ON LANDINI AND SER LORENZO

NINO PIRROTTA

The beginning of 1997 has broughtwith it a revivalof interest inFrancesco on Landini, "il cieco degli organi," who died six centuries ago, the second day of as in on his stone in the September 1397, leaving, stated the inscription sepulcral Florentine church of San Lorenzo, "his remains here, his soul on the stars."1 some I to recon Having been involved myself in of the celebrations, should like a some in some a sider suggestion Imade years ago that he might have been way or son Maso or was a pupil of Laurentius Masii Masini (the of Masino), who one canon, and an influential at that, in the chapter of the ancient basilica of San or Lorenzo from at least 1348 until his death, in late 1372 early 1373.2 two must have for A personal relationship between the existed, Landini, too, as a e at 1365 to was active in San Lorenzo "cappellano organista,, from least up his own death.3 we Furthermore, cannot exclude the possibility that he had already been some case present in the same ecclesiastical milieu for time before 1365. In any the coexistence in a narrow, selective ambience of a young composer and an older was or once and authoritative person, who still engaging, who had engaged, in the some sort same rather uncommon activity of writing polyphonic music, makes or an interest of a direct relationship inevitable. Lorenzo certainly was, had been, not too a as the ing if productive composer with bent for teaching, suggested by nonmensural monophonie piece Diligenter advertant cantores, found in the Lon di ser don manuscript, British Library, Add. 29987, with the tide "L'antefana

* The editors wish to thank Professor Pirrotta for his timely response to their request for an essay commemorating the 600th anniversary of Francesco Landings death that could be published in 1997. Though the present volume of Muska Disciplina, 48, bears the date 1994, it is indeed appearing in 1997.

1 animam astra "Luminibus captus, Franciscus [...] hie ci?eres, super reliquit. M.CCC.LXXXXVn. die .II. Sep.". 2 F.A. Gallo, "Lorenzo Masini e Francesco degli Organi in S. Lorenzo," Studimusi cali IV (1975), pp. 57-63. 3 Ibid., pp. 59, 62-63.

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? to as Lore(re)nzo."4 Many features of his works and his attempt improve he ? must on mensu have thought the customary practices of the Italian system of a an ral notation bespeak speculative mind. Evidence of such attempt is provided se n a star by the three differendy notated versions of his Ita 'era nelpara diso / Cogliendo fior Proserpina cantaua? se n a star a text The poem of Ita 'era poses problem in itself, being the only we to set two know have been by composers, Lorenzo and Vincenzo da a Rimini. It has been suggested that the repetition resulted from competition; but a a a canon competition between Benedictine abbot and distinguished Florentine seems to we unlikely me, especially in view of the fact that know very little about was Vincenzo, and, indeed, why, when and for how long he in Florence, if was ever indeed he there. A Florentine poet ismost likely to have written the act as text, which describes Persephone (Proserpina) in the of picking flowers, a suggested by passage inDante's Divine Comedy {Purgatory XXVlili, 40-51).6 must The Dantesque reminiscence have interested Lorenzo and induced him to reuse a new se n a star the poem for setting. Ita 'era is also by far the longest of the ? ten runs to as known by Lorenzo in my edition it 98 measures, to measures one opposed the 46-76 of all of the others.7 This is probably of the reasons was two at why it copied twice, in different versions, the very beginning of the section in the Squarcialupi Codex that contains all sixteen of his secular pieces.

4 The redundant syllable in the composer's name, (re), is given in themanuscript. ne The Latin text begins: "Diligenter advertant cantores oris soni inanis presumptio igno ranter absorbent mentem cordem et which I translate: "Let the be most pectora," singers careful lest the empty boast of theirmouths should through ignorance involve theirmind, heart and breasts." The not too reliable version of the text and itsmusic in the London manuscript is discussed by A. Seay, "The Beginnings of the Coniuncta and Lorenzo Masi ni's 'L'Antefana'," VArs Nova Italiana del Trecento m (1970), pp. 51-65. 5 The piece is preserved in the Squarcialupi Codex, fols. 45v- 46r, 46v- 47r, and in British Library, Add. 29987, fols. 42v-43r.

6 a one I accept the idea of such relationship, first pointed out by M. P. Long, uIta se a star an n'era nelParadiso: The Metamorphoses of Ovidian Madrigal inTrecento Italy," VArs Nova Italiana del Trecento VI (1992), pp. 257-67, especially p. 260.

7 am I referring to the length of Lorenzo's madrigals as they appear in TheMusic of Fourteenth-Century Italy, HI (American Institute of Musicology, 1962).

