Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/161

 instruments had been either unknown or used only casually. With the unfolding sense of the range of musical art this neglect could not continue. Two different lines of experiment appeared early in the century—on the one hand, contrapuntal works of the motet or chanson class were written to be either sung or played; and, on the other, dances or similar pieces were drafted for purely instrumental use. In either case the desire was first for concerted effects upon a single instrument, but the further notion of combining instruments together followed speedily, though with vague and shifting ideas of what combinations were most serviceable. So far as the production of particular works or the settling of specific forms of composition went, this movement is significant only as regards music for the organ, but the mere fact that a beginning was made in other keyboard music, in pieces for the lute and viol, and in rudimentary chamber music, is important, since from these tentative efforts came great results later.

The earliest publication of lute-music was by Petrucci (1507-8), made up largely of dances. An English MS., presumably of earlier date, contains three virginal-pieces, also in dance style. Printed lute-books in tablature appeared frequently through the century. Of these the leading German, French, English and other examples have already been noted. It remains to enumerate a few of the earlier Italian editors: Francesco da Milano (7 books, 1536-63); Julio Abondante (2 books, 1546-8, perhaps more); Giovanni Maria da Crema (perhaps 3 books, 1546); Melchiore de Baberijs (at least 9 books, only partially preserved, 1546-9); Giacomo Gorzanis of Triest (at least 4 books, 1564-7).

Virginal-books begin to be found in England toward the end of the century, though not in printed form, the earliest large one being that in the Fitzwilliam Collection, which was once associated with Queen Elizabeth. The real pioneer in secular writing for the keyboard was Byrd (d. 1623).

The dances most in vogue were the 'pavan' (padovano, from Padua), a slow movement in duple rhythm, with the 'galliard' (gaillarde, a gay or merry piece), a quick movement in triple rhythm, also called 'saltarello' (from its springy steps)—these two being frequently united into a two-movement form resembling the suite in miniature. The 'passamezzo' or 'passepied,' a triple movement prefiguring the minuet, was also common, with the 'allemande' (German dance), a flowing movement in quadruple rhythm. Other instrumental forms were of rambling structure, often made up largely of passages, and were variously called 'fantasias' (or, in England, 'fancies'), 'ricercari,' in which was much thematic imitation, occasionally approaching the fugue, 'toccate' (pieces to be touched on the key-board), or 'sonate' (pieces to be sounded by instruments instead of sung)—both of the latter being usually of the nature of free preludes (later called 'sinfonie' or 'ritornelli').