Girolamo Frescobaldi

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) was the most influential keyboard composer of the late Renaissance/early Baroque period.  His most famous keyboard publications include the first and second book of Toccatas and Partitas, and the Fiori Musicali.  An inventive and daring composer for his time, Frescobaldi composed in a flamboyant improvisatory style using unconventional, unprepared dissonances, changes in texture and tempo, and virtuosic Passagi.  Although composers of the 16th and 17th century did not include many instructions for the performer within the score, clues are found in treatises that provide the modern interpreter with some insight as to how this music would have been performed in Frescobaldi’s time.  Specifically, Frescobaldi included a preface to both his first and second book of Toccates, which although written in an old Italian style of lettering which is difficult to translate verbatim, still provides very important information that must be taken into consideration by the performer.

Without recounting the preface word for word, I will try to touch upon some of the main points.  Frescobaldi states that the ebb and flow of tempo, that is the slowing and accelerating within a piece is essential to the affetti, or the emotional content of a passage.  The term affectwas a common term used to describe emotions in music of the baroque period.  The Affects of a piece are the specific emotions that are being conjured.  C.P.E. Bach discusses this in his treatise on the art of playing the keyboard, as does J.J. Quantz and Leopold Mozart in thier treatises as well, just to name a few.  From the various source readings one quickly becomes acquainted with this mentality which is embraced by all baroque art be it literature, architecture or painting.  Here is a brief quote from the preface to the first book of Toccate from 1614:

“Firstly, that kind of style must not be subject to time…which is beaten now slowly, now quickly, and even held in the air, according to the expression of the music, or the sense of the words.”

He was referring back to the performance of Madrigals in which the conductor would change tempi according to the meaning of the words or when approaching cadences, expressive moments, etc.

In the next quote, when Girolamo uses the term Partite he is referring to themes with variations, of which several are found in his publications, including the Aria detta la Frescobalda and Aria Detto Balleto.

“In the Partite, when you find rapid divisions and expressive passages, it will be advisable to play slowly; the same observation applies to the Toccate.  Those without divisions may be played a little more quickly and it is left to the good taste and fine judgment of the player to regulate the Tempo, in which consist the spirit and perfection of this style and manner of playing.”

translation taken from Arnold Dolmetsch’s The Interpretation of Music of the XVII and XVIIIth centuries.

….to be continued