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two so am I edited the first of Squarcialupi's versions many years ago that I no I am that Iwas longer absolutely certain of how proceeded;81 sure, however, so in two versions. I do not helped in doing by the readings the other Actually, know to what extent the copyists of the Squarcialupi Codex really understood nor to was Lorenzo's novel notational practices, how faithful his original the were to own source from which they copying. Lorenzo sought provide his solu to new within the tra tion the problems created by the needs of rhythmic variety measures. ditional system of the Italian duodenaria and octonaria His solution to seems to have been replace duodenaria and octonaria by senaria perfecta and measures a new of tails and other marks to the quaternaria while adding variety second version and minima figures; prevailing usage instead (see the Squarcialupi was to a or the one in the London manuscript) adopt ternary binary of quaterna ria measures.9

Lorenzo, as I have said, does not seem to have been a fertile composer. But he was mindful to introducevariety into his pieces, beginningwith his choice of two a texts. These include three by Niccol? Soldanieri, by Giovanni Boccaccio, a madrigal and two ba?lateby Franco Sacchetti,10and ballataby Gregorio Calo text Dol nista. Lorenzo himself might have written the didactic of his madrigal a which after at least one with gomi voiy maestri del mie canto, ends, missing tercet, an unusual ritornello of four seven-syllable lines:

Se vogliono 'nparare ? a 'llor dite: Pian, piano ch? ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la ? comincian dalla mano.

8 Ibid., pp. 8-9. Some hint of my procedures is given in the Foreword of the volume, pp. ni-IV. I see that at the time I thought that the problems of the first version had induced Lorenzo to introduce modal notation in the second, suggested to him by French now no see a models. My thinking is just the opposite and I longer French suggestion pres ent in the modal solution, mode being practically nonexistent in French secular poly to at left edition phony. At this time I take occasion voice my regret having my incomplete a never after the fifth volume. I had already prepared sixth volume, but published it after to two editions same music Leo Schrade began his edition. I thought ituseless have of the when so much music of various kinds and genres remained unpublished. 9 That the latter are translations, so to speak, from Lorenzo's peculiar notations is novenaria measures. shown by the unusual alternation of quaternaria and

The music of the two ba?late is now lost.

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to a To give strength the complaints and admonitions of such text, Lorenzo tercets exten composed the music of the for three voices, alternating sections of two sive melismas in the equal upper parts with those of strongly accentuated text simultaneous recitation of the lines of by all three. In the above quoted ritor cantus tenor are nello, instead, only the first and the present. They emphasize two res musically the point of the last lines by singing them in strict imitation on, notes pectively, the ascending and descending of the soft hexachord.11 a The unusual sudden change in the number of voices inDolgomi voi finds an even sharper analogue in Lorenzo's only known caccia A poste messe, where canon a the twice-repeated for three voices of the first section is followed by messe an single-voice ritornello. A poste is actually the piece in which unusual are combination of musical inventiveness and cunning calculation most evident. canon one A unison for three equal voices (the third replacing the normally to nar untexted tenor),12 adds the usual variety of calls and sounds of its hunting a at ? or rative calculated effect, first of intensification and then of slackening of ? means approaching and then moving away obtained by of the repetition of the following lines:

? ? Ecco l?, ecco l? ? ? Guarda, guarda, qua! ? O tu, o tu, o tu, ? passa, passa, passa!

a at As result of such repetition, these calls, first uttered at the usual distance by the first two voices, become closer when the third voice joins in as the first two voices state the calls a second time, and so on until the reverse process of less fre same quent repeats takes place. The effect is then repeated for the corresponding text. as a group of calls in the second strophe of the caccia Then, inDolgomi voi, an even sharper reduction in the number of voices is introduced in the ritornello for the lines:

11 The Music of Fourteenth-Century Italy, HI, p. 7. 12 This, too, has been considered a result of French influence, though we have no evidence that any of the very few French chaces were ever known in Italy and particularly in Florence. Once more, I see here, a sign of Lorenzo's predilection for experimenting with unusual procedures.

