Explore Edition Zefiro

Pavane

A slow dance piece that was originally really danced to, that later became a purely musical form of slow music. We are not making a distinction between these two kinds of pavane.

Galliarde

The most important triple-time dance of the 16th century. Like the pavan, with which it is often paired, it changed over the years from a simple dance piece to a more expressive and more complex kind of music.

Gavotte

The gavotte (also gavot, gavote, or gavotta) is a French dance, taking its name from a folk dance of the Gavot, the people of the Pays de Gap region of Dauphiné in the southeast of France, where the dance originated. The term gavotte for a lively dance originated in the 1690s from Old Provençal gavoto (mountaineer’s dance) from gavot, a local name for an Alpine resident, said to mean literally “boor”, “glutton”, from gaver (to stuff, force-feed poultry) from Old Provençal gava.

Courante

Courante literally means “running”, and in the later Renaissance the courante was danced with fast running and jumping steps, as described by Thoinot Arbeau. The Courante in Der vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739) is described thus “chiefly characterised by the passion or mood of sweet expectation. For there is something heartfelt, something longing and also gratifying…”

B to R

Ballade ↣

One of the fixed forms of the 15th century, usually with an AAB structure.

Ballata ↣

An Italian song with a fixed structure used in the 14th and 15th centuries, similar to the French virelai.

Canzone ↣

Canzone Da Sonar: An instrumental form popular in Italian from around 1580 to about 1620. It actually evolved from the French chansons of composers like Clemens non Papa and Thomas Crequillon. Normally the mood was lively. The first composers to write canzoni were Claudio Merulo and Fiorenzo Maschera.

Canon ↣

In music, a canon is a contrapuntal compositional technique that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration. The initial melody is called the leader, while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower. The follower must imitate the leader, either as an exact replication of its rhythms and intervals or some transformation thereof. Repeating canons in which all voices are musically identical are called rounds – Sumer Is Icumen In is a good examples.

Canzonetta ↣

Canzonetta: A light strophic kind of Italian song, popular in the late 16th century, cultivated particularly by Orazio Vecchi of Modena. From about 1600 English composers produce canzonets in imitation of the Italian models.

Carmen ↣

Carmen: A 15th- or early 16th-century piece without text in the source which may not originally have been intended for instruments, but which was treated as an instrumental piece.

Ciaconna ↣

The first pieces called this are based on the bass pattern used in Monteverdi’s Zefiro torna, or the quite similar one used by Merula and Cazzati.

Concerto ↣

An instrumental work that normal features one or more solo instruments. In the Baroque period the concerto also had a distinct structure, in which the opening section reappears at intervals during the work, often in different keys.

Divisions ↣

Usually a highly-decorated version of a standard, such as Susanne un jour. In the 17th century, usually a series of variations over a ground bass.

Fantasia ↣

An instrumental piece that is normally free of any cantus firmus. If a fantasia is based on some given tune, it is usually integrated in all the parts. Renaissance fantasias are often like instrumental motets with different sections that treat all the themes in imitation.

Frottola ↣

A form of strophic song popular in Italy around 1500, Most of the frottole have a texted melody in the top part, with 3 accompanying parts for instruments. The 2 main composers of this form were Bartolomeo Tromboncino and Marchetto Cara.

Intrada ↣

A kind of instrumental piece popular around 1600, especially in Germany. The earliest intradas, such as those of Alexander Orologio, a cornetto player in Dresden, seem to be intended for wind instruments, but later ones may have favoured violins. Intradas tended to be have a public rather than a domestic character. Most are 5- or 6-part pieces.

Jazz ↣

For our purposes the term jazz spans from about 1920 to the present day.

Ricercar ↣

A free form exploratory instrumental piece, often similar to a fantasia. The distinction between ricercar and fantasia is rather obscure. The name is connected with exploring the tuning of one’s instrument. Some ricercars are for solo instrument, like those of Bassano and Virgiliano.

S to T

Salon ↣

Salon music was a popular music genre in Europe during the 19th century. It was usually written in the romantic style, and often performed by the composer at events known as “Salons”.

Sonata ↣

The first pieces called “sonata” were rather solemn slow pieces,less lively than the canzone da sonar, intended for performance in churches, but they became increasingly elaborate in the 17th century. It gradually took over from the canzone da sonare to become the primary instrumental form.

Standard ↣

A setting of a well-known piece or melody that was repeatedly re-composed by different musicians. The great standards in the 15th century were J’ay pris amours, De tous biens playne and Fors seulement. In the 16th century they included Susanne un jour, Ancor che col partire and Frais (Frisque) et gaillard.

