02Aug25

02Aug25: I began work on I-CFVd_Bibliothek_Castelfranco_Veneto,_Duomo Castelfranco_Lute_MS_1565. I have been aware of this MS for many years, but was discouraged by the damaged state of the MS, so I put off working on it. It is in pretty bad shape, but it turns out that once you can decipher the actual notes, the quality of the music is very high, with relatively few errors. The first 8 pieces are too badly damaged to create a playable version from The 9th, a passamezzo by Giovanni Pacoloni, has several missing or blotted-out notes but was reconstructable because of the repetitious and formulaic nature of Pacoloni’s compositions. The remaining 55 pieces I have worked on require a lot of squinting but they can be deciphered.

So far, I have encountered pieces by a variety of composers, including Arcadelt, Verdelot, Crécquillon, Rore, etc. and many by Milano. Included are two lute duets, one an anonymous passamezzo antico and a second one by Milano.

I have left for a later time the 10 trios in the MS. I fear it will prove a difficult and tedious matter to line up the parts so they mesh without awkward dissonances. 2, by Ghinolfo Dattari, should be fairly easy. The rest, not so much.

–Sarge