A Songbook for Isabella
Music from the circle of Isabella d’Este

Musica Antiqua
directed by Philip Thorby

Programme

‘We have begun to learn the viola and we hope that we learn well enough, because in the two days only that we have been working, we have begun to plan that, when we come to Ferrara, we will be able to play tenor to Don Alfonso our brother.’

Thus, in a letter of 1499, Isabella d’Este (bride for nine years of Francesco Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua) reveals two crucial aspects of her musical patronage: that she was a participant, not merely a listener; and that she played string instruments, not wind.

Isabella’s musical tastes had been formed by her upbringing in the ducal court of her father Hercule d’Este in Ferrara. Well aware of the political importance of a large musical household, Hercule maintained both a capella and court musicians under the guidance of the Brabant composer Johannes Martini. Martini was also responsible for the musical education of Hercule’s children, and Isabella learned to sing and to play the lute and harpsichord. It is difficult to cut through the flattery inherent in any contemporary assessment of an aristocratic amateur, but it does seem that Isabella was genuinely gifted. After her marriage in 1490 she began to remodel the relatively modest Gonzaga musical establishment in imitation of that of her father, even asking for the loan of her old mentor Martini. And in 1499, as witness her letter, she succumbed to the new craze which had swept through the Ferraran court—the playing of consorts of the new viole in, as her brother Alfonso was to write, ‘all the sizes in the world’. (Alfonso was, in 1502, to play in a consort of six viole as part of the celebration of his marriage—to Lucrezia Borgia.)

Isabella began to buy instruments (lutes, viole, keyboards) for her own use and that of her musicians. But not—emphatically not—wind instruments. She employed piffari (wind players), and wind instruments appear in the intarsia decorations of her chambers in the Mantuan palace. But it would have been inappropriate to her humanism and her sex for her to play the flute or the recorder (unlike her near contemporary Henry VIII of England). And it would have been unthinkable for someone of her status to play the crumhorn or shawm. In the battle between Pan the piper and Apollo, Isabella was uncompromisingly on the side of the mythical lyre player; and for her the lyre was best represented by the viola.

Apollo sang to his lyre, and as well as becoming the favourite vehicle for aristocratic instrumental performance, the viola was ideal for accompanying the voice. Under Isabella’s patronage the tradition of improvised song accompanied by the singer on a lira da braccio (in direct imitation of Apollo) developed into the frottola, with the string accompaniment notated, and shared between two, three, or occasionally four (Forte cosa [29]) viols. In employing Italian composers, and herself performing their music, Isabella played a key role in the development of this new vernacular music, and of the consort of viole which developed alongside it.

The Instruments

So what were the viole to which the d’Este family became addicted? No instruments of this period survive, so it is necessary to look to recorded evidence, both written and iconographic, when attempting a reconstruction.

Written evidence (including many letters to and from Isabella’s instrument maker Lorenzo da Pavia) is stimulating but frequently vague, even ambiguous. It is not always clear whether a particular viola is in fact a viola da gamba (bowed underhand) a viola da braccio (bowed overhand), a flat bridged lira da braccio or even a plucked viola da mano! But this ambiguity is itself instructive—it reminds us that we are looking at a period when these instruments are so new that they are as yet un-named. Instead the generic term viola is qualified by a description of the way it is played—with the hand, with a bow, on the arm, between the legs. Essentially the instrument was the same, the playing technique was different. In due course, makers and players modified the uniform design to facilitate the chosen technique—a flat bridge for plucking, bouts cut out of the body to accommodate the bow, a deeper body for da gamba playing than for da braccio, etc. But in 1500 we are still at an early stage of that development.

Armed with this information we attempt to evaluate the iconographic evidence. There are different shapes of bowed viole depicted at this time, painted with varying degrees of naturalism and skill. We may disregard those with obvious structural defects, many of which appear to be more or less fanciful interpretations of the classical lyre. Furthermore we are looking for a direct connection with Isabella d’Este’s circle, and also a body shape that is common to more than one type of viola. Among the artists patronized by Isabella was Lorenzo Costa, one of whose paintings shows clearly two fretted viole of a shape which occurs in other paintings of the time. Furthermore, the same body shape appears in decorations of Isabella’s own chamber in Mantua in the form of a lira da braccio. The instrument is shallow, with concave (and therefore carved) ribs, and has much in common with later viols, violins and vihuelas as well as with earlier fiddles—an ideal candidate for our generic viola.

