This manuscript, now in London, contains 119 compositions, all by composers of the Italian Trecento. Among the best known today are Francesco Landini, Niccoló da Perugia, and Jacopo da Bologna.

The instrumental works in the manuscript are grouped together and consist of several Istanpitte, Salterelli, and other dances. All have intriguing names, such as the title dance of our CD. Another memorable title, Principio de Virtu, might refer to a connection of the manuscript with the Visconti family in Milan: Gian Galeazzo Visconti was known as the Count of Virtú.

The Istanpitta, or Estampie, is the only medieval dance form for which descriptions as well as music have survived. Each phrase, or punctum, in an estampie is repeated. A refrain of differing length is inserted after each iteration of a phrase, alternating open and closed endings. The Salterello follows the same principle but tends to be shorter and less complicated in character.

It is quite extraordinary that these dances were written down at all, since we know that the players of these pieces, known as minstrels or jongleurs, mostly improvised their art. Successful minstrels needed a tinker's bagful of talents. According to Guiraut de Calançon (Fadet Joglar), they were expected to play at least nine instruments, have a knack for storytelling and songwriting, sing, improvise dances, juggle, perform magic tricks, demonstrate acrobatic skills, catch little apples on knives, imitate birdsong, jump through four hoops, and, if possible, dance with bears!

Although playing for dancers would have been an important part of the professional musicians' job, they didn't hesitate to play vocal works. They made their own arrangements or improvised on songs their audiences knew. Even in church this practice was not unknown: the famous hymn Ave maris stella served as the base for a highly ornamented version in the Faenza Codex, a 15th-century manuscript containing instrumental arrangements of mostly 14th-century vocal polyphony.

Women played instruments, as amateurs and as professionals. Francesco da Barberino, in his Reggimento e costumi di donna, a 14th-c. treatise on the education of young women, states that they should learn to play instruments, especially the vielle and the harp; they should know how to sing and compose text and music and be able to perform these songs, accompanying themselves. In Boccaccio's Decameron female musicians outnumber the male players.

1. Cavalcando Con Un Giovane Accorto
2. Non Al Suo Amante
3. Chominciamento Di Gioia
4. Un Fior Gentil M'apparse
5. Ochi Dolenti Mie
6. Lamento Di Tristano La Rota
7. Salterello
8. O Petre
9. Salterello Di Virtu
10. Lucente Stella
11. Danga amorosa Troto
12. Per Allegregga Istanpita Allegregca
13. Ballata I'voi Che Tu Ritrovi Amore
14. Pianza La Bella Iguana
15. A Sea Of Stars
16. Ave Maris Stella
17. Salterello
18. Mille Mergede Amor
19. La Bionda Tregga
20. Principio Di Virtu

Listen to: the entire album.

Release date: 4/2/2012
Shira Kammen lives in California USA

Tagged as: Classical, Folk, Medieval

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