
tablature

a2 9
5 5 5 0 2 2
Tablature1 4 4 4 0 44 4 5 4 2 0 2 0
3 3 3 3 0 4 5 5 4 5 2 0 2 3 2
3 3 3 2 0,
I 4 0 0 2 2 0 2 3 2 0 0 2 a
0 2- 0v3 3a 2

Ex.5 RobertDowland'saccompaniment to Giulio Caccini'sAmanillimia bella(Lenuovemusiche,1602) fromA MusicalBanquet(London,1610),

no.19, bars 1-4

Voice
A - ma- ril - i mia bel - la, Non cre -di, o del mio cor dol - ce de-si

Continuo 1AF F 1P
t
EI I

Tran- p
scription
of
Ir
tablature

6 ad
a aa&d f I
d fo fd. d .. dd a fed d
Tablature b o o o a aa o a
od oe o a d o
d

- o, D'es - ser tu la-mor mi - o?

Sfe eF
-

da a
c
f b d

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 203

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 Ex.6 Giulio Caccini, Amarillimia bella, B704, p.46, bars 1-5

Voice IFI I I Iad I

A-ma-ril - li mia bel - la Noncre-di, odel mio cor dol - ce de-si - o D'es - ser tu l'a-mor mi - o?

Continuo i
I

scription
Tran- [

tablatu P%-ML
J J
.re _ _ _ : rr _ _ I

2 0 S0 02
Tablature
21u232-2
1
1 0 1 0 1 0
0 2 9 2 0 3 0 0 0 230 2 - -
0 3331 0 1 1 3 1 3 11 13 0 - 2,
000 010 0 3330 0 0 1 3a 0 a330 12 -e
0 20 2 2220 2 0 32 320 009 0

Tamomia vita or in 0 mieigiomifugaci, bar6. Yet these range of the accompaniment be varied according to
parallelisms are found frequently in nearly every one the range and expression of the voice part.29
of these Florentine realizations, whether for archlute
or keyboard.It is often overlooked that even Viadana, Dissonances
the church musician, wrote, in 1602, 'Theorgan partis Generally these realizations confine dissonances to
never under any obligation to avoid two 5ths or two the elaboration of cadences, mentioned earlier. Un-
octaves'.25 Guidotti, in his preface to Cavalieri'sRap- preparedsuspensions, such as that in Tamomia vita,
presentazionedi animaet di corpo(Rome,1600),says 'two bar 7, are not uncommon. Even more common is the
5ths are taken as occasion demands'. Caccini in his leap to the seventh. The fourth alwaysappearswith the
preface to Euridice(Florence, 1600), writes 'I have not fifth above the bass in suspensions, never with the
avoided the succession of two octaves or two 5ths'. sixth.
Vincenzo Galilei, in his Dialogoof 1581,26had advised
them all that two or more perfect consonances con- Choice of chord
secutively are to be allowed when three or more parts One of the strikingfeatures of these realizations is that
are sounding, advice upon which he elaborates in a often a third and fifth are put above the bass note
treatise of c1590 in this way: 'The law of modern where modern editors would have written a third and
contrapuntiststhat prohibits the use of two octaves or
two 5ths is a law truly contraryto every natural law of Ex.7 Giulio Caccini, Dowv dunquemorire(Lenuove musiche,1602),
B704, p.45, bars 1-2
singing [solo songs].'27
Melodic relationship of accompaniment to vocal line Voice
Do-vi6 dun - mo - ri - re
que
While the vocal line is included in the Florentine
keyboard harmonizations, it is generally avoided in Continuo

the archlute realizations, which for the most part

remain below the vocal line if it is in the soprano
range. In this respect, these Florentinearchlutemanu- Tran- -
scription I
scripts record a practice that corresponds to the of
earliest continuo instructions given by Viadana and [
tablature
?"
d r

Agazzari (1607).28 However, Viadana's rule that the

leading note must be played in the accompaniment in S 42
the same octave in which it is sung is often ignored in
these realizations. Likewise ignored is Francesco Tablature 2 4 20 2 4 0
Bianciardi's (1607) suggestion that the fullness and 0 2 20 2