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A ricolta, bu, bu, bu sanza corno, tatim, tatim sonammo per iscorno.

are Here, in spite of the ironical "iscorno," the onomatopoetic sounds preceded two and followed by beautiful, impressive effusions of melody.13 to I do not intend to touch upon all of Lorenzo's madrigals here, but merely out point that melodic passages, often rich inmelisma, frequendy alternate with text passages inwhich the voices utter the in sharp syllabic recitation, either simul or taneously again in alternation. Strangely enough, such effective refinements go seem to a a bit more marked together with what might be technical deficiency than in other contemporary composers, that is, the frequency of parallel perfect consonances or of clashes between the two or three voices of the setting. Inmy can at a opinion this be explained by the fact that the composer aimed above all we linear (today would say contrapuntal) rather than harmonic relationship be to restate a tween the voices. In any case, judgement trenchandy expressed by ... as Kurt von Fischer, "Lorenzo's style emereges highly complex, many-sided H and vigorously experimental." seems to in same It logical think that the coexistence the resticted milieu of e an older composer with the younger "cappellano organista" would take the ? ? not a amodel and adviser to a shape if of teacher-pupil relationship of that of willing recipientof suggestions.All things considered, Inow believe this lastof be more two reasons. must have been but likely for The first is that Landini young, I not too young, when his association with Lorenzo began.15 The second is that a never in find in Landini's two-voice madrigals feature present the works of the

13 I edited themusic of the caccia in 1962 (seemy already cited edition, Vol. HI, pp. a 17-19), also trying to show {Ibid., p. IV) how canonic solution seems highly improbable was once more for the ritornello. I could only confirm my opinion when the piece edited in the by A. Main, and this because of the excessive number of sharp dissonances present canonic ritornello. See his "Lorenzo Masini's Deer Hunt," inG. Reese and R. Brandel, eds., The Commonwealth ofMusk, inHonor of Curt Sachs (New York, 1965), pp. 130-61, none for conclusion particularly, 148-61. In addition, of the indications usually given the of the canon by all three voices simultaneously is present in the manuscript. 14 K. von Fischer, ",,, in The New Grove Dictionary ofMusk and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, Vol. 11, p. 235. 15 After 1359 and before 1365, as indicated by the documents referred to by F. A. to the Gallo, Op. at., p. 59. Landini by then should have been nearing forty, according he would been to generally accepted birth-date (ca. 1325); have nearing thirty, according ca. my own suggestion (born, 1335).

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? older composer and possibly derived from the madrigals well known inHo an rence-of . This feature is the frequent insertion of untexted one text (instrumental?) passage between the end of line of and the beginning of next to tenor on a to the one, given mostly the and few occasions both voices.16 never occur nor Such passages in Lorenzo's madrigals in Landini's madrigals for three voices, which I see as nearer to Lorenzo's models.

The relationship between model/adviser and willing recipient may have case son been only textual in the of Landini's Muska che mi dolgo piangendo (see as Lorenzo's Dolgomi avoids well Jacopo's Oselleto salvuzo), where the different texts in each voice find conspicuous correspondences also among Jacopo's see amore non son? con works. But I direct relationship between Landini's Si dolce In lira Orfeo and Lorenzo's Povero zappator in chiusa valle}1 the latter the melis course not seem to matic of the upper voice does be hampered by the constric tions deriving from the obbligato procedures of the tenor, of which every third two unit of ternary mode repeats in diminution the melody and rhythm of the text a preceding units. In addition, every line of ends with repetition of the entire set to a returns a line syllabically melody which transposed up fourth for the a second line and up second for the third line. (See Examples la, b, c.) Further more, the two lines of the ritornello text are are stated twice, the second time a repeating in diminution simplified version of their previous melodies. non con As for Landini's Si dolce son? lir Orfeo, its isorhythmic structure is well known, having first been hinted at by Leo Schrade and thenmore fully des von to cribed by Kurt Fischer, who also suggested that the poem makes reference at one .18 Landini, who composed least , shows full cogni zance new and mastery of isorhytmic technique and applies it by assigning music to tercets. all three I shall add only that following the Vitriesque music of such

16 Such untexted passages are occasionally present also inworks by other compo sers, though never as consistendy as in Jacopo's madrigals. 17 The Musk of Fourteenth-Century Italy, Vol. HI, pp. 12-13. 18 See L. Schrade, Polyphonk Music of theFourteenth Century. Commentary Notes to \blume IV{Monaco, 1958), p. 156,where, as elsewhere, the notation in a binary or ternary mode of quatemaria is called "French notation;" also see K. von Fischer, "Philippe de Vitry in Italy and anHomage of Landini to Philippe," inL Italiana del Trecento, IV (1978), pp. 225-35.

