Contrapuntal strategies in the music of Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643): reimagining polyphonic genres

Abstract

Girolamo Frescobaldi was the first influential composer to concentrate on keyboard music. Although Frescobaldi’s life and compositions have been the focus of significant historical research, there are few analyses of his music. The present dissertation examines the motivic, contrapuntal, and formal design of six contrasting pieces written throughout Frescobaldi’s career. At the measure by measure level, motivic and rhythmic play in Frescobaldi’s music creates moments where listener expectations are thwarted or fulfilled in unexpected ways. In the context of entire compositions, motivic variation, broadly defined, gives shape and strategy to the progression of the piece.

Frescobaldi imagined diverse ways of sustaining interest and creating coherence in the instrumental genres that he cultivated. While motivic combination and variation is the common thread in Frescobaldi’s music, an exploration of other musical parameters that is specific to each piece complements the motivic plot and makes possible the development of extended musical forms. Through close analysis of six pieces by Frescobaldi, this dissertation demonstrates how Frescobaldi’s compositional creativity in terms of contrapuntal, motivic, and variation strategies resulted in the redefinition of existing musical genres as well as the creation of new ones.

The analyses precede in chronological order according to when the pieces were published. The pieces are selected from a cross section of Frescobaldi’s publications spanning the composer’s entire period of compositional activity. Some pieces are from collections that are considered primarily contrapuntal (Fantasie, Capricci) whereas others are more homophonic or figured bass grounded (Cento Partite, Toccata, Canzona). After an introduction to the analyses in Chapter 1, Chapter 2 addresses S’io miro in te from the madrigal book of 1608. Chapter 3 focuses on Fantasia Seconda, from the composer’s other 1608 publication, the keyboard Fantasie. Chapter 4 analyzes Toccata Duodecima from the first book of toccatas (1615). The analysis in Chapter 5 is of the Capriccio Terzo sopra il Cucho from the publication of 1624. Chapter 6 analyzes Canzona Quinta à 3, due Canti e Basso (1635) and Chapter 7 the Cento Partite sopra Passacagli from 1637.