Popular music in Renaissance Italy (1500-1525)

The period between 1480-1520 was the height of the Italian Renaissance marked by the larger-than-life figures of Leonardo da Vinci, Rafaello Sanzio and Donatello in the art world as well as Josquin des Prez and Heinrich Isaac in the musical realm. Less recognized in the rest of Europe were native born Italians, Marchetto Cara and Bartolomeo Tromboncino among others. These local masters flourished at the court of Isabella d’Este of Ferrara, Marchesa of Mantua, who loomed large over the musical pantheon as la patronesse extraordinaire. Her palaces were adorned with patterns of musical notes on the ceilings and stylized wood inlays of instruments on the walls. This video celebrates the music and art from that glorious era in Italian history. Below are 15 musical selections and artworks from that prolific age. As always, I extensively edited raw MIDI files downloaded from various websites. To skip to a different piece in the soundtrack, click on the time stamp indicated next to the song title. Abbreviations: xoomer: LPdC: Libro primo de la Croce IdLL4: Intabulatura de liuto, Libro 4 0:07 L’amor donna ch’io te porto (Giacomo Fogliano) UPLOAD: a. Frottole Libro 7, 1507 b. Ceiling of Isabella d’Este’s grotta, Palazzo Ducale, Mantua c. Coronation of Pope Pius III, Pinturicchio, 1513 d. Coronation of Pope Pius III (detail) 1:37 Calata ala spagnola #1 (Joan Ambrosio Dalza) UPLOAD: Serge Gerbode, a. IdLL4, 1508 b. Lute player, Giovanni Cariani, early 16th century c. Angel playing lute, Giovanni Battista di Jacopo, 1518 d. Concerto, Francesco Cariani, c1520 3:02 Ogni cosa ha el suo locho (Anonymous) UPLOAD: xoomer a. Frottole Libro 6, 1505 b. Recorder players, fresco, Romanino, 1532, Trento c. Three ages of man, Tiziano, c1514 4:12 Rendete amanti (Joannes Lulinus Venetus) UPLOAD: Sabine Cassola, a. Clavichord Lepante, Italian, 16th cent b. Spinet, Italian, c1540 c. Spinet (detail of the wood carvings) d. Spinet (detail of the soundboard) 5:29 A la guerra (B. Tromboncino) UPLOAD: xoomer a. Frottole Libro 1, 1504 b. Concert, Master Half-lengths, Flemish, c1540 6:09 Ricercar 33 (Marco dall’Aquila) UPLOAD: Serge Gerbode, a. Lute player, Francesco Salviati, 1529 b. Mary Magdalene, Master of Half-lengths, Flemish, c1540 c. Mary Magdalene, Master of Half-lengths, Flemish, c1540 7:19 L’Ultimo di de maggio (Sebastiano Festa) UPLOAD: a. LPdC, 1526 b. 3 musicians, Heinrich Aldegrever, 1551 8:12 Calata ala spagnola #5 () UPLOAD: Serge Gerbode, a. IdLL4, 1508 b. Portrait of Francesco da Milano (?), Giulio Campi, c1530 c. Renaissance lute soundboard, Laux Maler, c1540 d. Young man with lute, Jan van Scorel, c1550 9:30 Un cavalier di Spagna (F. Patavino) UPLOAD: xoomer a. LPdC, 1526 b. Shawm band, PInturicchio, c1503 10:12 Quella bella a bianca mano (Antonio Caprioli) UPLOAD: xoomer a. Man with a lira da braccio, Anon Venetian, c1515 b. Lira da braccio, Giovanni d’Andrea, 1511 c. Instruments, wood inlay, Grotto Isabella d’Este, Mantua, 1505 11:03 Non e tempo (Marchetto Cara) UPLOAD: Dillon Upton, a. Frottole Libro 1, 1504 b. Madonna & child, Fra Bartolomeo, 1515 c. Portrait of Isabella d’Este, Tiziano, c1534 12:08 S’el pensier che mi strugge (Sebastiano Festa) UPLOAD: a. LPdC, 1526 b. Musical angels (detail), Master of St. Lucy, c1480 c. Boy with recorder, Giorgione, 1508 d. Basset recorder, Germany, 16th c e. Musical angels, Francesco Botticini, c1480 13:50 O mia cieca (Marchetto Cara) UPLOAD: xoomer a. Frottole Libro 1, 1504 b. Outdoor concert, Anon Italian, early 16th c c. Frari triptych, Giovanni Bellini, 1488 d. Pastoral concert, Giorgione, 1508 15:15 Pan de miglio caldo, caldo (Bartolomeo Tromboncino) UPLOAD: xoomer a. Frottole Libro 6, 1505 b. Harp, North Italian, c1550 c. Palazzo Ducale (Isabella d’Este residence), Mantua d. Portrait Tromboncino, 16th c e. Baking bread, Breviary, Morgan Lib. M.8 f. Elisha multiplies bread, Tintoretto, c1578 16:47 Dilla da l’acqua (Francesco Patavino) UPLOAD: xoomer a. LPdC, 1526 b. Procession at San Marco (detail), Gentile Bellini, 1496 c. Portrait of Francesco Patavino, , c1545