Composer

:

Girolamo Frescobaldi

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Ricercar

Publication Date

:

1615

Average_duration

:

3:01

Girolamo Frescobaldi was an Italian composer and keyboardist of the Baroque era. He was born in Ferrara in 1583 and died in Rome in 1643. He was one of the most important composers of keyboard music in the early Baroque period, and his works had a significant influence on the development of keyboard music in Italy and beyond. One of Frescobaldi's most famous works is the "Ricercari, et canzoni franzese, Vol. 1 No. 9, Recercar Nono. Obligo di quattro soggetti, for keyboard in A minor". This piece was composed in the early 17th century and was first published in 1615. It is a ricercar, which is a type of instrumental composition that was popular in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The ricercar is a highly structured form of music that is based on the development of a single theme or subject. The "Recercar Nono" is a four-voice ricercar that is based on a short, simple theme. The theme is presented at the beginning of the piece and is then developed and elaborated upon throughout the rest of the composition. The piece is written in A minor, which was a common key for keyboard music in the Baroque period. The "Recercar Nono" is divided into four movements, each of which is based on the same theme. The first movement is a simple statement of the theme, played in the bass voice. The second movement is a variation of the theme, played in the tenor voice. The third movement is a more complex variation of the theme, played in the alto voice. The fourth and final movement is a highly ornamented version of the theme, played in the soprano voice. One of the most interesting aspects of the "Recercar Nono" is the use of the "obligo di quattro soggetti" or "four-voice obligation". This means that each of the four voices is required to play the theme at some point during the composition. This creates a sense of unity and coherence throughout the piece, as the theme is constantly being developed and transformed by each of the voices. Overall, the "Ricercari, et canzoni franzese, Vol. 1 No. 9, Recercar Nono. Obligo di quattro soggetti, for keyboard in A minor" is a highly structured and complex piece of music that showcases Frescobaldi's skill as a composer and keyboardist. Its use of the four-voice obligation and its intricate development of a single theme make it a masterpiece of Baroque keyboard music.

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