Joan Ambrosio Dalza’s collection “Intabulatura de Lauto, Libro 4” (1508) is one of the most significant musical anthologies for the Renaissance lute. It was published in Venice by the famous music printer Ottaviano Petrucci. The collection contains approximately 42 dances, 9 ricercars, 5 preludes, vocal intabulations, and one Arabic-Andalusian piece.
This book holds immense historical importance as it contains the very first printed pavans in music history.
Tastar de corde
- Description: Literally meaning “testing of the strings.” These are very short, improvisatory pieces used to test the instrument, warm up the fingers, and establish the key.
- English Translation: Testing of the strings (Short, improvisatory prelude to warm up the fingers and check the tuning).
- Recercar (Ricercar / Recercar dietro)
- Description: The ricercar (from the Italian word for “to search” or “to try out”) often follows a Tastar de corde (recercar dietro = subsequent ricercar). It is a contrapuntal, imitative piece considered a precursor to the fugue.
- English Translation: Search / Seeking (An imitative, contrapuntal prelude that often follows the Tastar de corde).
2. The Dance Suites: Padoane / Pavane
Dalza established the first three-movement dance suite in music history within this volume. He noted in the book: “Nota che tutte le pavane hanno el suo saltarello e piva” (“Note that all pavans have their saltarello and piva”).
- Pavana alla venetiana / Pavana alla ferrarese
- Description: A solemn, slow processional court dance in duple meter. Dalza distinguishes stylistically between the Venetian (venetiana) and the Ferrarese (ferrarese) variants.
- English Translation: Paduan/Pavan in the Venetian / Ferrarese style (A stately, slow court dance in duple meter).
- Saltarello
- Description: The second, more animated movement of the suite in triple meter. It is often rhythmically and harmonically based on the preceding pavan.
- English Translation: Little Hop / Jumping Dance (A lively, jumping dance in triple meter following the Pavan).
- Piva
- Description: The fast, folkloric concluding movement of the suite in rapid triple meter. It is named after the Italian bagpipe (Piva), mimicking its drone sound in the lute’s bass register.
- English Translation: Bagpipe Dance (A very fast, rustic concluding dance in triple meter mimicking a bagpipe).
3. Individual Dances
- Calata ala spagnola
- Description: A calata is a 16th-century Italian folk dance in duple meter. This version is composed “in the Spanish style” and features syncopated, dance-like rhythms.
- English Translation: Dance in the Spanish style (An uptempo, rhythmic instrumental folk dance).
- Calata ala taliana
- Description: The variant of the calata composed “in the Italian style.”
- English Translation: Dance in the Italian style.
- Caldibi castigliano
- Description: An exotic individual piece. Musicologists suggest this is an arrangement of an Arabic-Andalusian melody (Calvi vi valvi).
- English Translation: The Castilian Caldibi (A unique instrumental piece believed to be an arrangement of an Arabic-Andalusian tune).
4. Vocal Arrangements (Vocal Intabulations)
- Frottole
- Description: Intabulations (transcriptions) of popular, polyphonic secular Italian songs (frottolas) for solo lute. Dalza arranged pieces by famous composers of the era, including Bartolomeo Tromboncino and Marchetto Cara.
- English Translation: Frottolas (Lute arrangements of popular, polyphonic secular Italian songs).