204 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
sixth. Examples of this can be found in the cadential Stock chords
formulas of Udite,uditeamanti,bars 4 and 5, and in the Most printed monody collections with Montesardo's
first two chords in bar 11. The same is often found at letter notation, indicating chords to be strummed
what would have seemed to be Phrygianhalf-cadences, rasgueadofashion on a five-course Spanish guitar,also
as is illustrated at the end of the first phrase in ex.6, include a table showing each of the chords in tablature,
above. In other cases a new root-position triad is used with its letter, above bass notes arranged as an
where a simple change of inversion of one triad might ascending scale. Such a table for the archlute is found
seem to have been implied (ex.7). On the other hand, as a later addition to B704, and FXIX.30has three of
sixths are normally used over the third and seventh them. Oddly, however, these tables are neither com-
degrees of major scales and when the bass descends plete nor accurate.The form of chords most commonly
by a whole step at cadences. In this respect these found in the early realizations is often replaced in the
manuscripts support the instructions given by Bian- tables by a thinner or less easily fingeredversion of the
ciardi and Banchieri (1611).30 same harmony. And when a presumably later scribe
tried to apply these stock chords to realizations of
Preference for major chords
songs added at the end of B704 by Porter'sscribes b
In all these manuscriptsthere is a surprisingpreference and c, the results were silly. Still, such a table can quite
for major triads. Not only are the thirds raised in all easily be assembled from the older realizations in
cadential dominant chords, but usually in all chords B704 and FXIX.30.I here include one each for G and A
followed by a bass note (root)a 4th above or 5th below tuning (Tables I and 2); they include virtually every
except when cross-relations in the voice line would chord used in the manuscripts. Since the early Floren-
result. Examples of such non-cadential raised thirds tine accompaniments are largely a series of chords
are found in T'amomia vita, bars 2, 5 and 6. Again,this adheringto the norms I have described, it is relatively
correspondsto rules given by Bianciardiand Banchieri. easy to imitate them using these tables and making
Butfurther,these realizations have a raised thirdin the adjustments for bass motion, other inversions, and
final chord of every cadence and of nearly every upper voice motion, especially at cadences. I have
phrase-ending where possible. This is shown in Tamo done this and heardmy accompanimentsprofessionally
miavita, bars 1 and 3; and in Udite,uditeamanti,bars6, 7 performedwith complete success. And why not? This
and 10. Occasionally internaltonic cadences in minor- was evidently the way monodies were accompanied in
mode songs end without any third, perhaps because Caccini's Florence.
the minor third was insufficiently consonant, while
the majorthird would have seemed too final. In other A postscript on Kapsberger'schitarrone realizations
songs open 5ths occasionally replace triads when the Johannes Hieronymous (Giovanni Girolamo) Kaps-
major third is in the voice, when a majorthird might berger'schitarronerealizations of the continuo accom-
have seemed too jarring(e.g. Udite,bar2), or in place of paniments in his Libroprimodi ariepasseggiate(Rome,
the dominant chord in a few slow, G-Doriansongs with 1612) represent the next chronological step after the
melancholy affect. early Florentine realizations, and they are remarkably
similarto theirpredecessors.32The instrumentintended
Treatment of passing notes in the bass
is evidentally a chitarronewith at least seven, perhaps
Generally, notes written as crotchets and shorter 12 contrabass strings.33A transcriptionof his accom-
durations that are dissonant with the vocal line are left paniments shows that the first course of this instru-
to move under sustained chords in these realizations. ment seems to have been tuned down an octave from
This corresponds with Agazzari's instructions. Only a' to a, while the second course remained at the lute
very rarelyare rapidlydescending basses accompanied pitch e'. As in the Florentinerealizations, the texture is
by parallel 10ths in the way Bianciardisuggests. In a overwhelmingly homophonic; independent voice
few rapid passages, bass notes that might have been movement is practically confined to cadential elab-
accompanied by chords are left to sound alone. In no oration. The upper voices of the accompaniments are
case does this choice seem to be related to text less disjunct than in the Florentinerealizations, partly
expression or the range and power of the voice. Other because of the tuning of the first course, but it is no
cases of unaccompanied bass notes are octave leaps more melodious or contoured. In general the part-
and changes of root under sustained upper voices. writing is somewhat smoother and the parallelisms

