Napoli Aragonese / Micrologus
Profane music in the 15th century aragonese Naples court

medieval.org
Opus 111 OP 30-215
2001

Even more than in the musical chapel of the Court of Bourgogne, in the 15th century the Aragonese Court in Naples was the premiere musical chapel in Europe based on the quality and number of its musicians. Cornago, Vincenet and even Josquin stayed there while Tinctoris formulated his theoretical work. This program emphasizes the variety of musical genres that flourished in the court (the Italian ballate and barzellette, the Spanish canclones and the French ballets), and on the fertile exchanges between formal and popular music that characterized Aragonese Naples.

LA MUSICA FRANCESE

1. Que foray ie mal fortunè — La vida de Colin  [2:23]  double chanson, rondeau
PB superius · AB liuto · SV bombarda · AQ tenor · GDE zufolo & tamburo
MM trombone · GR liuto · LG trombone · GM salterio

2. Puis fortuna m'avis en tel partit  [3:07]  rondeau, versione strumentale
GDE cornamusa · SV cialamello · MM trombone · LG trombone · GM naccheroni

3. Brunette je vous ay amée — Brunette au sorcil noir  [5:11]  double chanson, rondeau
PB superius e arpa · AB liuto · AQ tenor · GM salterio · GR liuto


LA MUSICA SPAGNOLA

4. Chiave, chiave  [1:38]  canzone - ballo, versione strumentale
GDE cialamello · SV bombarda · MM trombone · LG trombone · GM tamburo

5. Qu'es mi vida  [3:55]  canción, Johannes Cornago (1455-85)
PB superius · AQ tenor · GDG contratenor

6. Falla con misuras  [3:06]  La bassa Castiglya, bassadanza
AB liuto · PB arpa · GR viola da gamba

7. O vos homines  [6:55]  berzelletta, Pere Oriola (1440-80)
PB superius · AQ tenor · AB liuto · GR viola da gamba · GM salterio

8. Viva viva ray Ferrando  [3:01]  canción
PB superius · AQ tenor · BB contratenor altus · GDG contratenor bassus

9. Chiave, chiave  [1:33]  balatta
GDE zufolo & tamburo · SV zufolo & tamburo · GM castagnette


LA MUSICA ITALIANA

10. Morte merce, gentile aquill'altera  [3:06]  ballata Johannes Cornago
PB superius · AQ tenor · BB contratenor

11. Amor tu non me gabaste  [2:04]  barzelletta, versione strumentale
GDE cialamello · SV bombarda · MM trombone · LG trombone · GM naccheroni

12. O tempo bono  [2:09]  strambotto
PB cantus · AB vihuela

13. Correno multi cani  [3:27]  strambotto - caccia
PB superius · SV cialamello · GDG contratenor · GDE bombarda · AQ tenor
MM trombone · LG trombone · GM naccheroni

14. O pellegrina, o luce  [2:23]  strambotto, versione strumentale
GDE flauto dritto · GR viola da gamba · AB liuto

15. Cor mio volunturioso  [3:57]  strambotto
PB cantus e arpa · AB vihuela · GR liuto

16. Amor que t'o fat hio  [2:19]  strambotto
PB superius · AB vihuela · GDE flauto dritto · AQ tenor · GR viola

17. Alle stamenge donne  [2:43]  barzelletta
PB superius · GDE zufolo & tamburo · AB vihuela · GM tamburello · AQ tenor
SV bombarda · GR viola · MM trombone · LG trombone


LA MUSICA DELLA FESTA

18. Fate d'arera  [3:52]  ballata - canzona calavrese
PB cantus · AB vihuela · GR liuto

19. Horamay che fora son  [4:41]  ballata - canzona alla napolitana - moresca
PB superius · SV cialamello · GM tamburello · AQ tenor · GR viola · AB liuto
GDE bombarda · MM trombone · LG trombone

