The
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary
source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England
, i.e., the
late Renaissance and very early
Baroque. It takes its name from
Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to
Cambridge
University
in 1816. It is now deposited in the Fitzwilliam
Museum
at Cambridge.
- :For another major source of Elizabethan keyboard music,
see My Ladye Nevells
Booke.
History
Once called
Queen Elizabeth's
Virginal Book, a title that has been abandoned because it has
been determined that she never owned it, the manuscript was given
no title by its copyist. It was believed to be the manuscript
collection of an amateur keyboard player of the very early 17th
century named
Francis
Tregian the Younger, who may have copied the entire collection
while imprisoned between 1609 and 1619 in connection with his
Catholic sympathies (although his authorship has been disputed
[83859]). Until
Parthenia was printed in about 1612, there
was no keyboard music published as such in England at this time,
and like the
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, most of the
collections of keyboard music were compiled by performers: other
examples include
Will Forster's Virginal Book,
Clement Matchett's
Virginal Book, and
[William] Tisdale's Virginal
Book.
It includes music dating from approximately 1562 to 1612 by
John Bull,
William Byrd,
Orlando Gibbons,
Giles Farnaby (51 of whose 52 known pieces are
included),
Martin Peerson,
Peter Philips and
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, as well
as many others. There are 297 separate pieces (actually, 298: one
piece is numbered, but is blank. Strangely, the Maitland Squire
edition numbers No. 182 twice). As with many keyboard manuscripts
of the time, the pieces were not written for a specific instrument,
and most sound happily on all contemporary keyboard instruments,
including
virginals,
harpsichord,
clavichord and
chamber
organ. Many of the pieces in the book are short, and many of
them are character pieces with droll and memorable titles,
including "Put Up Thy Dagger, Jemy", "The New Sa-Hoo", and
"Quodlings Delight" by
Giles Farnaby;
"Nobody's Gigge", by
Richard
Farnaby; "Pakington's Pownde" and "The Irishe Dumpe"
(anonymous); "The Ghost" and "The Earle of Oxford's Marche" by
William Byrd; "Worster Braules" by
Thomas Tomkins; and the famous
"
Lachrymae Pavan" by
John Dowland, as arranged by
Giles Farnaby and by
William Byrd.
In
1899,
Breitkopf & Härtel published
an edition in two volumes (the Maitland Squire edition, see the
Sources below) with only a basic critical commentary, which has
been reprinted by
Dover
Publications and is available inexpensively. Note that this
contains many errors, despite the revisions made in the second
(Dover) edition. A microfilm facsimile of the manuscript is
included in
The music collections of the Cambridge
libraries (Woodbridge, Conn. : Research Publications, 1991).
Musica Britannica is preparing a volume dedicated to the "Keyboard
Music from Fitzwilliam Manuscripts"
[83860].
Much of this music has yet to be recorded; a complete performance
series has been underway since 2005 by Francis Knights of
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, on virginals, harpsichord,
clavichord and organ (see www.francisknights.co.uk).
