s 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).