20. La vida de Culin —Voca la galiera  [3:25]  ballo - canzone, versione strumentale Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro
PB superius · AQ tenor · GDG contratenor altus · SM contratenor bassus · AB vihuela · GR viola
GDE cornamusa · SV cialamello · MM tromba a tiro · LG trombone · GM tamburello

Ensemble Micrologus

• Patrizia Bovi — canto, arpa
· arpa gotica di Rainer M. Thurau,Wiesbaden, 1992 (da Jeronimus Bosch)

• Adolfo Broegg— liuto, vihuela
· liuto sei cori di Vincenzo Cipriani, Assisi, 1992 (da una tavola di Piero della Francesca)
· liuto sei cori di Vincenzo Cipriani, Assisi, 1999 (da Piero della Francesca)
· vihuela di Frank Peter Dietrich, Erlbach, 1996

• Goffredo Degli Esposti — cialamello, bombarda, zufolo & tamburo, cornamusa, flauto dritto
· cialamello di Gunter Körber, 1988
· zufolo di Francesco Li Virghi, Roma, 1998
· tamburo di Massimo Monti, Roma 1996
· cornamusa di Antón Varela, Ferrol (Galicia),1997
· flauto dritto di Francesco Li Virghi, Roma, 1988

• Gabriele Russo — viola, liuto, viola da gamba
· viola di Vincenzo Cipriani, Assisi, 1993
· liuto sei cori di Vincenzo Cipriani, Assisi, 1999 (da Piero della Francesca)
· viola da gamba di Vincenzo Cipriani, Assisi, 1999 (da una tavola di Raffaello)

• Stefano Vezzani — cialamello, bombarda, zufolo & tamburo
· cialamello in DO (C-Schalmein) di Stefano Vezzani, Reggio Emilia, 2000
· bombarda di Gunter Körber, Germania, 1988
· zufolo tradizionale (modificato da Stefano Vezzani)
· tamburo di Paolo Simonazzi, Reggio Emilia, 1998

• Luigi Germini — trombone
· trombone di Ewald Meinl, Gerestried, 1995 (copia da Heinlein)

• Gabriele Miracle — tamburelli, naccheroni, salterio a percussione, tamburo, castagnette
· tamburelli a sonagli di Paolo Simonazzi, Reggio Emilia, 1998
· castagnette di anonimo, tradizionali spagnole
· tamburo di Massimo Monti, Roma, 1998
· naqqarat di Massimo Monti, Roma, 1992
· salterio di Enzo Laurenti, Bologna, 1985

• Mauro Morini — trombone, tromba a tiro
· trombone di Ewald Meinl, Gerestried, 1995 (copia da Heinlein)
· tromba a tiro di Pier Gabriele Callegari, Bologna, 1988 (copia da Melling)

• Alessandro Quarta — canto

• Gianni De Gennaro—canto

• Bruno Bonhoure — canto

• Simone Marcelli — canto

The singer and harpist Patrizia Bovi, Adolfo Broegg, Gabriele Russo et Goffredo Degli Esposti founded the vocal and instrumental ensemble Micrologus in 1984 with the aim of rediscovering Mediterranean medieval music and its instrumental and vocal traditions. Micrologus's interpretations draw from iconographical and comparative ethnomusicological study. The traditions of popular singing are studied in the context of surviving ancient vocal techniques. The ensemble is mode up of five to eleven members, each playing several instruments. This versatility gives them a rare sound. The artists share the fruits of their research with young students in master classes across Europe. Since 1990 Patrizia Bovi has collaborated with Giovanna Marini and her famous vocal Quartet.

BRANI E CODICI
Montecassino, Ms. 871
Perugia. Bibl. Comunale Augusta, Ms. 431 (olim 020)
Madrid, Biblioteca dell'Escorial, Ms. IV.a.24





Executive producer:Yolanta Skura
Recording producer & engineer | Editing : Laurence Heym
Recording: Chiesa Santa Maria del Fosco, Giano dell'Umbria, Italy, May 2000
Studio Playback with Ensemble® Loudspeakers
Front cover: Jaquerio Giacomo, Return to the fountain of Life 1418-1430
Saluzzo, Castello Della Manta, Italy (Alinari-Giraudon).