Suite ↣

In the Baroque period, normally a group of stylised dances, often thematically related. The earliest suites were published by German composers in the 1610s and normally start with a pavane. Late Baroque suites tend to begin with a prelude.

Toccata ↣

Normally an improvisatory piece for solo keyboard. Some of the early toccatas can be slow and harmonically expressive, but Late Baroque toccatas are usually virtuosic.

The following forms are vocal in origin but were also adopted by instrumentalists. As such they are quite challenging for the amateur librarian!

Madrigal ↣

A through-composed setting of an Italian text, usually of a serious or passionate character. Before the madrigal appeared, most Italian songs were strophic, so the same music was repeated to the next set of words. In England Italian madrigals became popular around 1590, and soon local composers started writing their own madrigals to English texts.

Motet ↣

Normally a setting of a sacred text that is not a mass movement.

Tenorlied ↣

A German strophic song of the early 16th century which has the main melody in the tenor. The greatest composers of these songs was Ludwig Senfl.

Chanson ↣

A setting of a secular French text. We use it to include the form fixes of the 15th century (rondeau. ballade, virelai.) as well as the more informal and varied 16th-century chansons.

Hymn ↣

A setting of a liturgical melody either plainsong or Lutheran chorale. They range from simple settings in 3 or 4 parts to extended polychoral works.

Villancico ↣

The main form of Spanish music, usually with two distinct sections repeated.

Villanella ↣

A late 16th-century light form, often inspired by popular culture, and often comic. The difference between a canzone villanesca and a villanella is not really clear. Some villanesche have texts in dialect, particularly in Neapolitan dialect.

Villanesca ↣

A late 16th-century light form, often inspired by popular culture, and often comic. The difference between a canzone villanesca and a villanella is not really clear. Some villanesche have texts in dialect, particularly in Neapolitan dialect.

Villotta ↣

A kind of popular song found in Italy from the end of the 15th century until the 1550s. The texts are simple and so is the music usually. One of most famous villotte is Azzaiolo’s Chi passa per sta strada, which was arranged by William Byrd.

Madrigal ↣

A through-composed setting of an Italian text, usually of a serious or passionate character. Before the madrigal appeared, most Italian songs were strophic, so the same music was repeated to the next set of words. In England Italian madrigals became popular around 1590, and soon local composers started writing their own madrigals to English texts.

Motet ↣

Normally a setting of a sacred text that is not a mass movement.

Tenorlied ↣

A German strophic song of the early 16th century which has the main melody in the tenor. The greatest composers of these songs was Ludwig Senfl.

Chanson ↣

A setting of a secular French text. We use it to include the form fixes of the 15th century (rondeau. ballade, virelai.) as well as the more informal and varied 16th-century chansons.

Hymn ↣

A setting of a liturgical melody either plainsong or Lutheran chorale. They range from simple settings in 3 or 4 parts to extended polychoral works.

Villancico ↣

The main form of Spanish music, usually with two distinct sections repeated.

Villanella ↣

A late 16th-century light form, often inspired by popular culture, and often comic. The difference between a canzone villanesca and a villanella is not really clear. Some villanesche have texts in dialect, particularly in Neapolitan dialect.

Villanesca ↣

A late 16th-century light form, often inspired by popular culture, and often comic. The difference between a canzone villanesca and a villanella is not really clear. Some villanesche have texts in dialect, particularly in Neapolitan dialect.

Villotta ↣

A kind of popular song found in Italy from the end of the 15th century until the 1550s. The texts are simple and so is the music usually. One of most famous villotte is Azzaiolo’s Chi passa per sta strada, which was arranged by William Byrd.

Standard ↣

A setting of a well-known piece or melody that was repeatedly re-composed by different musicians. The great standards in the 15th century were J’ay pris amours, De tous biens playne and Fors seulement. In the 16th century they included Susanne un jour, Ancor che col partire and Frais (Frisque) et gaillard.

All vocal music ↣

Some vocal music is playable instrumentally making this classification less obvious than it seems.

English song ↣

We use this term for songs that are settings of English texts that are not madrigals or canzonets. So it would include songs from the 15th century, as well as the many songs of William Byrd, which are not madrigals.

German song ↣

A setting of a strophic text in German. We use this term for songs which are not Tenorlieder, such as the songs of Hassler or Lassus.

Dutch song ↣

From 1570 onwards

Scottish song ↣

Pending

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