It takes its name from viscount fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to cambridge university in 1816, where it remains to this day in the. Glenn gould plays william byrd and orlando gibbons and. Lodged in the fitzwilliam museum in cambridge it contains more than 300 works for the virginal, by composers such as john, bull, william byrd, thomas tomkins and many others. Ive never been keen on the idea that the fitzwilliam virginal book was copied by one.
The ornamentation in the fitzwilliam virginal book. Young lady seated at the virginal, johannes vermeer. Honors theses carl goodson honors program 1970 the. It is not from the fitzwilliam virginal book or parthenia the 2 main volumes from that time to which bull contributed his music i decided to make it a call and response chart. The fitzwilliam virginal book is the most famous, extensive and important collection of keyboard music from the english elizabethan and jacobean era. These charming miniatures have been arranged for various ensembles by barbirolli, rubbra, elgar howarth and others.
John bull, william byrd, giles farnaby, orlando gibbons, thomas morley, peter philips, thomas tomkins, pieterjan belder fitzwilliam virginal book, vol. I dont actually have that, and the preface is not part of the scan on imslp. I was also exploring the music of the french clavecinistes around this time and benefited from brief harpsichord study with raymond schroyens in brussels. These ornaments written in notes may be seen as virtuoso decoration. It included nearly 300 pieces for the virginal written by respected composers of the time such as bull, morley and tallis. Im not certain of the provenance of this piece burning river brass sent me the keyboard music and i arranged it for their recording of knights and castles. Fitzwilliam virginal book music collection britannica. The fitzwilliam virginal book is the most remarkable, and in many respects the most valuable collection of elizabethan keyboard music, according to groves dictionary of music and musicians. Darcy in pride and prejudice it was his mothers maiden name is just one of several fitz names, including fitzroy, fitzgerald, fitzpatrick, that could be used to honor a dad named william, roy, gerald or patrick. The fitzwilliam virginal book edited from the original manuscript with an introduction and notes transl. It is an enormous collection of pieces for virginal harpsichord by various composers, including well known names like william byrd, john bull and giles farnaby. Mar 21, 2019 how wonderful to have the opportunity to discover some english renaissance music on trinitys grade 6 syllabus, the coranto by william byrd.
Compared to the next two gibbons pieces, the byrd pieces would not have been so hard to find if you knew where to look. Oct 03, 2018 the fitzwilliam virginal book, volume 6. For example, the elizabethanera fitzwilliam virginal book contains a number of keyboard works by noted composerperformers of the time, such as william byrd, which consist of sets of divisions on popular songs of the time. My ladye nevells booke and the fitzwilliam virginal book were occasionally reprinted and updated over the years. It contains the largest collection of elizabethan and jacobean keyboard music a virginal being a small harpsichord numbering nearly three hundred pieces composed during the fifty years before the first published keyboard music in england in 1612. Yet fundamental questions persist concerning the historical performance practice of many pieces. The name fitzwilliam is a boys name of english origin meaning son of william the christian name of the dashing mr. One reason for ornamentation was that in the baroque age music nons. Practising the piano an elizabethan gem practising the piano. I had always assumed gould had made a finger slip and played the ornamentation of the penultimate bar incorrectly. He was adamant in assigning the compilation of the fitzwilliam virginal book to a member of the tregian family, in spite of the lack of archival corroboration. Whereas william byrd the recusant roman catholic wrote church music in a more personal and introspective vein, william byrd the dashing member of queen elizabeths court freely bestowed musical favors upon the fashionable men and women of the time. Harpsichord music from england and germany early music.
There is a beautiful, handwritten manuscript in the fitzwilliam museum in cambridge known as the fitzwilliam virginal book. This coranto is among his many contributions to an important collection of keyboard music from the late elizabethan and early jacobean periods, known as the fitzwilliam virginal book. Duphlys exercise book, written for him, became a part of fitzwilliams 1816 bequest to cambridge university, along with the fitzwilliam virginal book, among many other important scores and documents. Pieter jan belder, one of the most respected harpsichordists of today, has taken on this huge project. Fitzwilliam virginal book, also called erroneously queen elizabeths virginal book, an early 17thcentury english manuscript collection of 297 pieces for keyboard by many of the major composers of the period, including william byrd, who is represented by 67 pieces. In the history of musical notation, there is no more important document than the fitzwilliam virginal book. The fitzwilliam virginal book was compiled around 1620, but contains pieces dating back to the mid16 th century. The piece is, in a sense, a collection of memories. Introduction to embellishment of renaissance music by bill long. The ornamentation in the fitzwilliam virginal book with an. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Theres a variety of playing levels, a few quite easy pieces, and some quite virtuosic ones.
