Girolamo Frescobaldi

Girolamo Frescobaldi

Source: Stella Sacra

Born in September 1583 in Ferrara, Italy, Girolamo Frescobaldi is a major composer of early baroque. By the time Giulio Caccini published 'The New Music' in Florence in 1602 Frescobaldi was about nineteen years of age. The baroque had arrived largely as a rejection of polyphony in the achievement of counterpoint (relationship between parts), a sweeping away of what had passed before as it focused, ideally, on only two parts called monody: one voice accompanied by (basso) continuo, the latter emerging with baroque insofar that now its notation in scores right along voice became standard. The continuo is a means of keeping measure alike bass or upright bass. In secular music performers were expected to arrange as they liked, but when it came to continuo Frescobaldi himself was inclined to think harpsichord or organ.

Frescobaldi's father was a property owner whose son studied under Luzzasco Luzzaschi in Ferrara before leaving for Rome. Numerous sources have Frescobaldi admitted to the Accademia (Congregation) di Santa Cecilia in 1604 where he may have sung and played organ. Such, however, is speculative [Hammond et al]. Frescobaldi's presence in Rome isn't confirmable until 1607 when he was hired on as an organist at Santa Maria. He was also employed by the Archbishop of Rhodes, with whom he made his only journeys beyond Italy, traveling to Flanders and Antwerp. In 1608 Frescobaldi succeeded Ercole Pasquini as organist at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, which position he held intermittently until his death. Between 1610 and 1613 Frescobaldi began working for Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, keeping that position until 1631.

In 1614 Frescobaldi had been hired by the Duke of Mantua. But he found the people "cold" and lasted only about five months, that leading to his publishing of 'Toccate e partite d'intavolatura' the next year in Rome. 'Partita sopra l'aria della Romanesca' was added to the second edition of that in 1616. Future editions arrived in 1618, 1628 and 1637. "F" numbers for Frescobaldi are from Alexander Silbiger and The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music. This is a thematic rather than chronological directory ranging from F1 (a couple of missae) to F20 (lost works).

'Toccata No.1'   F2.01   Girolamo Frescobaldi

No.1 of 'Toccate e partite d'intavolatura di cimbalo'   Pub Rome 1615

Clavichord: Kevin Komisaruk

'Toccate d'intavolatura di cimbalo'   F2   Girolamo Frescobaldi

'Toccate e partite d'intavolatura di cimbalo'   Pub Rome 1615

Harpsichord: Laura Alvini

'Partita sopra l'aria della Romanesca'   F2.13   Girolamo Frescobaldi

No.13 of 'Toccate e partite d'intavolatura di cimbalo'   Edition 2   Pub Rome 1616

Harpsichord: Laura Alvini

Moving ahead into the twenties, Frescobaldi published 'Il primo libro delle Capricci' in 1624 consisting of twelve. His third volume of 'Toccate e partite d'intavolatura' saw print in 1628. He is thought to have published 'Il primo libro delle canzoni' in Rome in 1928 before heading to Florence the same year to serve the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The canzon is the Italian version of the French chanson. Frescobaldi published both volumes of 'Arie musicali' in 1630 intended for one to three voices with continuo. The air (aria) was a form nigh as popular all over Europe as the madrigal and oft indistinct. The air become the standard in opera which had emerged with baroque at the start of the century. Frescobaldi wrote music largely for keyboard, leaving no dramas as did his major rival in early baroque, Monteverdi.

'Capriccio VI sopra la Spagnoletta'   F4.06   Girolamo Frescobaldi

No.6 of 'Il primo libro delle capricci'   Pub Rome 1624

Clavecin: Cécile Mansuy

'Se l'aura spira tutta vezzosa'   F7.15   Girolamo Frescobaldi

No.15 of Book 1 of 'Arie musicali'   Pub 1630

Soprano: Alice Borciani   Orgel: Magdalena Hasibeder

Theorbe: Maria Ferré   Barockvioline: Sabine Stoffer

Rome again exerted its pull in 1634 when Pope Urban VIII offered Frescobaldi a position at St. Peters. He simultaneously found himself employed by Cardinal Francesco Barberini as well. In 1635 he published his 'Fiori musicali' consisting of liturgical works for organ. This was his next to last work.

'Fiori Musicali'   F12   Girolamo Frescobaldi

'Fiori musicali'   Pub 1635

Organ: Luigi Ferdinando Tagliavini w chant

Frescobaldi's final work was 'Aggiunta'. This was nine pieces in various forms including three ballets added to the 1637 edition of 'Toccate e partite d'intavolatura'. Frescobaldi died on 1 March 1643 only about ten months the same year before Monteverdi. His main claim to fame was instrumental composition, for keyboard especially, authoring canzoni, motets, toccatas, partitas (simply instrumental tunes), capriccios (caprices, usually lively in free form and often virtuosic) and fantasias (improvisational at first but developing more rigid forms over the years).