However well painted, however, a picture cannot show all the structural elements vital to the eventual tone, volume and response of the finished instrument. Was the back carved or flat? Was there a soundpost? Was the belly supported by bars? In discussion with Roger Rose of West Dean College, Sussex, England it was decided to make the instruments with carved back, front and ribs, eliminating the need for support from a soundpost or barring to the belly. Five strings, rather than the later norm of six, were chosen, in a tuning described by Ganassi in 1545 and which reflects the typical tessitura of the 1500 repertoire. The resulting instruments, made by West Dean Musical Instrument Workshop, are not ‘copies’—how could they be?—but are recreations using the best available scholarship.

The Music

Amongst the treasures of the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris is a hand-written songbook (Ms. Rés. Vm7 676) compiled in October 1502 by or for one Ludovico Milliare. Internal evidence suggests that it was compiled at Ferrara or, more probably, Mantua. We know nothing of Milliare—possibly he was the boy singer Ludovico from Milan, who visited Mantua to great acclaim at about this time. Whoever he was, the songbook which bears his name contains a wonderfully rich cross-section of the vocal and instrumental repertoire which the d’Estes loved: the revered Burgundian tradition represented inter alia by Caron’s Helas que pora [5] and Busnois’ Fortuna desperata [2]; Italianate pieces by Flemish composers working in Italy (eg Josquin’s In te Domine [27] and Isaac’s La Mora [26]; examples of the new frottole to be sung with viole (A la cazza [9], Or su corere [1], Forte cosa [29] etc); and carmine sine verbis ideal for instrumental performance on viole (eg El piove [13], Si dedero [14], Absque verbis [24]). Hercule d’Este is honoured in the manuscript by the ceremonial song O triumphale diamante [18], whose narrow range and ‘piffaresque’ style suggested the use of crumhorns (despite Isabella’s penchant for stringed instruments, both recorders and crumhorns are depicted on the walls of her chamber). The disc also includes Isaac’s La mi [16], recommended to Hercule in a letter from his agent; though not itself found in the manuscript, it is included because of the connection with Hercule, and with the anonymous frottola La mi la sol la mi gia vol [17] which is from the songbook.

An attractive feature of the collection is the inclusion of sacred pieces, mostly non-liturgical and apparently intended for private devotional use, from Kyrie leison [10] (which alternates invocations of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with prayers to the Virgin Mary), to two settings of Ave maris stella (conflated on [15]) and the lively two-voice Christmas carol Ne la digna stalla [21].

A number of pieces not from the songbook have been added to the present disc. There are no dances or lute solos in the manuscript, and these have been added from contemporary sources; while Ockeghem’s canon Prenez sur moy [4] comes from an impeccable Mantuan source: Isabella so admired it that she had it painted as a frieze around the walls of her chamber!

Philip Thorby, December 2002

Texts and Translations

1. Or su corere

Or su corere voglio à morte
e satiare la mia fortuna
Ne pigliar vo scuxa alcuna
Per impire questa mia sorte.
Or su…

Se mia sorte e ancora mio stato
Cusi vol amor chio mora
E cosi sia ancora destinato
Trare lalma meza fora
Questo e quello che più machora
Che consenti alla mia morte.
Or su…

Palesare piu chiaro non voglio
Basta assai a chi m’intende
Ma ben moro di cordoglio.
Che’l dol mio lei non apprende
Ne il core manchante difende
Patientia vol mia sorte
Or su corere vo a la morte.
Or su…

La mia morte fia notoria
Ne le gente saran mute
Sara facto al mondo historia
Fra li monti e silve tute
Lasaran le lingue asciute
A parlar de la mia morte.
Or su…