The Pieces in the Book
(For each composer, the pieces follow the order in which they
appear in the manuscript)
Anonymous
- Alman
- Barafostus' Dreame
- Muscadin
- Alman
- Galiarda
- Praeludium, El. Kyddermynster
- Praeludium
- The Irishe Hoe-Hoane
- Veni
- Heavene and Erthe
- [Excercise]
- Praeludium
- Praeludium
- Why Aske Yow
- [deest owing to an error in numbering]
- Pakingtons Pownde
- The Irish Dompe
- Watkins Ale
- Can Shee
- A Toye
- An Almain
- Corranto
- Alman
- Corranto
- Corranto
- Corranto
- Daunce
- Praeludium
- Martin Sayd to his Man
- Coranto
- Corranto
- Corranto
- Corranto
- Corranto
- Alman
- Nowels Galliarde
- The Kynges Morisco
- Alman
- A Toye
- Corranto
- Ladye Riche
- Corranto
- A Toye
- Allemanda
- Dalling Alman
- Walsingham
- Galliarda to my Lorde Lumlyes Pavan
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- The Quadran Pavan
- Variation of the Quadran Pavan
- Galiard to the Quadran Pavan
- Pavan
- Galiard to the Pavan
- Sainte Thomas Wake
- Praeludium
- Fantasia
- Praeludium
- Gloria tibi trinitas
- Salvator Mundi
- Galliarda
- Variatio
- Galliarda to the Pavan
- In Nomine
- Christe Redemptor
- The Kynges Hunt
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- Dr Bulls Juell
- The Spanyshe Paven
- The Duke of Brunswykes Alman
- Pypers Galiarde
- Variatio ejusdem
- Praeludium
- Galiarda
- Galiarda
- A Gigge, Doctor Bulls My selfe
- A Gigge
- Praeludium
- Praeludium
- Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la
- The Duchesse of Brunswykes Toye
- Miserere in three partes
- Pavana
- Variatio
- Galiarda
- Variation
- Pavane
- Variatio
- Galiarda
- Variatio
- Pavana (Robert Johnson
set by Giles Farnaby)
- The K[ing's] Hunt
- Spagnioletta
- For tow virginals
- Daphne
- Pawles Wharfe
- Quodlings Deligte
- Putte upp thy Dagger, Jemy
- Bony sweete Robin
- Fantasia
- Wooddy Cocke
- Rosasolis
- Alman (Robert Johnson set by Giles Farnaby)
- The Nuwe Sa-Hoo
- Giles Farnabyes Dreame
- His Rest
- His Humoure
- A Maske
- A Maske
- Fantasia
- A Maske
- Fantasia
- Loth to departe
- Fantasia
- Fantasia
- Ay me, poore Heart
- Fantasia
- Walter Erles Pavan
- The L. Zouches Maske
- Grownde
- Upp T[ails] all
- Tower Hill
- Praeludium
- A Gigge
- Galliarda
- A Toye
- Farnabyes Conceite
- Telle Mee, Daphne
- Mal Sims
- Rosseters Galiarde
- The Flatt Pavan
- Why aske yow
- Farmers Pavan
- The Olde Spagnoletta
- Meridian Alman
- Fantasia
- Fantasia
- Fantasia, Faire Wether, etc.
- Robin
- Goe frome my windowe
- Mundays Joye
- Tirsi, di Luca Marenzio. Ia. Parte
intavolata di Pietro Phillipi.
- Freno
- Cosi morirò
- Fece da voi
- Pavana Pagget
- Galiarda
- Passamezzo Pavana
- Galiarda passamezzo
- Chi fara fede al Cielo, di Alessandro Striggio
- Bon Jour mon Cueur, di Orlando di
Lasso
- Pavana Dolorosa, Treg[ian set
by]
- Galiarda Dolorosa
- Amarilli, di Julio Romano (Giulio
Caccini)
- Margott laborez
- Fantasia
- Pavana
- Le Rossignuol, (Lasso set by)
- Galliardo
- Fantasia
- Goe from My Window
- Nancie
- Fantasia
- Alman
- La Volta (Set by William Byrd)
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- Fantasia
- Jhon come kisse me nowe
- Praeludium
- Fantasia
- Passamezzo Pavana
- Galliardas Passamezzo
- The Carmans Whistle (also
catalogued in My Ladye
Nevells Booke)
- The Huntes upp (also catalogued
in My Ladye Nevells Booke)
- Treg[ian's] Grownde
- Monsieurs Alman
- Variatio
- Alman
- Sellengers Rownde (also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells
Booke)
- Fortune
- O Mistris Myne
- Will Yow Walke
the Woods soe Wylde (also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells
Booke)
- Have With Yow to
Walsingame (also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells
Booke)
- The Bells
- Pavana, Bray
- Galiarda
- Pavana, Ph. Tr.
