Giovanni Priuli is a real discovery: every one of his instrumental pieces is really strong, but the specially good news is that they are all different.
Priuli’s Canzone Prima à8 comes from Sacrorum concentuum Ioannis Prioli, Venice, 1618.
It is relatively unusual for its time in having a tempo indication. It is reasonable to assume that presto in Priuli’s day indicated a generally fast tempo, rather than the superfast tempo of later music. Certainly the treatment of dissonance, and the harmonic rhythm in the tuttis, seem to assume a brisk tempo.
(Bernard Thomas)