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EXAMPLES la, b, c

a 3 rr*rr ? m S ;,pfiP CjpM ve-ro le ...po zap-pa-tor in chiu-sa val le lt I

le

Tf~ p J/?|?-1-1-gg* - rc%p son con ser-to gno... a-por-ta-to di le gno

gno

EE? jlpPPP CJPE?- le... rot to dal mar al qual da t'o le spal le.

~rr

le.

tercets there is a ritornello whose music sounds very Italian tome, perhaps Loren zesque, in its interplay of stria imitations.19 tu cos? The third of Landini's madrigals for three voices, De3 dimmi che sei a fregiato, is technically caccia because, after the solo beginning of the upper voice, a the lower voices form a canon, with the contratenor entering fifth above the a are so tenor. Set to moralistic text ("Oh, tellme, you who bejeweled with pearls

19 a With regard to Landings motet, mentioned above, I should add that only frag to ment, apparendy the upper voice, survives dedicated the Venetian doge Andrea Conta a to rini ("Principum nobilissime"). Its text ends, after having asked God to give long life me the dedicatee, by asking the same for the composer himself, "et Francisais peregre canens" (in the original his name is given in the accusative case).

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and who do think are at gold, you you when you look yourself?"), it also gives new music to its two tercets. The ritornello is a canon as well, this time begun by contratenor once the upper voice, with the again imitating the tenor at the upper fifth (lower fourth of the cantus).Once more Landini's ability inovercoming the strictures deriving from these self-imposed technical obligations is reminiscent of Lorenzo's speculative, yet sensitive, mind. Much less impressive, Landini's single caccia, Cosi pensoso com'amor mi text a guida (whose short actually describes fishing scene), does not seem to have been influenced in any way by Lorenzo's models. Rather, it recalls in its unusual of rhythm senaria imperfecta, Jacopo's canonic madrigal Giunge ? bel tempo della and also be to e primavera, might related NelVacqua chiara dokepescando (by Vin cenzo da with which it not Rimini), shares only the senaria imperfecta rhythm but also the fishing theme of its poem. In any case I believe it to be awork that dates from before Landini's association with Lorenzo. I do not ever wrote a know whether Lorenzo polyphonic . The five ones that come down to all monophonie us, preserved in the Squarcialupi codex, are but for in a some notated, one, ternary mode of quaternaria with irregular to on passages, possibly due miscomprehension the part of the copyists of the of notation. a composer's peculiar style The single exception, using slighdy faster senaria is still in perfecta, agreement with the traditions of the lyrical monophonie us ballata.20 The first polyphonic ba?late known to come instead from composers, Donato da Cascia and Niccol? da Perugia, who would seem to have been convin ced that did not lyricism agree with polyphony. Donato's only extant piece in this ? Senti tu sets an genre, d'amor, donna?-No!perch???, unlyrical dialogue be tween aman awoman uses a and and binary mode of quaternaria. As for Nicco two ? l?'s twenty-one ba?late for voices which might seem to have coincided in time new ? with Landini's initial output in the polyphonic genre all but three are set on either or comical a moralizing texts, few of them polemical dialogues. Landini's two-voice are set to ba?late instead prevailingly lyrical love poems and

20 I see an established tradition of ternary rhythm (prevailingly duodenaria or its modal transcription) in the five lyrical ba?late included in the Vatican, Rossi 215, manu and in the script Ostiglia fragments, where the single exception, Amor mi fa cantor alia underlines its novenaria the double "Love makes me to Francesca, rhythm by entendre, sing Francesca" or "Love me a my makes sing in the French way." Just little less consistendy such a is tradition present in the five lyrical monophonie ba?late by Gherardello, two of them in the usual two one ternary mode of quatemaria, in senariaperfecta and in a binary mode of quatemaria.

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quite often return to a ternary mode of quatemaria. Should we see there once more the result of his admiration for his older colleague Lorenzo? I am speakinghere of Landini's admiration, not of his having been taught was as by Lorenzo. We know that Landini, "il cieco degli organi," already treated an on 1361 as expert player his instrument by ;21and, suggested above, he might most have already composed of his two-voice madrigals by 1365. If this is so, then an to a most the relationship of admirer revered older person is likely.

Rome

21 By 1361 he had already been invited to play on his favorite instrument in the Flo rentine church of the friars of the Vallombrosan order; see F. A. D'Accone, "Music and Musicians at the Florentine Monastery of Santa Trinita, 1360 -1363," in "Memorie e contri buti aliam?sica del Medioevo all'et? moderna offerti a Federico Ghisi nel settantesimo compleanno (1901-1971)," Quadrivium X? (1971, actually 1973), pp. 131-51, particularly, 134-35.

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