Now I want to run to my death
And satiate my fortune
And not take any excuse
To fulfil this fate.
Now I want…

If my fate and yet my state
So wants love that I die
to be half dead,
And thus in fact it is destined,
This is what most upsets me,
That you agree that I must die.
Now I want…

I don’t want to make it any clearer,
This is enough for those who understand me,
But I really die of pain
That she does not understand my grief
Nor defends my failing heart.
Courage and strength my fate needs,
Now I want to run to my death.
Now I want…

My death will be known,
And people will talk about it.
It will be in the history of the world
Amongst all the mountains and the woods.
Their tongues will dry up,
For their talking of my death.
Now I want…

3. Facia ognon in fin che pò

Facia ognon in fin che pò,
che fortuna presto pasa
E s’alcun fugirne lasa,
spese in van la segue po’.
Pigli exemplo ogne mortale
de la amara penna mia
el pentir tardo non vale,
se fortuna fuge via.
Chi non fa fin che ha in alle,
quando vol non pò poi far.

Facia ognon in fin che pò
Per ho ne òl da biasimar,
chi non fa per fin che pò
Facia ognun in fin che può…
In un puncto il cielo sereno,
pò cangiarsi e farsi sano
Chi più pensa ne scia meno,
de le cosse del [sorazo]
Facia ognun in fin che pò…

Quel che ne quelo si sciano,
ogno indusio prende a vano
Per ho merta gram suplitio,
chi non fa per fin che pò
Facia ognun in fin che pò...

Le disgratie sono apresso
sempre all’hom in ogne loco,
Per ho quel e’ben da poco,
che non fa per fin che può.
Facia ognun in fin che pò,
che fortuna presto pasa
Le disgratie sono apresso.

Let each man do it while he can,
since Fortune quickly passes on,
And if anybody lets her flee,
he will often chase her uselessly.
And so may every mortal man
take heed from my own bitter pain,
for repentence clearly is in vain,
when Fortune has already fled.
He who does not do it when he has the chance,
will be unable to do so when he has the will.

Let each man do it while he can,
For those who do not do so,
I must reproach.
Let each man do it while he can…

In a flash the quiet sky
can become stormy.
He who thinks more understands less
about the things of [pleasure].
Let each man do it while he can...

He who cannot make up his mind,
prevaricates in vain.
He who does not do it while he can,
deserves to suffer greatly.
Let each man do it while he can…

Misfortune follows man
always and in every place,
So he is foolish
who does not do it while he can.
Let each man do it while he can,
for fortune quickly passes on
And misfortune always follows close behind.

4. Prenez sur moy

Prenez sur moy vostre exemple amoureux
commencement d'amours est savoureux.
E le moyen plein de peine et tristesse,
et la fin est d'avoir plaisant maitresse.
Mis au saillir sont les pas dangereux.

From me your example of love you may fashion,
tasty is the commencement of passion.
Its mean is full of sorrow and pain,
is end is a pleasant mistress to gain.
But to spring forth is a dangerous motion.

6. Or che son di pregion

Or che son di pregion fora,
lamentare non mi vo’ più.
Cantare voglio
il turlurù turlurù turlurù,
lamentare non mi vo più.
Vise un gran tempo in tormento,
di speranza al tutto privo.
Tra suspiri e gran lamento,
facto som del mio mal schivo.
Or che son de pregion fora…
Hor ch’al mondo sciolto io vivo
lamentare non mi vo più
Turlurù, Turlurù…

Ogno ucelo sul verde ramo,
dolze più morire le labia
che in pregio afflicto e gramo,
col cantare sfoga sua rabia.
Sì che essendo fora di gabia,
lamentare non mi vo più.
Turlurù, turlurù…

In pregion molt’anni ho spexo
sotto ingrata accerba sorte.
Fu chel vivere non intexo
che chiamare potea morte.
Or che son de pregion morte,
or ch’a pecto me l’à prexo
lamentare non mi vo più.
Turlurù, turlurù…

