Presentation Type
Poster
Keywords
music baroque manuscript Carlo Grossi editing Sibelius transcription madrigal
Department
Music
Major
Music Composition
Abstract
This project is an outgrowth of a larger project that involves the eventual compilation of a series of Italian madrigals into a modern performing edition. The purpose of this project was to transcribe and edit a madrigal from Carlo Grossi’s L’Anfione musiche da camera or per tavola (Venice, 1675) in order to better understand and be able to perform an Italian madrigal as it might have been done in the late seventeenth century. Through a process of research, examination and transcription, I was able to not only to transcribe Grossi’s music into modern notation but was also able to also have it performed and presented for listeners to hear.
Dr. Cobb worked with the original manuscripts at Bologna’s Civico Museo Bibliografico and procured a microfilm copy of a printed copy of the collection dating from 1675. Working from this microfilm, I was able to transcribe the music into modern notation using Sibelius Music Notation Software.
Imminent musicologists such as James Griere in his The Critical Editing of Music, point to four principles to consider when undertaking an editing project such as this: 1) editing is critical in nature; 2) criticism, including editing, is based on historical inquiry; 3) editing involves the critical evaluation of the semiotic import of the musical text; and 4) the final arbiter in the critical evaluation of the musical text is the editor’s conception of musical style. Since the music was composed before modern notation practices were established, I had to research early composition techniques using a book by John Caldwell called Editing Early Music. The information found in this resource enabled me to decipher the antiquated rest symbols and note values so that the whole piece would fit together properly. After all the notes were entered into the software program, they were combined with the text, as provided in an Italian translation by Dr. Cobb.
While these tasks successfully cultivated a research process, completing these tasks has allowed me to gain further insight into a lesser-known musical mind of the Baroque Era.
This project resulted in my being selected to present a joint paper with Dr. Cobb at the recent regional meeting of the College Music Society held on the campus of Cal State Long Beach (March 5, 2016).
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Gary Cobb
Funding Source or Research Program
Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
1-4-2016 2:00 PM
End Date
1-4-2016 3:00 PM
Included in
Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons, Composition Commons, Musicology Commons, Music Theory Commons, Other Music Commons
An Approach to Undergraduate Research - Developing an Understanding of the Musical Process through the Editing of Early Music
Waves Cafeteria
This project is an outgrowth of a larger project that involves the eventual compilation of a series of Italian madrigals into a modern performing edition. The purpose of this project was to transcribe and edit a madrigal from Carlo Grossi’s L’Anfione musiche da camera or per tavola (Venice, 1675) in order to better understand and be able to perform an Italian madrigal as it might have been done in the late seventeenth century. Through a process of research, examination and transcription, I was able to not only to transcribe Grossi’s music into modern notation but was also able to also have it performed and presented for listeners to hear.
Dr. Cobb worked with the original manuscripts at Bologna’s Civico Museo Bibliografico and procured a microfilm copy of a printed copy of the collection dating from 1675. Working from this microfilm, I was able to transcribe the music into modern notation using Sibelius Music Notation Software.
Imminent musicologists such as James Griere in his The Critical Editing of Music, point to four principles to consider when undertaking an editing project such as this: 1) editing is critical in nature; 2) criticism, including editing, is based on historical inquiry; 3) editing involves the critical evaluation of the semiotic import of the musical text; and 4) the final arbiter in the critical evaluation of the musical text is the editor’s conception of musical style. Since the music was composed before modern notation practices were established, I had to research early composition techniques using a book by John Caldwell called Editing Early Music. The information found in this resource enabled me to decipher the antiquated rest symbols and note values so that the whole piece would fit together properly. After all the notes were entered into the software program, they were combined with the text, as provided in an Italian translation by Dr. Cobb.
While these tasks successfully cultivated a research process, completing these tasks has allowed me to gain further insight into a lesser-known musical mind of the Baroque Era.
This project resulted in my being selected to present a joint paper with Dr. Cobb at the recent regional meeting of the College Music Society held on the campus of Cal State Long Beach (March 5, 2016).