Vincenzo Capirola (1474 – after 1548) was an Italian composer,
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck (music), neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lu ...
nist and nobleman of the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
. His music is preserved in an
illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...
called the
Capirola Lutebook, which is considered to be one of the most important sources of lute music of the early 16th century.
Life and music
He was probably from
Brescia
Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
, and is known to have lived in that city for several periods of his life, although he was in
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
in 1517 and for some time after that, the period during which the illuminated manuscript was prepared. It is possible that Capirola is the famous Brescian lutenist who visited the court of
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
, although his name was not recorded (no other virtuoso lutenists of the period, from Brescia, who were also noblemen, are known).
The Lutebook contains the earliest known examples of
legato
In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly, such that the transition from note to note is made with no intervening si ...
and non-legato indications, as well as the earliest known
dynamic
Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to:
Physics and engineering
* Dynamics (mechanics), the study of forces and their effect on motion
Brands and enter ...
indications. The pieces vary from simple studies suitable for beginners on the instrument, to immensely demanding virtuoso pieces. There are also 13
ricercar
A ricercar ( , ) or ricercare ( , ) is a type of late Renaissance and mostly early Baroque instrumental composition. The term ''ricercar'' derives from the Italian verb , which means "to search out; to seek"; many ricercars serve a preludial func ...
s in the book, which alternate passages in brilliant
toccata
Toccata (from Italian ''toccare'', literally, "to touch", with "toccata" being the action of touching) is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virt ...
style with passages in three-part
counterpoint
In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...
similar to that of the vocal music of contemporary composers such as
.
In addition to music by Capirola (and others — Capirola evidently transcribed several pieces by other composers for the book), the Lutebook contains a preface which is one of the most important primary sources on early 16th century lute-playing. It includes information on how to play legato and
tenuto
In musical notation, ''tenuto'' ( Italian, past participle of ''tenere'', "to hold"), written as a horizontal bar above or below a note, is a direction for the performer to hold or sustain a note for its full length.
Its precise interpretation ...
, and how to perform ornaments of various types, how to choose the best fingering for passagework. It also includes very practical details such as how to string and tune the instrument.
Notes
# Reese, p. 521.
References and further reading
*
Gustave Reese
Gustave Reese ( ; November 29, 1899 – September 7, 1977) was an American musicologist and teacher. Reese is known mainly for his work on medieval and Renaissance music, particularly with his two publications ''Music in the Middle Ages'' (1940 ...
, ''Music in the Renaissance''. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954.
*Arthur J. Ness: "Vincenzo Capirola", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed October 27, 2005)
(subscription access)*O. Gombosi, ''Compositione di Meser Vincenzo Capirola: Lute-book (circa 1517)''. Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1955.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capirola, Vincenzo
1474 births
16th-century deaths
Composers for lute
Italian lutenists
Italian Renaissance composers
Italian male classical composers