La Sirena 1530
Prattica di Musica/Andrea Gavagnin
rec. 2024, Sala della carità, Padua, Italy
Texts and translations included
Reviewed as a download
NovAntiqua NAD6 [57]

The madrigal was the main form of musical entertainment in Italy in the second half of the 16th century. It had its origins in the frottola, which flourished from the end of the 15th century to the 1620s and 30s. The shift from frottola to madrigal was gradual and partial. Many early madrigals still bear the traces of the frottola. The madrigals that were included in the first printed edition that used the word ‘madrigal’ on its title page, attest to that. This collection, published in 1530, is the subject of the disc reviewed here.

The title of the collection, Madrigali de diversi excellentissimi musici, Libro Primo de la Sirena, was connected to the powerful Roman Colonna family, the twin-tailed siren which figures on the frontpage of the collection being the family’s symbol. Moreover, the last madrigal, Per ch’io de dir desio, specifically refers to them: “O ornament and firmly founded column (colonna) of the Pallavicino family, under whose leaves the servant’s shaded, and those seeking virtue, which was never the more combined with beauty”. The reference suggests that the collection may have been put together at the occasion of the marriage of Ortensia Colonna into the Pallavicino family.

Music was mostly printed in separate parts rather than in score, which explains, why often parts have been lost – and that is the case here. The altus partbook is preserved in the Biblioteca Colombina in Seville (it once belonged to Columbus’ son Fernando Colón), whereas the superius and bassus parts are in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek in Munich in a reprint of 1533 (which includes some additional pieces, not recorded here). Ten of the 18 pieces are known from other sources, from which the missing tenor part can be taken. Eight pieces only appear in the 1530 collection, and this means that the missing parts need to be reconstructed. In the booklet, the ensemble’s director, Andrea Gavagnin, explains the procedures in this matter. He does not claim any ‘authenticity’; these reconstructions are attempts to make these pieces available for performance again, and given the historical importance of this collection and the quality of the music, this can only be appreciated.

What is especially notable is the inclusion of a chanson by Clément Janequin. Reveillez vous, cueurs endormis is one of his best-known and most popular pieces, better known as Chant des oyseaux. It attests to the popularity of French music in Italy. Philippe Verdelot was also of French birth and played a crucial role in the development of the madrigal. Next to nothing is known about his career. His family name is derived from the place where he was born, which is in northern France and he must have moved to Italy fairly early, but it is not known exactly when. It seems that he was in Venice in the first decade of the 16th century; later, he was in Bologna and Rome. In 1521 he arrived in Florence where he was given the two most prestigious positions in the city: maestro di cappella at the baptistry of S Maria del Fiore and at the cathedral. He died there, probably between 1530 and 1532. In the 1520s, some pieces by him were included in anthologies; these are a mixture of elements of the frottola and the madrigal. One of his madrigals in the 1530 collection can be dated: Trista Amarilli mia was written at the occasion of the Sack of Rome in 1527 by troops of Emperor Charles V, as part of the War of the League of Cognac.

Verdelot is the best-represented composer in this collection by eight pieces. Two pieces are written by Costanzo Festa. At the time of publication, he worked in Rome as a singer in the Cappella Sistina. His oeuvre includes sacred music, but also a large number of madrigals. Whereas the other madrigals in the 1530 collection are in four parts, Festa’s Altro non è’l mio amor is for three voices. The oeuvre of his namesake Sebastiano – probably a relative, but that cannot be proven – is much smaller, as he died at a young age. He was also active in Rome and was one of the earliest composers of madrigals; his contributions to the genre are influenced by the French chanson.

Like Verdelot, the composer known as Maistre Jhan (Jan, Jehan) was of French birth. From 1512 until his death in 1538 he was active at the court in Ferrara, where he may have been maestro di cappella. His oeuvre consists mainly of sacred music, but he also wrote a number of madrigals, all of which were published in anthologies.

Two other names cannot be identified with any security. Carlo may be Charles d’Argentil, who in 1528 entered the papal chapel as a bass singer; two masses are also attributed to him. The booklet suggests Jac. de Tho. could be Jacopo de Toscana, but does not provide us with any information about him. He does not appear in New Grove and a search on the internet is to no avail.

This disc is not only important for historical reasons and for the quality of the music. It is also interesting with regard to performance practice. There were several ways of performing madrigals. The most obvious and probably most common was a performance by a group of singers, likely always one-per-part. However, it is known that instruments could participate, either playing colla voce or as substitute for one or several voices. These different ways are practised here. The ensemble includes three instruments: recorder, cornett and viola da gamba. They are used in some of the madrigals in various roles. Two items are performed by soprano and lute. This was a very common line-up: none other than Adrian Willaert published madrigals by Verdelot in his arrangements for voice and lute. One piece is performed here in a transcription for lute. I would have liked this version as an alternative, alongside a vocal performance. In Verdelot’s Amor quanto più lieto the upper part is played on the recorder, playing diminutions. It is well played but I wonder whether the application of diminutions is not a little anachronistic.

These madrigals are early specimens of the genre. That means that one should not expect the close connection between text and music which was to become a hallmark of madrigals of later times. The way words like “death”, “torment” or “weeping” are set, is far away from the world of Carlo Gesualdo, to mention an extreme example of text expression. In the treatment of the text, one observes the connection to the frottola but that does not make these pieces any less attractive; the performances are excellent. I had not heard of Prattica di Musica before, and I am impressed by its qualities. It consists of fine voices, which blend perfectly. The singers manage to make sure that the text is always clearly intelligible. The variety in ways of performing works very well, with appealing instrumental contributions. The booklet includes the lyrics with an English translation, which is a big plus of this enjoyable production. Those are reasons enough to specially recommend it.

Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen

Contents

Costanzo Festa (c1485/90-1545)
Lieti fior
Philippe Verdelot (1480/85/1522?)
Trista Amarilli mia
Se gli occhi
Carlo (Charles d’Argentil/Argentille/Argentilly?, active 1528-1556)
Donna s’io non vi veggio
Philippe Verdelot
Con lacrime e sospir
Clément Janequin (c1485-1558)
Reveillez vous cueurs endormis (Le chant des oiseaux)
Constanzo Festa
Altro non è’l mio amor
Philippe Verdelot
Dio per mostrare in vita
anonymous
Se l’aura porge
Carlo
Madonna io me pensava
Philippe Verdelot
Se del mio amor temete
Maistre Jan (c1485-1538)
Hor vedete madonna
Philippe Verdelot
Amor quanto più lieto
Sebastiano Festa (c1490/95-1524)
Se amor qualche remedio
Jac. de Tho. (Jacopo de Toscana?)
Quando mia pastorella
Philippe Verdelot
Quella che sospirando
Se l’ardor fusse equale
Carlo
Per ch’io de dir desio