Se fu mæsto or som jocundo
de penseri affanni cargo
poi ch’el celo m’è facto parco.
Tanto il vento m’è segondo
ch’a piacere mi trovo il vargo.
Lamentare non mi vo più.
Turlurù, turlurù…

Now that I have left the prison,
I wish to moan no more.
I want to sing
the turluru turluru turluru
I wish to moan no more.
I have spent a long time in torment,
completely bereft of hope.
And have been among sighs and great moaning.
I don’t even want to talk about it.
Now that I have left the prison…
Now that I live freely in the world
I wish to moan no more.
Turluru turluru…

To every bird it is sweeter
to die on the green branch
than to vent its rage
by singing wretchedly in a cage.
So now that I have left the prison,
I wish to moan no more.
Turluru turluru…

I have spent many years in prison
subject to a harsh and ungrateful lot.
I was not truly living
and my life could be called a death.
Now that I have left the prison,
now that my heart has been lifted
I wish to moan no more.
Turluru turluru…

Then I was downhearted, now I am joyful,
ever since heaven has spared me
from the burden of thoughts and worries.
The wind has become so favourable
that now it is a pleasure to steer that right course. I wish to moan no more.
Turluru turluru…

9. A la cazza

A la cazza a la cazza su su,
su su, ogn’or se spazza.
A questa nostra cazza venite volontera
cum li brachi e levreri,
chi vol venire se spazza,
che l’è tempo d’andare.
Sona lo corno capo di cazza.
Spazza spazza spazza
A la cazza a la cazza
A la cazza a la cazza!

Te qui Balzan, te qui Liom,
te qui Fasan te qui Falcon,
te qui Tristan, te qui Bigon,
te qui Alan, te qui Carbon,
chiama li brachi dal monte Babion.
te qui Pezole, te qui Spagnolo
habi bon ochio al capriolo.
A te Bigeto, a te Pasalaqua,
videlà, videlà, videlà, videlà, videlà.
Al colo, al colo, pigliala,
’che li cani non la straza!
Te qui Balzan, te qui Liom!

To the hunt, to the hunt, come on,
come on, for everyone here has fun.
Be pleased to come along to our hunt,
and bring with you hounds and harriers.
There is sure to be fun for those who want to come, and now is the time to come.
The horn of the hunt-master is sounding.
Fun, fun, fun!
To the hunt, to the hunt!
To the hunt, to the hunt!

You Balzan, come here! You Liom, here!
You Fasan, here! You Falcon, here!
You Tristan, here! You Bigon, here!
You Alan, here! You Carbon, here!
Call the hounds from mount Babion.
You Pezole, come here! You Spagnolo, here!
Have your eyes open for the deer!
Hey you, Bigeto! Hey you, Pasalaqua!
Look over there, over there, over there, over there! Go for the neck, for the neck, seize it,
so that the dogs do not tear it!
You Balzan, come here! You Liom, here!

10. Kyrie leison

Kyrie leison
Pater de celis deus miserere nobis
Sancta Maria ora pro nobis.

Kyrie leison
Filius redemptor mundi miserere nobis
Sancta virgo virginum ora pro nobis.

Kyrie leison
Spiritus sanctus deus miserere nobis
Sancta dei genitrix ora pro nobis.

Lord have mercy
God, father of heaven, have mercy on us
Holy Mary pray for us.

Lord have mercy
Son, redeemer of the world, have mercy on us
Holy virgin of virgins pray for us.

Lord have mercy
God the holy spirit, have mercy on us
Holy mother of God, pray for us.

11. Colomba senza fielle

Colomba senza fielle in corpo humano
Soccori per pietade el misero servo.
Porge al mio aiuto la tua biancha mano
Leva quel foco che mi strugie esnerva.

In me senso non è che sia più sano:
Si como al fin si trova el stanco cervo.
La forza cercho de pietade in vano.

Lasso per sol penar la vita servo.

Dove void of bitterness in a human body,
Bring help to your servant as you pity him.
Extend to my help your white hand,
Take away that fire that destroys me and saps my strength.
There is no feeling in me that may be sane,
as at the end of the hunt the deer is exhausted.
I look for the strength of your pity in vain.