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 205

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Table 1 Chord forms found in the intabulated continuo realizations in B704 and FXIX30with G tuning

3 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 3 3 15 1 1 2

all

& a

1 2 2 0 4 0 0 1 1 1 0 1

a- V 4 1 ;49 0 ;3 001

01 0 01 0 0 0 0 n i
-I I' 2 I 2 2
,, 2 2 2 20 0 0 0

vi 4u
S 1 1 3 3 3 5 1 2
S2 2 20 n

- -
2 2 2 2 4 4 4 5

0 1 2 2 2 9 20 3 3 0 0 1 2
,3
*Chords on D with the 3rd in the lower octave are very common in these manuscripts, and when the D major chord is used as the dominant in a cadence on G, the
resolution of the leading note is often found in the upper octave. In this connection it should be remarked that many 16th-century lutes have an octave split on the fourth
as well as in the fifth and sixth courses

less flagrant. The sound of the accompaniment is Kapsbergervaries his textures to match the intended
fuller because of the more liberal use of contrabass expression of the text.
strings, the lower-octave first course, the greater In general Kapsberger'srealizations make somewhat
demands on left-hand technique, and the design of greater demands on the accompanist's technique, a
chords using mostly adjacent courses to be strummed little more exploitation of expanded range, and al-
with the thumb (as shown by the sign / .). Although the together a bit more polish and sophistication. To a
fullness of chords seems partlygoverned by the speed certain extent they may be a sign of the driftawayfrom
of the bass line, there may be instances in which extremeconcentrationon expressivevocal declamation

206 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Table 2 Chord forms found in the intabulated continuo realizations in B704 and FXIX30with A tuning

-4u
o TI %P j Tiq.
F, %V %Y

1 !I
"-~inI - •M
0
3
21 1
2 33 3
03 3 3
4
4 4 4
4
4
43 3 0
03
a3 4a
S 0 0 0 1 1
2 2 2 2
-0--

0i00 2 4 1
2"J,00 . . . .

0 0 2 2
4 1 1 11 3 3000
3 13 0
.5

0 4 0 0 11 I 0 2
1 1
303 3 0 0 4 0 3 1 1 2

S" "it TI0"1TI 0

*Again, as in G tuning, the possibility of an octave split on the fourth course should be considered when interpreting these chords

of the text towardsgreaterinterest in features of purely a solid, sonorous, sustained harmony' and that 'the
musical design and expression, a driftthat is detectable consonances and the harmony as a whole are subject
generally in monody beginning in the second decade and subordinate to the words, not vice versa'.34
of the 17th century. ButKapsberger'saccompaniments
are nevertheless simpler and more discreet than those 'A. Wotquenne, 'Notice sur le manuscrit 704 (ancien 8750) de la
to be found in most modern performing editions. He Bibliothfque du Conservatoire',Annuairedu Conservatoire Royalede
Musiquede Bruxelles,24 (1900), pp.178-207; W. V. Porter jr, 'The
still follows Agazzari's rules that a foundation in- Originsof the BaroqueSolo Song:a Studyof ItalianManuscriptsand
strumentlike the archlute or chitarrone'mustmaintain Prints from 1590-1610' (PhD diss., Yale U., 1962), pp.259-70

EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983 207

This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 2Porter,op cit, pp.306-7, omits reference to one of the Caccini
concordances, Udite,udite amanti. The date in the manuscript was
missed by both Porterand Bianca Becherini (Catalogodei manoscritti
musicalidellaBibliotecaNazionaledi Firenze(Kassel, 1959),pp. 12-13).
'Porter, op cit, pp.320-21; Becherini, op cit, p.50
4Florence, Archivio di Stato, Guicciardini-Corsi-Salviati, libro
409, second fascicle
5Porter,op cit, pp.322-3; Becherini, op cit, pp.59-60
6Porter,op cit, pp.310-11; Becherini, op cit, p.72; C. MacClintock,
'Notes on Four Sixteenth-CenturyTuscan Lutebooks',Journalof the
LuteSocietyof America,4 (1971), pp.1-8
7Porter,op cit, pp.308-9; Becherini, op cit, pp.44-5; MacClintock,
op cit
8C.MacClintock,'ACourtMusician'sSongbook:ModenaMSC31',
JAMS 9 (1956), pp.177-92; C. MacClintock, ed., The Bottegari
Lutebook,Wellesley Edition,8 (Wellesley, Mass., 1956);Porter,op cit,
pp.312-19
9N. Maze, 'TenburyMs 1018: a Key to Caccini'sArtof Embellish-
ment', JAMS9 (1956), pp.61-3; H. W. Hitchcock, 'Vocal Ornament-
ation in Caccini's Nuove Musiche',MQ 56 (1970), pp.389-404; N.
Fortune, 'Italian Secular Song from 1600 to 1635: The Origins and
Development of AccompaniedMonody'(PhDdiss., U. of Cambridge,
1954), appendix, pp.55-6. Both Tenbury1018 and 1019 can be seen
at the Bodleian Library,Oxford,where they are on indefinite loan.
'0Porter,op cit, pp.301-5
"J. Wolf, HandbuchderNotationshunde,2 (Leipzig, 1919), pp.70,
275
12H.Riemann,HandbuchderMusikgeschichte, 2/1-3 (Leipzig, 1907-
13); 0. Kinkeldey,Orgelund Klavierin derMusikdes 16.Jahrhunderts
(Leipzig, 1910), pp.187-221; M. Schneider, Die Anfdngedes Basso
ContinuoundseinerBezifferung(Leipzig, 1918);F. T. Arnold,TheArtof
Accompaniment froma Thorough-bass as Practisedin theXVllth&XVIIIth
Centuries(London, 1931); P. Williams, FiguredBass Accompaniment
(Edinburgh, 1970)
"1H.Quittard,'Le theorbe comme instrument d'accompaniment,
Soci&t6 Internationalede Musiquerevuemusicalemensuelle,6 (1910),
pp.221-37, 362-84; H. Neemann, 'Laute und Theorbe als General-
bassinstrumente im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert, Zeitschriftfir Musik-
wissenschaft,16 (1934), pp.527-34
"4Fortune,op cit, p.16
isPorter,op cit, p.202
16J.Meyers, 'Caccini-Dowland: Monody Realized',Journalof the
LuteSocietyof America,3 (1970), pp.22-34
'7G. Caccini, Le nuove musiche, ed. H. W. Hitchcock, Recent
Researches in the Music of the Baroque Era,9 (Madison, 1970); G.
Caccini, Nuovemusichee nuovamanieradi scriverle(1614), ed. H. W.
Hitchcock, Recent Researches in the Music of the BaroqueEra,28
(Madison, 1978)
"'AnthonyNewcomb ('TheMusicaSecretaof Ferrarain the 1580s'
(PhD diss., Princeton U., 1969), p.122) finds Luzzaschi's keyboard
parts busier, with more imitation than Caccini's basso continuo
accompaniments.
'9Williams,op cit, 1, pp.66-7. ThatViadana'sorgan continuo parts
are different from Caccini's monody accompaniments in historical
background, style, function and intent is the burden of H. H.
Eggebrecht,'Artendes Generalbasses im friihen und mittleren 17.
Jahrhundert, Archivefir Musikwissenschaft,14 (1957), pp.61-82.
Bernhard'srealizations have a third-handrelationship with Monte-
verdi's practices, removed by time, nation and Schfitz's mediation;
see J. M. Mfiller-Blattau,Die Kompositionslehre HeinrichSchitzens in
derFassungseines SchzilersChristophBernhard(Leipzig, 1926).
20A.Banchieri, Conclusionidel suono dellorgano(Bologna, 1609),
p.53
