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Frescobaldi Canzonen a 4…

for four-part instrumental ensemble (Canto, Alto, Tenore e Basso) and Basso continuo, Vol. II: Nos. V-X. Score and Parts.
Edited by Friedrich Cerha. DM 1452.
Doblinger: Diletto Musicale. 36pp +5 parts.

[dropcap]I[/dropcap] reviewed the first volume in December 2014. The six items here complete the final group of the 1634 edition. They are numbered in continuation of Vol. 1. All are notated in SATB except for the first canzon (No. V), Sopra Rugier, which is in high clefs except that the bass is F4: No. VI is Sopra Romanesca, the other four canzonas lack titles. The modern layout, however, is Tr Tr A B, except for no obvious reason No. VII has the second part in alto part as well as the third: the only unplayable violin note is in bar 56: the second part can stay in the treble, but with a footnote suggesting a swap from bar 56 note 2 till bar 58 note 1. The Basso ad Organo is named in V, VI, VIII, the other three are Basso generale: is the difference significant? The editor’s last sentence is “Of course, all triple-time sections ask for a quick tempo”, but doesn’t that usually relate it to the duple time at a quick but proportional tempo – or am I old-fashioned? I probably played the canzonas here as well as in vol. 1 back in the 1960s. If I had a chance to play them again, I’d sit at the organ! The volume is available from Universal Edition, 48 Great Marlborough St, at £21.50.

Clifford Bartlett

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