Although the word virginals or virginal is used today to refer to a specific instrument similar to a small, portable harpsichord, at the. Byrd composed 22 variations on the walsingham tune. The fitzwilliam virginal book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late elizabethan and early jacobean periods in england, i. You may also find this article, if a little academic, useful. Byrd coranto no 218 from fitzwilliam virginal book youtube. Performing ornaments in english virginal and harpsichord. Introduction to embellishment of renaissance music by bill long what is embellishment. This page is only for complete editions and multiple selections from the collection here. A virginal or pair of virginals is a rectangular type of harpsichord, smaller and simpler in construction. Along with the pieces by byrd and many other composers contained in the fitzwilliam virginal book, the collection gives a wonderful picture of the richness of elizabethan keyboard music of the time. A popular instrument was the virginal, and a famous collection was the fitzwilliam virginal book, which contained over 300 pieces for the virginal. Buy fitzwilliam virginal book volume 1 by various isbn.
Of farnabys 53 extant keyboard works, all but two are found in the fitzwilliam virginal book, thus the current recording yields a representative sampling of the composers works as they are known to have circulated during his lifetime. The ars diminutionis manifests itself in the fvb as writtenout figuration, writtenout ornaments and ornaments indicated by sign, the latter consisting of the single and double stroke which are peculiar to virginal music. The extraordinary fitzwilliam virginal book is a fascinating document. A polymath, lover of music, amateur composer and harpsichordist, musically active from about 1760 until his death. Johannes, jan or johan vermeer 1632 december 1675, dutch. Persistent questions about english keyboard music circa 1600 english keyboard music from the decades on either side of 1600 has been one of the most thoroughly researched of all early repertories. It is included in two of the most important collections of keyboard music of the renaissance, my ladye nevells booke and the fitzwilliam virginal book. Pieterjan belder on his project recording the complete fitzwilliam virginal book. But no, that lydian flourish and odd resolution is indeed in the fitzwilliam virginal book, which almost certainly was goulds source. The ornaments written out in notes in the fitzwilliam virginal book the ornaments written out in notes in the fvb are, like their continental counterparts, a stock of regularly occurring figures which form part of the writtenout passaggi, as an evaluation of the treatment given them by the virginalists will reveal. Young lady seated at the virginal, johannes vermeer johannes, jan or johan vermeer 1632 december 1675, dutch the fitzwilliam virginal book the fitzwilliam virginal book, an early 17thcentury english manuscript for keyboard music, is yet another compendium of musical pieces that combine the pieces of several composers. The uks largest source of early music instruments, sheet music and accessories.
Twentyfour pieces from the fitzwilliam virginal book, london. There may be a table in the preface to the dover edition of the fitzwilliam virginal book. Persistent questions about english keyboard music circa 1600 english keyboard music from the decades on either side of 1600 has been one of the most. A lot of the music was programmatic it tells a story, is descriptive, e. The bells byrd, william movementssections movtssecs. Grove music doctor philosophiae this study sets out to examine the ornamentation in the manuscript gbcfm 32. May 24, 2015 there may be a table in the preface to the dover edition of the fitzwilliam virginal book. Squire continued to elaborate upon his supposed tregian connection for the 1899 publication of music from the fitzwilliam virginal book. This past friday brilliant classics released the sixth twocd volume in the project of dutch harpsichordist pieterjan belder to record the 297 compositions collected in the fitzwilliam virginal book. I also liked his use rubato and his never ostentatious ornamentation. Each piece appears in a least one of these sources. Embellishment is adding notes to a part to make it more interesting for the player and listener.
The ornamentation in the fitzwilliam virginal book, with an introductory study of contemporary practice by willem diederik viljoen promotor. The best place to buy recorders, viols, lutes, harps, percussion and all things early music. It is both fitting and fortunate that viscount fitzwilliam studied with duphly. Still, my suspicion is that most concert pianists have paid little attention to these sources, then and even now. This is especially true in his keyboard music, where a large number of dance tunes, fantasias, and variation sets bear the name of some lord or lady. You cant get there from here is a meditation, in several connected sections played without pause, on, among other things, the fitzwilliam virginal book, itself a somewhat abstract collection of music by various composers. Volume 1, recorded in 2010, in a series of recordings of the complete fitzwilliam virginal book, a fascinating project and the first of its kind. Recordings of pieces from the fitzwilliam virginal book, mp3 files free download. Posted on october 3, 2018 by emr2015 posted in recording tagged keyboard, renaissance. Originally written for the virginals a rectangular type of harpsichord, the piece is full of ornaments that were typical of the period. The relation of the psaltery to the harpsichord was stated as early as 1511 by sebastian virdung, who wrote that keys were.