21R.Spencer, 'Chitarrone,theorbo and archlute',EM4/4 (October
1976), pp.416-17; D. A. Smith, 'On the Origin of the Chitarrone',
JAMS32 (1979), p.458. Some of the issues treated by Spencer and
208 EARLY MUSIC APRIL 1983
This content downloaded from 200.16.16.13 on Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:23:09 PM
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
Smith have been reopened on a broader basis in F. Hellwig, 'The
morphology of lutes with extended bass strings', EM 9/4 (October
1981), pp.447-54.
22Caccini,Le nuove musiche,ed. Hitchcock, p.56
23In addition to Quittard, Neemann, Spencer and Smith, cited
above, see T. Borgir,'The Performance of the Basso Continuo in
Seventeenth Century Italian Music' (PhD diss., U. of California at
Berkeley, 1971), pp.190-220; N. Fortune,'Continuo Instruments in
Italian Monodies', GSJ6(1953), pp.10-13; and M. Materassi,'Teoria
e praticadel' suonare sopra '1basso 'nel primo Seicento',II
'Fronimo"
Rivistatrimestraledi chitarrae liuto (October 1979), pp.24-32.
24RStrizich,'L'accompanimentodi basso continuo sulla chitarra
barocca',II'Fronimo' (January1981), pp.15-26; (April1981), pp.8-24
25L.Viadana,'A benigni lettori', Centiconcertiecclesiastici(Venice,
1602). Fora translation and commentary,see Arnold,op cit, pp.1-5,
9-33, esp. 18-19.
26V. Galilei, Dialogo . . . della musica antica, et della moderna
(Florence, 1581); Eng. trans. in O. Strunk,SourceReadingsin Music
History(New York, 1950), p.310
27C. V. Palisca, 'Vincenzo Galilei and some Links Between
"Pseudo-Monody"and Monody',MQ46 (1960), p.357
28A.Agazzari,Del sonaresopra'1basso con tuttili stromentie dell'uso
loro nel consorto(Siena, 1607); the 1609 version is transcribed in
Kinkeldey,op cit, pp.216-21; Eng. trans. in Strunk,op cit, pp.424-31;
commentary in Arnold,op cit, pp.67-74.
29F.Bianciardi,Breveregolaper imparar'a sonarsopra il basso con
ognisorted'istrumento (Siena, 1607);extensive trans. and commentary
in Arnold,op cit, pp.74-80.
3oA.Banchieri, 'Dialogo musicale del R. P. D. AdrianoBanchieri
Bolognese con un amico suo, che desidera suonare sicuramente
sopra un basso continuo in tutte le maniere', L'organosuonarino
(Venice, 2/1611); trans. and commentaryin Arnold,op cit, pp.82-90
31Porter,op cit, pp.259-70. The later intabulations are in B704,
pp.201-35; the chord table is on p.209. The tables in FXIX.30are on
ff.2-3.
32James Forbes ('The Nonliturgical Vocal Music of Johannes
Hieronymous Kapsberger (1580-1651)' (PhD diss., University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1977), pp.85-91) discusses these
chitarrone intabulations as evidence of the composer's harmonic
style and of the harmonic structureof the arias, but not as evidence
of continuo realization practice.
33Tablature symbols for contrabass strings in this collection are
the following: e= G,8= F, X(10)=D, 11= C', 14= Gsharp, and 18 = F
sharp.
34See fn.29. I believe that the instruments of melodic ornamen-
tation, as opposed to instruments of chordal foundation, which
Agazzaridescribes, are appropriatemostly to the realization of the
continuo in ritornellos, sinfonie, dances and perhaps in choruses,
ensembles and some metrical arias in operas, concerted madrigals
and cantatas, oratorios and liturgical music of the early Baroque,
but not in simple monodies or passages in stile recitativo,which
evidentially require the very discreet accompaniments of a single
instrument as shown in the tablatures discussed here. I wish this
point had been made in G. Rose, 'Agazzari and the Improvising
Orchestra',JAMS18 (1965), pp.382-93.