The Art of Improvised Counterpoint in Early Modern Italy: An Applied Study of Period Didactics at the Organ

In partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Music.

Programme

Contrappunto osservato - what is it?

Sinfonia à 6 fatta per le nozze del serenissimo Don Ferdinando Medici e Christina da Lorena Anno Domini 1589 — Cristofano Malvezzi

Versetti improvvisati sopra l’Ave Maris Stella

Sonata VII, Stravagante e per il cimbalo cromatico sopra l’Ave Maris Stella - Gioanpietro del Buono

All organists improvised counterpoint; so, how did this affect realizations of basso figurato?

Toccata del quarto tuono - Luzzasco Luzzaschi

Miserere mej, Deus sopra il falsobordone of Fabrizio Dentice - passaggiato da Francesco Severi (Salmi passaggiati, 1615) e Donatiello Coya (Responsoria, 1622)

Musica moderna: applications of Diruta and Banchieri’s didactics in professions of today

Ascendens Christus in altum à 8 — Rafaella Aleotti / arr. A. Ross

Canzona del sesto tuono detta’l martellino rosso — A. Ross

with/avec

Bronwyn Thies-Thompson, cantus
William Duffy, altus
Kerry Bursey, tenor
Jonathon Adams, bassus
Theodora Nestorova, quintus

Perrine Schneegans, flauto dolce
Karin Cuellar & Étienne Pemberton-Renaud, violins/violons
Namgon Lee, viola da braccia
Kyran Assing, viola da gamba
Tristan Best, lirone
Christophe Gauthier, harpsichord/clavecin

Prof. Isabelle Demers, project advisor
Prof. Peter Schubert, Susie Napper, committee

Primary source readings and technical application of Diruta’s Il Transilvano (Venezia: 1593/1611) and Banchieri’s L’Organo Suonarino (Venezia, 1604)