08Feb25: I just completed a short ms: A-Wn:Austrian National Library Music Collection mus.hs.18790:Georg Fugger Lute Book (c.1565). This contains only 4 pieces in Italian tab, but they are exemplary for their quality. In the first place, they are completely error-free–first time I have seen this in an entire ms. Secondly, they are beautifully constructed vocal intabulations. The first is of a motet, Spiritus Domini, by Jean Mouton, which is an extraordinary example of what can be done on a 6-course instrument. The second is a parody of the above in the form of a ricercar. The third is an intabulation of the canzona “Il ciel che rado virtu tanta nostra” by Jacques Arcadelt. The fourth is an intabulation of “Fringotez, jeunes fillettes” by Nicolas Payen. Very satisfying document, altogether.
One interesting feature of this ms I have not seen elsewhere is the use of a dot above a note in right hand fingering to indicate the use of the thumb, while a dot below a note, as usual, means the index finger.
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