Composer

:

Girolamo Frescobaldi

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Partita

Publication Date

:

1615 - 1628

Average_duration

:

8:29

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 Partita sopra l'Aria di Ruggiero, which is the thirteenth piece in his Il primo libro d'intavolatura di toccate di cimbalo et organo. This work was composed in the early 1620s and was first published in 1627. It is a set of variations on the aria "Lasciate mi morire" from Claudio Monteverdi's opera L'Arianna. The Partita sopra l'Aria di Ruggiero is divided into six movements, each of which is a variation on the original aria. The first movement is a toccata, which is a virtuosic keyboard piece that showcases the performer's technical skill. The second movement is a canzona, which is a more structured piece with a clear melody and counterpoint. The third movement is a capriccio, which is a lively and playful piece with unexpected twists and turns. The fourth movement is a corrente, which is a fast dance in triple meter. The fifth movement is a passacaglia, which is a set of variations on a repeating bass line. The final movement is a ciacona, which is a similar form to the passacaglia but with a different harmonic structure. The Partita sopra l'Aria di Ruggiero is a masterpiece of keyboard music from the Baroque era. It showcases Frescobaldi's skill as a composer and his ability to create a variety of moods and textures within a single work. The variations on the original aria are inventive and imaginative, and the work as a whole is a testament to the richness and complexity of Baroque keyboard music.

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