Performing the keyboard works of william byrd vox humana. The names of the various ornaments can be related to the harp ornaments that bunting collected from hempson, and the. It is now deposited in the fitzwilliam museum at cambridge. The renaissance english composer william byrd 15431623 wrote a set of twelve variations entitled the carmans whistle, though whether this is a song or an actual whistle by carmen is unknown. Full text of fitzwilliam virginal book internet archive. This is from the fitzwilliam virginal book, from the late renaissance period, which was also known as queen elizabeths virginal book. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In these variations, which byrd wrote in the 1570s or 1580s, he shows his mastery. The fitzwilliam virginal book selections for tenor viol and keyboard. The ornamentation in the fitzwilliam virginal book with an introductory study of contemporary practice. This is the fourth volume in his acclaimed series of recordings from the fitzwilliam virginal book, with the first praised by fanfare, who said this is one complete recording series that i want. It takes its name from viscount fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to cambridge university in 1816. Continental treatises describe the individual ornaments and thus provide a terminology with which to describe these ornaments. The principal sources for the pieces in the volume are my ladye nevells booke, the weelkes manuscript gblbl add ms 30485, parthenia, the fitzwilliam virginal book, and the tomkins holograph fpn res.
Of unknown origins, the previously scarce collectors item is now available at popular prices for the first time. Pieterjan belder harpsichords brilliant classics 95458 2. There is scarcely anything on the continent to equal it, save for the equally remarkable keyboard writing of. Originally written for the virginals a rectangular.
Since the first volume was released in march 2012, the project has proceeded at a relatively slow pace. B g a p l elizabeth rogers her virginal book anonymous. Oct 10, 2015 as already stated, ornamentation in the baroque era isnt peculiar to french music, so the question might be put in the broader perspective of ornamentation in the baroque era. This chapter traces the history and ownership of the fitzwilliam virginal book from its presentday location in the fitzwilliam museum in. But farnaby also left extensive variations sets, fantasias, dances and keyboard settings of ensemble pieces by others. Contents listing this is a detailed listing of the contents of the fitzwilliam virginal book. Fitzwilliam virginal book with an introductory study of contemporary practice d. All the music in this programme comes from the fitzwilliam museum, cambridge, and most of it was collected by its founder, richard, seventh viscount fitzwilliam of merrion 1745 1816. The book eventually found its way, via the library of pepusch, into the hand of richard, viscount fitzwilliam, and thus to the museum that bears his name in cambridge. We are lucky to have any of his keyboard music at all, since the fitzwilliam virginal book is the unique source. It takes its name from viscount fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to cambridge university in 1816, where it remains to this day in the fitzwilliam museum. Christopher hogwood the fitzwilliam virginal book 1981. Then in the early 1970s when i purchased my first harpsichord, i began to explore the contents of the fitzwilliam virginal book. Fitzwilliam virginal book, also called erroneously queen elizabeth s virginal book, an early 17thcentury english manuscript collection of 297 pieces for keyboard by many of the major composers of the period, including william byrd, who is represented by 67 pieces.
As already stated, ornamentation in the baroque era isnt peculiar to french music, so the question might be put in the broader perspective of ornamentation in the baroque era. In the division viol, christopher simpson says of embellishment, in this manner of play, which is the perfection of the viol. How wonderful to have the opportunity to discover some english renaissance music on trinitys grade 6 syllabus, the coranto by william byrd. The fitzwilliam virginal book byrd, william 1543 1623 the morris pg. The composition takes about 9 or 10 minutes in performance. Originally written for the virginals a rectangular type of harpsichord, the piece is full of ornaments that were. A cornucopia of early keyboard music, a twoandahalf hour survey of 36 works, each by a different composer, many not recorded before on a. The fitzwilliam virginal book, an early 17thcentury english manuscript for keyboard music, is yet another compendium of musical pieces that combine the pieces of several composers. Ten arrangements of wellknown pieces by byrd, phillips, peerson, anon and others from the fitzwilliam virginal book. Edward bevins table of ornaments from london, british.
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