The influence of the madrigali moderni on Johann Jacob Froberger's keyboard music

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Date
2011-11
Authors
Vinke, Linda Frances
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: The research is based upon the hypothesis that the keyboard music of Johann Jacob Froberger (1616-1667) was significantly influenced by the music of the Italian secular madrigals of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, madrigal composers were at the forefront of musical development and it is plausible that their innovations should have had a significant influence on Froberger, contributing to the development of his expressive keyboard style. The madrigal composers used various new compositional techniques, many of them aimed at expressing emotions. Characteristics of the style of the madrigali moderni (a term used by Frescobaldi in the 1637 preface to Toccate e Partite, Libro Primo) include the variation of tempo for expressive purposes, word painting, new types of ornamentation, adventurous harmony, chromaticism and dissonance and quickly changing rhythmic and textural features. The aim of this thesis is to show how Froberger adapted these techniques for use in his keyboard style. In order to test the hypothesis, I researched the musical characteristics of the Italian secular madrigals of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Some Italian vocal music other than secular madrigals was analyzed and some madrigals and other vocal music from a little earlier or a little later were also consulted. However, the vast majority of the examples that I have used to illustrate my findings come from Italian secular madrigals composed (or at least published) in the late 16th and early 17th century when the composition of madrigals was at its peak in both volume and brilliance. A detailed style-critical study of the entire keyboard oeuvre of Froberger was undertaken to determine if the various characteristics of this vocal music could be found in his music. Some of Froberger’s (Italian) predecessors on the keyboard, such as de Macque, Mayone, Trabaci, Frescobaldi and Michelangelo Rossi seem also to have been influenced by the Italian madrigalists and where appropriate, I have included examples from the works of these composers. Before the main body of the research, I have included a chapter on Froberger’s life and travels; a comprehensive collection of the information that is currently known. In recent years, some fascinating research has been undertaken that has thrown light on Froberger’s life and travels, but all the information has not previously been presented in a chronological format. The main body of the research is divided into four sections, each of which discusses a particular musical aspect of the madrigals and shows similar usage in Froberger’s works. The first of these sections discusses the use of “madrigalisms” for expressive ends. This chapter analyses some of the more commonly used word painting devices and shows their use in madrigals and in Froberger’s music. The second of these sections discusses sprezzatura in the wider meaning given to it by Caccini in his Nuove Musiche (1601/2), where it encompasses not only rhapsodic tempo fluctuations but also the use of dissonance for expressive purposes. The third section discusses the use of ornaments in the madrigals and shows how Froberger used a variety of specifically Italian vocal ornaments in his music, as well as the more standard range of ornaments used by keyboard composers. The fourth section describes the continuous invention and diversity present in the madrigals and in Froberger’s music. This invention manifests itself in, amongst other things, the use of a wide variety of rhythms and textures to portray the agitation of the passions and a delight in complexity. Within these sections, the theories of the time are discussed, examples are given from the madrigals and parallel examples are drawn from Froberger’s music. At the end of the thesis four case studies are presented to show how the hypothesis fits entire works by Froberger. Froberger’s oeuvre can arguably be divided into laments (and similar forms), partitas, contrapuntal works and toccatas. The case studies are intended to represent one of each of these forms. In each of the studies, certain aspects of the music are compared to the madrigals and parallels are drawn to extra-musical events or phenomena in order to place the particular composition in its historical and social context.
