Concerto delle donne

Il Canto delle Dame di Ferrara, also Concerto delle Donne, were three professional singing women - individually, in pairs and "A Tre Soprani " with basso continuo accompaniment - at the court of Duke Alfonso II d' Este in Ferrara at the time of the late Renaissance. Their work is particularly passed down through the written for her twelve madrigals Luzzasco Luzzaschis of 1601. The chordal basso voice was very likely played alternately by themselves. For five years, participated as fourth virtuoso Tarquinia Molza.

History

1601 luxury edition of twelve madrigals Luzzasco Luzzaschis was published for one to three sopranos and harpsichord accompaniment in Rome, was commissioned by the Duke Alfonso II d' Este of Ferrara. The Duke had died in 1597; during his lifetime he had reserved this " Madrigali secreti " evening for his " almost daily " concerti delle Donne ( private concerts before select audiences in the chambers of his wife ). In February 1579 he had fifteen year old Margherita from the ducal family of Gonzaga in Mantua married who - like him - was very fond of music.

Within the rich musical tradition at the Este court in Ferrara, these are only " già serenissima Duca " printed ( after the death of the Duke ) twelve madrigals a singular monument of a nearly 20 -year heyday of the Canto delle Dame on the way to a new elocution, for were / are parallel discussed the terms as Seconda pratica and " monody ". This on Textverdeutlichung and affect expression gave seconda pratica solved in the course of the late Renaissance, derived from the same terminus, Prima from pratica of polyphonic ( many-voiced ) by composing the stricter rules of counterpoint.

The then-known poet and musician Tarquinia Molza of Modena played an important role in connection with the Ferrarese concerto. From 1583-1589 she was engaged at the Ferrarese court with high pay, the years before she was staying there as a guest,; also worked in the previous years with a bass player as well as other artists.

The virtuosity of women

The special feature of the "Canto delle Dame di Ferrara " is the singing with little voices in the same high position; the compositions were specially designed for this still known by name singers ( not for neuters ) composed.

At the Ferrara court there was a long tradition Madrigal, and the " Concerto grosso " with many participants. In contrast to the five - and multiple ( mixed) voice Ferrara Ensemble plants of the genus Madrigal for soprano, alto, tenor and bass contains Luzzaschis band from 1601 exclusively Madrigals for low voice or solo occupation in soprano range ( three unanimous, four two-part and five three-part ) that were sung only by women.

In the score of 1601, twelve madrigals Luzzaschis are the ornate embellishments such diminutions ( resolution of long notes in many small ), Passaggi, suggestions and trills, which are usually improvised, notated precisely - and that's really special. Thus, their execution is authentic repeatable and allows a precise idea of what the Ferrarese singers made ​​the end of the 16th century famous for.

Employed as maids of honor of the Duchess, they were paid in this way for their art; how professional they were, adds the report of Alessandro Striggio what they are the most difficult works without a trial with all the ornaments from the blade sing konnten.Vincenzo Giustiniani called vocal effects as accenti, effetti and gruppi.

The name of the singing " Donne principalissime " have survived: Laura Peperara, Livia d' Arco and Anna Guarini. The latter was the daughter of the poet and royal secretary Ferrara Giovanni Battista Guarini, on the back most of the madrigal texts. According to the title, the madrigals are composed " by cantare, et sonare " ( singing and playing ). For the instrumental accompaniment Signora Guarini (lute), Signora Livia ( viola da gamba ) and Signora Laura (harp) are called in a parallel source, which are the same as mentioned singers.

The madrigal was a vernacular, variable, lyrical form of Italian poet and musician. In cooperation with the ducal note printer Vittorio Baldini (from 1580) developed at the Este court, the tradition of " Ferrarese Madrigal School"; she moved, especially through the singing skills of the Concerto delle Donne, prominent guests such as the Munich court music Orlando di Lasso or the singer and composer Giulio Caccini and other members of the Camerata Fiorentina. This academy was - as is known - instrumental in the development of opera.

Interesting in this connection is a passage from the travel diary of Ferdinand of Bavaria on January 29, 1579, who visited the Duke of Ferrara shortly before his marriage to Margherita Gonzaga:

" Then [ after a" stately Danz " ] be four Gentil Donne addressed in the Duchess Camer, there under a Music anger maybe in [ them ], aine hatt beaten uff ainem instrument, and they all four Mitt Einandern, even to times aine alone, gesongen therein. Like voices and Colloraturn [= ornaments ], I never heard of. "

This eyewitness account comes from the time shortly before the formation of the singing trio. He is also a proof of the ( lively ) sounding of an instrument ( " uff ainem instrument beaten " [ Tarquinia Molza ?] ) With a " Gentil Donne " the singing accompanied. The term "beating" was then used for playing the lute or a keyboard instrument. The instrument (lute or harpsichord) was, according to the description, particularly in the eye, "and they all four Mitt Einandern " [ ... ] have " sung into it ." " And reconcile " means sung in common harmony; as to conclude there was monodic passages: " also times aine alone ", ie solo singing with basso [= harmonic ] accompaniment.

In February 1583, a prominent member of the Florentine initiators of the Italian opera of the singers enthuses with the following words

" [ ... ] Tre Dame, anzi tre Angioli di paradiso, by che che non mi Cantano cosi miracolosamente pare p [ er] quanto io ne intendo "

( Three ladies sang like angels in paradise as one can not sing wonderful in my opinion ).

Importance

The singers of the Ferrarese concerto Laura Peperara (ca. 1545-1601 ), Livia d' Arco ( 1565-1611 ) and Anna Guarini ( 1563-1598 ) and Tarquinia Molza ( 1542-1617 ) are the first virtuoso professional singers in the history of music received the 16th century, even before the castrati began to dominate the field of singing in high pitch.

Your program, of which we have obtained by Luzzaschi a printed example, she points to the path of the stile moderno, the groundbreaking for the Opera Seconda pratica. They were even before the turn of the century in the development of accompanying single song (called " monody " ) involved. Which is listed by Luzzaschi chordal accompaniment its 1 -, 2 - and 3 -part, tending to homophony madrigals for equal voices - to see the sheet music from 1601 - marks the beginning of this evolving basso continuo practice. The chords are exactly written out (a rarity in the musical sources ) and show how both harmonic and tonal and impulse-generating support is from the baseline.

The singers at the court of Ferrara gave their concerts with this style of playing which was imitated throughout Italy, decisive impulses. Her art lay in the affective treatment of voice, both the melodic line as well as in swinging, homophonic harmony of three high voices. With the finest or most intense colorations they designed the held tone or decorated him on tortuous way in the sense of the text content. In the literature of " crescendo " and " decrescendo " (the so -called " messa di voce " ) and quiet passages with " esclamazioni " ( sobs ) the speech. This Affetti followed the corresponding facial gestures. A special effect was the savoring of dissonance before its dissolution in the basic chord with three-part homophonic sung trill, a technique reminiscent of at least technically similar moments of the late Beethoven. Luzzaschi must have the singers "written on her voice " his madrigals. The height of this art of singing was only achieved by the castrato again later.