ARAGONESE NAPLES
Secular music at the Court (1460-1495)

On February 26, 1443, Neapolitans witnessed an event which was to be crucial in the history of their city, namely the triumphal entry of Alfonso I "el Magnanimo", first Aragonese king of Naples. For more than 60 years, Aragonese rule completely altered the administrative, urban, artistic and cultural structure of the capital. The event was immortalised in the triumphal arch (still visible today) set into the façade of the Castelnuovo. The sculptor Domenico Gagini set the wind players of the king's entourage, that is, the cornet and piffaro players, alongside the king. As can be seen, music was a key part of the strategy of display adopted by the new court, especially on the accession of Alfonso's successor, Ferrante 1(1458-1494).

The most obvious consequence of the interest of the two sovereigns in music was the expansion of the Cappella Reale. Already by 1451, the Royal chapel was the largest in Italy, comprising a minimum of 21 singers, 2 organists, 1 organ builder, 5 boys and 2 maestri di capella. Many of the musicians came from the Aragonese chapels of Spain. Including the non-singing clerks and the boys, numbers in the chapel in 1498 reached 44. In 1494, for the coronation of Alfonso II, a Neapolitan chronicler recorded the presence of 46 'schiate' and 10 'bifare' cornets, not to mention 12 drums together with lutes, harps and sackbuts. Of particular renown were the many court organs set in the 'music rooms' specially built in Castelcapuano, in Castelnuovo and in the Capella di Santa Barbara.

The first Italian maestro di cappella, Giuliano de Caiacza, was appointed only in 1488. Even if initially Alfonso had tried to limit access to the Spanish, many members of the Real Cappella had been recruited from distant parts and some of them were famous Europe wide. In the period between 1471 and 1499, there was even a woman musician active at the court, known as 'Madam Anna Inglese' (and so the interpretation on this recording, led by Patricia Bovi, is perfectly historically consistent). There were also many instrumentalists in the king's service, both for the secular entertainments and for the state ceremonial. Unfortunately, the only surviving documents on this subject (which have been studied by Allan Atlas and a few other scholars) are limited to the king's accounts. Our knowledge of music performance in Naples outside the court is practically non-existent. There are some documents giving the name of some organ and other instrument builders (especially stringed) and the manuscripts of Gregorian chant from the various churches active at the time give only an indication of how liturgical music was performed. Very little is left of the splendour and magnificence of the Aragonese court in Naples, particularly because many ancient documents have been destroyed and because the Royal library was dispersed.

SOURCES
There are three principal sources for the Neapolitan repertoire during the Aragonese period. The oldest — and the only one which can definitely be connected with members of the court — is held in the Escorial (Ms. IV.a.24): it was apparently copied at the time of the marriage between Alfonso Duca di Calabria and Ippolita Sforza (1465) and thus is a hybrid Milanese/Neapolitan collection. The other two sources are very similar, both being compiled in the 1480s and hailing from monastic backgrounds. Montecassino Ms. 871 comes from a Benedictine monastery, possibly San Severino e Sossio in Naples, and Perugia Ms. 431 came perhaps from a Franciscan monastery. There are also other mss. of Aragonese Neapolitan material, but with which it is difficult to prove the Neapolitan connection apart from the copyist or the music contained within them. The 'Mellon Chansonnier' was copied by the Flemish composer Vincenet, himself part of Ferrante's court from 1469 until his death in 1479. Biblioteca Nazionale di Naples Ms. 8.E.40, which contains 6 masses on the 'Tenor' L'Homme armé, was merely an act of homage comprising music written exclusively in the Netherlands. A further 7 mss. of polyphonic music and 2 mss. of entablature for stringed instruments reflect contacts with Aragonese Naples.

