LAM 2 Gabrieli: Ricercare del 12o Tono (1586)

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Here are some questions you might get on this extract.

 

1. What is a Ricercare?

I can think of no better answer than the first paragraph of page 9 of Analysis Matters by David Bowman. You might add that a ricercare contains a succession of themes and could be played by an ensemble or a keyboard instrument. The number of subjects was gradually reduced to one over time, and in the 17th century the ricercare developed into the fugue, as Bowman says.

2. To what extent is the title appropriate for Gabrieli's Ricercare?

In the actual examination you need to slam the facts down on paper as soon as possible, but as this is the first work you have studied in depth we might consider the facts at a more leisurely pace.

Ricercare Canzona

Vocally inspired; derived from the motet and so a ricecare is predominantly contrapuntal in style and modal.

Vocally inspired; derived from the chanson. Can contain homophonic passages and tend to be much less modal.

Sober in style.

Uses dance-like rhythms and can be light and fast-moving.

Instrumental embellishments

Use of the dactylic cliché (long-short-short)

Succession of themes

Several contrasting (distinct) sections; repetition of sections. May be based on varieties of the same theme.

Paired imitation. Voice leading style - sounds like a motet without words.

Paired imitation. Free voice leading style; use of stretti.

LAM 2 may be called a ricercare simply because it was published in a collection of ricercari and the publisher may have wanted the title to conform to that of the volume. The structural and stylistic features are actually in line with hundreds of canzonas written in 16th century Italy.

The most obvious connection with the canzona is the use of the dactylic rhythmic cliché (long-short-short) which can be found in bars 14-15. In fact, this rhythm pervades the piece in a guise including an added quaver to make a pattern of 4 quavers.

LAM 2 is based on a couple of (short) motives, treated contrapuntally.

The work is sectional (ABCDCDA) although only 2 of the 7 sections appear in LAM 2. The last 3 (CDA) are repeats of earlier sections; a feature of the canzona. The change to triple time in bar 28 distinguishes that section clearly.

The music sounds major and there are only a few moments of fleeting modality (bars 10 & 25) whereas ricercare were predominantly modal and echoes the sacred style of earlier times.

Repeated notes are a feature of the chanson.

Bars 21-23 are mostly homophonic and in canzona style. Ricercare, having polyphonic motets as their ancestors, tended to be contrapuntal throughout.

Other questions:-

  1. Identify the tonality and then show the harmonic scheme of the extract in tabular form.
  2. What decorative devices does Gabrieli use?
  3. Locate and analyse 4 suspensions.
  4. Give a brief outline of how the counterpoint goes towards creating consonant harmony as we understand it.
  5. Precisely identify each of the following features, using bar and beat numbers.

 

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