Poor me! I live as a servant only to be in pain.

15. Ave maris stella

Ave maris stella
Dei mater alma
Atque semper virgo
Felix coeli porta.
Sumens illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
Funda nos in pace,
Mutans Evae nomen.

Solve vincla reis,
Profer lumen caecis:
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce.

Monstra te esse matrem:
Sumat per te preces,
Qui pro nobis natus,
Tulit esse tuus.

Virgo singularis,
Inter omnes mitis.
Nos culpis solutos,
Mites fac et castos.
Vitam praesta puram,
Iter para tutum:
Ut videntes Jesum,
Semper collaetemur.

Sit laus Deo Patri,
Summo Christo decus,
Spiritui Sancto,
Tribus honor unus. Amen.

Hail, star of the sea,
mild mother of God,
eternal virgin,
blessed gate of heaven.
You who heard that ‘Ave’
from the mouth of Gabriel,
preserve us in peace,
changing the name of Eve.

Strike off the chains of the guilty,
bring light to the blind;
drive out our evil,
give us all that is good.

Show yourself our mother:
through you may He receive our prayers,
He who, born for us,
consented to be yours.

Virgin past compare,
meekest of all women,
make us, purged of our sins,
meek and chaste.
Grant us a pure life,
prepare a safe journey for us:
that, seeing Jesus,
we may rejoice eternally.

Praise be to God the Father,
and glory to Christ on high,
and to the Holy Spirit,
three in one. Amen.

17. La mi la sol la mi già vol

La mi la sol la mi già vol lei non vogl’io mò.
Mì sul mio e lei sul sò,
mi si lei no mì no lei sì.

Quando il ferro era afocato,
martelar doveasi alora.
Mo che l’è in so’ primo stato
ch’il percotte in van lavora.

Corsi io già lei fu qual scoglio,
vol or lei mi qual colona.

Se gia voles or più non voglio
non li scrazzo più la gona.
Mì mio homo lei sua dona,
più non passo per de lì.
La mi la sol la mi…

La mi la sol she wants me now, but I do not want her.
So it’s me on my own and her on her own.
When I say yes, she says no, when I say no, she says yes.
When the iron was hot, it should have been struck.
But now that it’s cold, to strike it is in vain.

Earlier I pursued her, but she was like marble.
Now she wants me, but I am like a column of stone.
When she wants me I no longer want her, I no longer play with her skirt.
I am my own man, and she is her own woman.
I no longer pass near her.
La mi la sol la mi…

18. O triumphale diamante

O Triumphale diamanto nobile e lucento,
colona di forteza et de vigore,
O fonte de prudentia almo e posento
di tuta Italia forza et sumo honore.
Ciascun nel mondo di tue lolde scriva.
El Papa cum la Franza alta e patento
tieco ligati sono cum gran amore.
Viva il grand’Hercule col diamante,
viva viva!

O triumphal diamond, noble and shining,
column of strength and vigour,
O life-giving and powerful source of prudence,
strength and highest honour of all Italy.
Let everybody in the world praise you.
The Pope, as well as noble and powerful France,
is bound to you with great love.
Long live the great Hercules with the diamond! Long may he live!

21. Ne la digna stalla

Ne la digna stalla sta lo dolze bambino
cantan li angielli in’ torno al picolino.
Fan festa e ridon gli anzolli dilecti
tuti reverenti timidi et sugieti
al belo bambino principe di electi
che nudo iace sul pongente spino.

E quel iace nudo de senza copertura
ognuno canta gloria in altura.
E tuti stupiscon che in tanta bassura
sia declinato il verbo in bambino.

Il verbo divino che sumo sapiente
in questo giorno par non sia niente.
Questo e il verbo incarne ha mandato
de sponte suo il volere divino.

O bonta divina o padre che pensasti
quando il fiolo Jhesu incarnasti?
Questo cecho mondo tu ricomparasti
crucifixendo quel corpo si fino.