- Galiarda
- Praeludium to the Fancie
- Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La (also catalogued in My Ladye
Nevells Booke)
- Ut, Re, Mi
- Fantasia
- All in a Garden Grine
- Pavana Lachrymae (By Thomas
Tallis, set by William Byrd)
- The Maydens Songe
- The Quadran Pavian
- Galiarde to the Quadran Pavian
- Malt's come downe (doubtful attribution)
- La Volta
- Alman
- Wolsey's Wylde
- Callino Casturame
- La Volta (T. Morley set by William Byrd)
- Rowland
- The Goste
- Alman
- Galliard
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- The Queene's Alman
- A Medley
- Pavana
- Galliarda
- Miserere in three partes
- Miserere in fore partes
- A Gigg
- Sir Jhon Grayes Galliarde
- Gipsies Rownde
- Coranto
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- Pavana
- Galiarda
- Pavana
- Pavana Fant[asia]
- Galiarda
- The Erle of Oxfordes Marche
- Fantasia
- Pavana, Canon
- Pescodd Tyme
- Pavana deligte (Edward Johnson, set by William Byrd)
- Galiarda (Edward Johnson, set by William Byrd)
- Ladye Montegles Pavan.
The Other Pieces
- Pavana - M. S.
- The Woods so Wilde - Orlando
Gibbons
- Praeludium - Thomas
Oldfield
- In Nomine - William Blitheman (see John Blitheman)
- Fantasia - Nicholas
Strogers
- Alman - Nicholas Strogers
- Toccata - Giovanni Picchi
- Praeludium, Toccata - Jan
Pieterszoon Sweelinck
- Pavana - Thomas Warrock
- Galiarda - Thomas Warrock
- Praeludium - Galeazzo
- Heavene and Erthe - Fre - Francis Tregian
- Felix namque 1 - Thomas Tallis
- Felix namque 2 - Thomas Tallis
- Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La a 4 voci - Jan Pieterszoon
Sweelinck
- Pavana Lachrymae - John Dowland
(set by William Byrd)
- Galiarda - James Harding (set by
William Byrd)
- Pavana - Thomas Tomkins
- A Grownde - Thomas Tomkins
- Barafostus' Dreame - Thomas Tomkins
- The Hunting Galliard - Thomas Tomkins
- In Nomine - John Parsons
- Psalme - Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
- Nobodyes Gigge - Richard
Farnaby
- Pipers Pavan - Martin
Peerson
- Allemanda - Marchant
- Fayne would I Wedd - Richard Farnaby
- Worster Braules - Thomas Tomkins
- Almand - William Tisdall
- Pavana Chromatica - William Tisdall
- Fantasia - Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck
- Pavana, Clement Cotton - William Tisdall
- Pavana - William Tisdall
- Alman - Hooper
- Corranto - Hooper
- Jhonsons Medley - Edward
Johnson
- A Galiarde Grownde - William
Inglot
- The Leaves bee greene - William Inglot
- Galiarda - Jehan
Oystermayre
- The Primerose - Martin Peerson
- The Fall of the Leafe - Martin Peerson
- Pavana Delight - Edward Johnson (set by William Byrd)
- Lachrymae Pavan - John Dowland (set by Giles Farnaby)
- Pavana - Orlando Gibbons
- Galiarda - William Tisdall
- Hanskin - Richard Farnaby
See also
Sources
- J.A. Fuller Maitland and W. Barclay Squire, ed., The
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (2 vols., Leipzig 1899; repub. New
York 1963; rev. edn, 1979)
- Gustave Reese, Music in the
Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN
0-393-09530-4
- The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, ed. Don Randel.
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1986. ISBN
0-674-61525-5
- Percy A. Scholes, The Oxford Companion to Music.
London, Oxford University Press, 1970. No ISBN.
- Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music in the Middle Ages
and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I).
Bloomington, Indiana.
- Ruby Reid Thompson, Francis Tregian the Younger as music
copyist: A legend and an alternative view. Music and Letters
2001 82: 1-31; doi:10.1093/ml/82.1.1
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