THE REPERTOIRE
Neapolitan court contacts with the chapels of other European courts (from Milan to Spain, from Ferrara to Mantua and from the Netherlands to the court of France) and the incessant circulation of music and musicians throughout the whole of the 15th century meant that Naples too developed an 'international' repertoire which was the pride of the Cappella Reale, certainly in terms of music for court celebrations. However, alongside the court ritual there existed local style of music for which surviving mss and documents unfortunately provide no evidence. For non-official music making, deigned purely for the pleasure of the court or for certain wealthy families or nobles outside court, the secular repertoire also seems shot through with the diverse national experiences of the performers and composers. A recent in-depth study by Gianluca D'Agostino sheds valuable light upon the problem. His theory is that the Neapolitan/ Aragonese repertoire was divided up into various linguistic/national categories. The application of this division to the three principal mss. discussed here gives the following table:

Text	French	Italian	Spanish
ESC	93	22	1
MC	35	29	9
PER	21	44	1
Total	149	95	11

The Italian texts are not necessarily (in fact they almost never are) Neapolitan but in linguistic terms from more northerly areas, namely, Tuscany. Venice or Lombardy. The exceptions are exceedingly interesting, notably: Hora may che fora son is defined as 'napoletana' whilst Fate darera is described as a 'Chanzone chalavrese'. These remarks highlight the popular origin of the song and the recognisable local 'tone'. Such elements re-emerge in Naples in the form of the Villanesco and much later in the arias with guitar of the 17th century.

THE RECONSTRUCTION
The project of which this disk is the fruit derives from the intriguing idea of trying to reconstruct as far as possible the 'sound' of a 'festa' in Aragonese Naples outside court circles. With this in mind, what little can be recognised as really Neapolitan was set alongside other linguistic influences and dance forms, namely ballate, strambotti and barzellette in Italian, canciones in Spanish and rondeau and balli in French. The sources used were those mentioned above, in other words, the only sources which we can be confident that were copied in Naples, namely the Montecassino, Escorial and Perugia mss. Alongside the group of string players and voices which would best recreate the atmosphere of a private performance in a palazzo or aristocratic dwelling has been the group of wind instruments ("alta") — they however strongly echo the sonorities of the celebratory music in the Real Cappella, as must have happened in the piazzas and common festivals. Even though probably also performed for the private pleasure of members of the court, the works on this disk are not the official music of the court. Even the piece which seems to have been composed as direct homage to Ferrante d'Aragona (Viva viva Rey Ferrando) is in fact — according to Atlas— merely a parody and after the incipit has nothing further to do with the king but is simply a generic combat d'amour in the late Bergerette style.

However, the spirit which breathes though the literary texts of Naples of the 15th century (the poems of improvisers of "gliommeri", that is, the theatrical farces performed during feste) is unmistakable: namely, parody, comic imitation of court officials, licentious language and swearing, and wild dancing. And these characteristics were not to disappear with the end of the Aragonese dynasty in 1503 but were to remain typical of the music of Spanish Naples for two successive centuries.

DINKO FABRIS
English Translation: Geoffrey MARSHALL

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

· Isabel Pope, La musique espagnole à la cour de Naples dans la seconde moitié du XVe siècle, in Musique et poésie au XVe siècle. Paris 1954, pp.35-61

· Isabel Pope — Masakata Kanazawa, The Musical Manuscript Montecassino 871: A Neapolitan Repertory of Sacred and Secular Music of the Late 15th Century, Oxford 1978

· Allan Atlas, Music at the Aragonese Court of Naples, Cambridge 1985

· Dinko Fabris, Il compianto per il perduto splendore artistico musicale della corte Aragonese in un manoscritto napoletano del primo Cinquecento, in Trent'anni di ricerche musicologiche. Studi in onore di F. A. Gallo, Rome 1996, pp.61-113

· Gianluca D'Agostino, "Più, glie delectano canzone veneciane che francese": echi di poesia italiana alla cotte napoletana di Alfonso il Magnanimo, "Musica Disciplina", XLIX, 1995, pp.47-77.