Afrikaans: Hierdie navorsing is gebaseer op die hipotese dat die klawerbordmusiek van Johann Jacob Froberger (1616-1667) beduidend deur die musiek van die sekulêre madrigale van die laat sestiende en vroeë sewentiende eeu in Italië beïnvloed is. In die laat sestiende en vroeë sewentiende eeu was madrigaalkomponiste aan die voorpunt van musikale ontwikkeling, en daar kan aanvaar word dat hulle vernuwings ‘n beduidende invloed op Froberger moes gehad het, wat bygedra het tot die ontwikkeling van sy ekspressiewe klawerbordstyl. Die madrigaalkomponiste het verskeie nuwe komposisietegnieke gebruik, waarvan baie gepoog het om emosies uit te druk. Eienskappe van die madrigali moderni-styl (‘n term wat Frescobaldi gebruik het in die voorwoord tot sy Toccate e Partite, Libro Primo van 1637) sluit tempowisseling vir ekspressiewe doeleindes in, woordskildering, nuwe soorte ornamentering, avontuurlike harmonisering, chromatiek en dissonansie, asook vinnig veranderende ritmiese en teksturele eienskappe. Die doel van hierdie proefskrif is om aan te toon hoe Froberger hierdie tegnieke aangepas het vir gebruik in sy klawerbordstyl. Om die gestelde hipotese te kan toets, het ek die musikale eienskappe van die Italiaanse sekulêre madrigale van die laat sestiende en vroeë sewentiende eeu ondersoek. Behalwe die sekulêre madrigale is ook ander Italiaanse vokale musiek ontleed, en sommige madrigale en ander vokale musiek van effens vroeër of later is ook geraadpleeg. Die grootste gros van die voorbeelde wat ek gebruik het om my bevindinge te illustreer kom egter uit die Italiaanse sekulêre madrigale wat in die laat sestiende en vroeë sewentiende eeu gekomponeer (of ten minste toe publiseer) is, toe die komponeer van madrigale ‘n toppunt in volume en glans bereik het. ‘n Gedetailleerde stylkritiese studie van die hele klawerbord-oeuvre van Froberger is gedoen om te bepaal of die verskillende eienskappe van hierdie vokale musiek in sy werke gevind kan word. Party van Froberger se (Italiaanse) voorgangers op die klawerbord, soos de Macque, Mayone, Trabaci, Frescobaldi en Michelangelo Rossi blyk ook deur die Italiaanse madrigaliste beïnvloed te wees, en waar toepaslik, het ek voorbeelde van hierdie komponiste se werke ingesluit. Voorafgaande aan die hoofdeel van hierdie navorsing het ek ‘n hoofstuk oor Froberger se lewe en reise ingesluit; ‘n omvattende byeenbring van die inligting wat tans bekend is. In meer onlangse jare is boeiende navorsing gedoen wat die lig gewerp het op Froberger se lewe en reise, maar hierdie inligting is nog nie vantevore in chronologiese formaat op skrif gestel nie. Die hoofdeel van die navorsing is in vier afdelings ingedeel wat elkeen ‘n spesifieke musikale aspek van die madrigale bespreek, en ooreenstemmende gebruik in Froberger se werke aantoon. Die eerste van hierdie afdelings bespreek die gebruik van “madrigalismes” vir ekspressiewe doeleindes. Hierdie hoofstuk ontleed sommige van die meer gebruiklike woordskilderingstegnieke en toon hulle gebruik in madrigale en in Froberger se musiek aan. Die tweede afdeling bespreek sprezzatura in die wyer betekenis wat Caccini daaraan gegee het in sy Nuove Musiche (1601/2), waar dit nie net om rapsodiese tempowisselinge gaan nie, maar ook om die gebruik van dissonansie vir ekspressiewe doeleindes. Die derde afdeling bespreek die gebruik van ornamentering in die madrigale en toon aan hoe Froberger ‘n verskeidenheid spesifiek Italiaanse vokale versierings in sy musiek gebruik het, asook die meer standaard reeks versierings wat deur klawerbordkomponiste gebruik is. Die vierde afdeling beskryf die voortdurende uitvindings en verskeidenheid wat in die madrigale en in Froberger se werk teenwoordig is. Hierdie uitvindings word gemanifesteer in onder andere die gebruik van ‘n wye verskeidenheid ritmes en teksture om die agitasie van die passies en ‘n behae in kompleksiteit uit te beeld. In hierdie afdelings word teorieë uit die tyd bespreek, en voorbeelde word gegee uit die madrigale met parallelle voorbeelde uit Froberger se musiek. Aan die einde van die proefskrif word vier gevallestudies aangebied om aan te toon hoe die hipotese op hele werke van Froberger van toepassing is. Froberger se oeuvre kan moontlik verdeel word in klaagliedere (en soortgelyke vorme), partitas, kontrapuntale werke en toccatas. Die gevallestudies poog om een van elk van hierdie vorme voor te stel. In elk van hierdie studies word sekere aspekte van die musiek met die madrigale vergelyk, en parallelle word getrek na buite-musikale gebeure of verskynsels om die betrokke komposisie binne ‘n historiese of sosiale konteks te plaas.
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Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Music))--University of the Free State, 2011, Froberger, Johann Jacob, 1616-1667 -- Criticism and interpretation, Composers -- Germany -- Biography, Madrigals, Italian -- 17th century, Madrigals -- History and criticism, Keyboard instrument music, Composition (Music)
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