Dario Castello: Sonata Prima! (1629)

FOOTNOTES

1. [00:55] See our episodes: Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Madrigali per cantare et sonare (1601) [YouTube], The Carlo G Manuscript - A Precious Window to the Past [YouTube], Aspects in early 17th-century monodies [YouTube], Salomone Rossi and his innovations [YouTube]. 

2. [01:15] See our episode about Caccini’s famous publication from 1602: Giulio Caccini: the good, the bad and the unclear [YouTube]. 

3. [02:11] As seen in many diminution treatises. See our episode: The art of Diminution in the 16th century [YouTube]. 

4. [02:28] See for example the solo ricercadas in Diego Ortiz, Trattado de Glosas (1553) [imslp]; Giovanni Bassano, Ricercate, passaggi et cadentie (1585) [imslp]; and Aurelio Virgiliano, Il Dolcimelo (MS, c. 1600) [imslp]. 

5. [03:16] “Sonata in Dialogo” is found in: Salomone Rossi, Varie sonate, sinfonie, gagliarde, brandi, e corrente, Libro terzo (Venice, 1613) [imslp]. 

6. [04:21] It should be added that there were also pieces composed for two parts and basso continuo, where one of the parts was written for a bass instrument that was in effect merged with the basso continuo. Such pieces are often very close in sound to a piece for one solo instrument and basso continuo. 

7. [04:48] Comment to the infographic shown on the video: Fontana’s publication is from 1641 but was made after his death (1630). 

8. [05:38] Rodolfo Baroncini, "Dario Castello e la formazione del musico a Venezia: nuovi documenti e nuove prospettive", Recercare, 29 (2017). Quoted in Wikipedia. 

9. [06:08] The use of indications such as “allegro” and “adagio” (albeit with varying spelling and use) and as well as “forte” and “piano”, started to be used especially in instrumental music. This was perhaps done to overcome the luck of the inherent guidance of text found in vocal music. 

10. [06:24] “Alli Benigni Lettori: M’è parso, per dar satisfatione à quelli che si deletterano di sonar queste mie sonate, avisarli che se bene nella prima vista li pareranno difficili; tuttavia non si perdino d’animo nel sonarle più d’una volta: per che faranno prattica in esse & all’hora esse si renderanno facilissime: perché niuna cosa è difficile a quello che si diletta: dechiarandomi non haver potuto componerle più facile per osservar il stil moderno, hora osservato da tutti.” [Dear Readers: to give satisfaction to those who may find pleasure in playing these sonatas of mine, I advise them that if on first sight [the sonatas] seem difficult, they nevertheless do not lose spirit through playing them more than once; since with practice they will be more easily played: for nothing is too difficult for one who delights in it; and I say that I could not have made them easier while still using the stile moderno, now used by everyone.] Dario Castello, Sonate concertate in stil moderno, libro primo (Venice, 1621) [imslp *the available edition from 1658 does not include the preface]. English translation in Rebecca Cypess, ‘Esprimere la voce humana: Connections between Vocal and Instrumental Music by Italian Composers of the Early Seventeenth Century’, The Journal of Musicology, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Spring 2010), pp. 186 [Jstor]. 

11. [10:28] Adriano Banchieri, Cartella musicale (Venice, 1614 edition) [imslp], p.42 (page missing in imslp): “Vengono ancora odiernamente praticati dui salti di quarta tritona e questi in dui posizioni discendenti, il primo dalla corda B fa alla corda F accidentato dal diesis, e il secondo dalla corda E fa di accidentale alla corda B mi, segnato detto B mi ancor per abuso con il diesis. E questi tali salti talmente sono praticati nelle moderne composizioni che per difficili che sono si rendono facilissimi per il continuo uso e pratica.” Transcription here [in order to find the place, search for “tritona”]. This footnote appears as footnote no. 7 in our episode about Salomone Rossi [link]. 

12. [12:15] Christopher Stembridge explained that "adagio" is originally "ad asio" - "at ease", and in Girolamo Frescobaldi's use it may imply a section which is not subject to a beat rather merely with a slow tempo. He also noted that Francesco Severi (1615) described singing without a strict beat as "ad aggio". See Stembridge's preface to Frescobaldi, Organ and Keyboard Works, Vol I.1, Recercari et Canzoni franzese (Barenreiter), p. XXXI. 

13. [13:50] We have presented the connection between text and music in the music of the Renaissance on episodes such as: Durum & Molle - Hard and soft in the music of the Renaissance [YouTube], Early Word Painting [YouTube], Joachim Burmeister and his musical-rhetorical figures [YouTube], and Vincenzo Galilei VS Polyphony and Word Painting [YouTube]. 

14. [16:44] It should be noted that while the diminished seventh chord harmony is expressed in the composition, the basso continuo player/s may decide whether to support the written soprano line and play a diminished seventh chord (as I did in the recording) or to play a sixth chord (which would be the default choice for notes with a sharp). 

15. [19:30] See the final bars of Castello’s sonatas nos. 2, 4, 10 from his second book [imslp]. 

16. [19:40] The example shown on the video is from Lorenzo Penna, Li primi albori musicali per li principianti della musica figurata (1672) [imslp]. Similar examples can be seen also in the famous Anonymous (ca. 1670-90), Regole di canto figurato, contrappunto, d'accompagnare [Ms. E. 25] [imslp]. Both sources were translated into English on Early Music Sources and are available for free [PIE]. 

CREDITS:

Created by Elam Rotem, August 2023.

Music recordings by Elizabeth Sommers (violin) and Elam Rotem (harpsichord) made especially for this episode. Recording engineer: Karel Valter.

Special thanks to Domen Marincic, Andrew Dell’Antonio, Augusta Campagne, and Anne Smith.