Abstract

Paolo Virchi's II primo libro di tabolatura di citthara di ricercati, madrigali, canzoni, napolitane et saltarelli (Venice: Girolamo Scotto, 157414) is typical of many tablatures written for lute and cittern during the sixteenth century. It consists of fantasias, intabulations of madrigals, solo songs for tenor and cittern, and dance music. This thesis presents a complete transcription and analysis of the collection, the only surviving copy of which is preserved in the Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna. The edition was made from a microfilm copy obtained from this library.

Virchi's music demonstrates his command of four divergent styles prevalent in the sixteenth century. The intabulations give evidence that Virchi was aware of the requirements of modal theory, supplying in the- madrigal arrangements the musica ficta needed to establish mode, create cadences, and correct vertical and linear imperfect intervals. The comparative analysis of ten intabulations of Ferabosco's "Io mi son giovinetta" shows that Virchi was individual in his ficta application, coinciding with the others in cadential approach, but remaining distinct in how he handled new modal areas and cross relations. The solo songs with cittern accompaniment are typical of solo singing in mid-sixteenth century Italy, as well as demonstrating links to the musical and metrical forms of the canzone villanesca alla napolitana. Virchi's songs are musically similar to those of Vincenzo Galilei and Gabriell Fallamero, as they may have been originally unaccompanied vocal pieces arranged for tenor and cittern. Finally, the fantasias and dance music illustrate Virchi's versatility. The former is a modal, polyphonic genre, the latter providing evidence that the modal distinctions of the Renaissance had begun to give way to the emerging functional tonality of dance music.

Degree

College and Department

Music