Product Description
On January 11, 1507 (more veneto, 1508 in modern calculations), Ottaviano Petrucci printed his Second Book of Laude in Venice, a collection of 60 works by various composers. The only known surviving original copy is housed in the Colombina Library of Seville, Spain.
The Libro secondo is one of the most important works documenting the world of the Lauda spirituale between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. In general, the pieces feature a simple and relatively unadorned upper voice, shaped by the devotional intent of the text. One can easily perceive the expressive freshness and intelligibility of a stylistic preamble that is beginning to take form and would, within a few decades, become a reference point for the musical canons of the Counter-Reformation. The texture is solid, with a strong tendency toward homophony, yet leaves room for small contrapuntal interplays and imitative flourishes. At this stage of its transformation, the Lauda brings together (what we now call "contamination") different worlds: from the spontaneity of the "simple" and direct popular tradition to the experimentation of composers like Tromboncino and Cara, who, with their frottolistic flair, seem to assert a "more profane" taste, all while being conscious and respectful of the sacred content of the text.
The 18 Laude selected and presentd here are for four voices, with texts in Latin and Italian, and all are dedicated to the Virgin Mary. They are the result of an attentive and meticulous process of transcription, revision and reconstruction, involving continuous reconsiderations aimed at achieving a definitive version that, through its scrupolosity - and with a touch of illusion - may be as close as possible to what was heard five centuries ago.
Transcription in modern notation, revision and reconstruction by EDDY SERAFINI
Released by Bluebelldisc Press - BPR D2-0909
This book (c) 2025 Bluebelldisc Music
All Rights Reserved
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.