Composer

:

Giovanni Picchi

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Keyboard

Average_duration

:

1:45

Giovanni Picchi was an Italian composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was known for his keyboard music, particularly for the harpsichord, and his works were widely performed and admired during his lifetime. One of his most famous compositions is the "Balli d'Arpicordo, Ballo ditto il Steffanin'," a collection of dances for harpsichord that was published in Venice in 1621. The "Balli d'Arpicordo" consists of 16 movements, each of which is a dance in a different style. The dances are arranged in pairs, with each pair consisting of a slower dance followed by a faster one. The first pair is a Passemezzo and a Saltarello, both of which are lively and energetic dances. The second pair is a Galliarda and a Corrente, which are both faster dances with a strong rhythmic drive. The third pair is a Gagliarda and a Canario, which are both lively and playful dances with a syncopated rhythm. The fourth pair is a Balletto and a Villanella, which are both slower dances with a more lyrical character. The fifth pair is a Passacaglia and a Bergamasca, which are both slower dances with a strong bass line and a repetitive harmonic structure. The sixth pair is a Spagnoletta and a Ruggiero, which are both fast and lively dances with a strong rhythmic drive. The seventh pair is a Ciacona and a Ballo ditto il Steffanin, which is the title dance of the collection. The Ciacona is a slow dance with a repeating bass line, while the Ballo ditto il Steffanin is a fast and lively dance with a syncopated rhythm and a playful character. The final pair is a Passamezzo and a Saltarello, which are both lively and energetic dances. Overall, the "Balli d'Arpicordo, Ballo ditto il Steffanin'" is a collection of dances that showcases Picchi's skill as a composer and his ability to write music that is both technically challenging and musically engaging. The dances are characterized by their strong rhythmic drive, their playful and lyrical melodies, and their use of syncopation and repetition. The collection was first published in Venice in 1621 and has since become a staple of the harpsichord repertoire.

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