E lo fino corpo del sangue de Maria
è dato inguardia a sancta compagnia.
Al vecchio Joseph con la virgene pia
con grande ardore mira il fiolino.

A la dolze madre vergene Maria,
coremo tuti col cor tanto pia.
Ch’aiuta e difenda l’anima mia
de per amore del suo dolze picino

Adoremo tuti il verbo incarnato:
Jhesu bambino ch’a noi è hogi nato.

In the fair stable is the sweet baby,
The angels sing around the little one.
Rejoice and laugh the beloved angels
all reverent, timid and deferential
in seeing the beautiful babe, prince elect,
who naked lies on the pungent thorns.

And he lies naked, without covering
and everyone sings ‘Glory in the highest’.
And everyone is amazed that in such lowly place
has descended the divine word in a babe.

The divine babe, the highest sage
who in this day seems to be nothing.
This and the word made flesh has sent
of his own accord the divine will.

O divine goodness, O father what did you think
when you made your son Jesus become a man?
This blind world you redeemed
by crucifying that body so fine.

And the fine body of the blood of Mary
is given the company of the saints to look after.
To the old Joseph and to the holy virgin
the little son looks with great ardour.

To the sweet mother virgin Mary
let us all run; she is so holy.
May she help and defend my soul
for the love of her sweet little one.

Let us all adore the word made flesh:
baby Jesus who is today born unto us.

27. In te, Domine, speravi

In te, Domine, speravi
per trovar pietà eterno;
ma in un tristo e scuro inferno
fui, e frusta laboravi.

Suspir, lachryme m’avanza
del mio tristo sperar tanto;
fu’ ferito, se non quanto
tribulando ad te clamavi.
Et hor poco al dolor mio
per mio dir vien proveduto.
Deh! Signor, porgime adiuto,
quia de me iam desperavi.

In te Domine speravi
per trovar pietà eterno.

In you, Lord, I have placed my hope in order to find eternal pity. But I have been in a grim dark hell, and I have laboured in vain.

Only sighs and tears are left to me from all my sad hopes; I have been wounded, except in so far as I have cried out to you in my tribulation. And now, for all my talk, very little is provided for my pain. O Lord! offer me help, because I have already despaired of my fate.

In you, Lord, I have placed my hope in order to find eternal pity.

29. Forte cosa è la speranza

Forte cosa è la speranza,
che mantene ogno arse core.
E crescendo el nostro ardore,
col sperare sol m’avanza.
Questa fa parer, con questa alevia ognun
che viva in pene et in doglie.

E fa crescere nostre voglie.
Ni per lei mai si distoglie
un amor fido e sincero,
cusì tiene tra noi l’impero,
questa dea dicta speranza.
Forte cosa è la speranza…

Questa sol pasce li amanti,
e li induce a novi fochi,
e li fa nel mal constanti,
che li strugie a pocho a pochi.
Cusì regna in ogne loci,
questa dea nel ben sperare.
No si pò mai bene amare,
se non s’à ferma speranza.
Forte cosa è la speranza…

Chiunque vive senza spene,
lasi pur d’amor l’impresa.
Se non vol accrescere penne,
e l’ardore che tant pesa.

Che non si pò far difesa
contra amore perfido e crudo,
se non fusse sto forte scudo,
de la ferma e ver speranza.
Forte cosa è la speranza…

Dunque su questa prendiamo,
questa sie la nostra guida.
Se volemo nui che amamo,
e haver scrota bona e fida.
Chi in questa si confida,
presto presto il porto prende.
Or non più che si comprende,
quanto val questa speranza.

Hope is a powerful thing and it sustains every inflamed heart. When our mutual ardour grows, my only support is hope. Hope causes belief, and lightens the load of all who live in the pains and sorrows of love.

It causes our desires to grow. Thanks to it a faithful and sincere love is never distracted, for it rules over us, this goddess called hope. Hope is a powerful thing…

It alone feeds lovers, and leads them on to new fires, making them make the same mistakes, the ones that consume them gradually. It rules in every place this goddess, wherever there is something to be hoped for. No one can truly love, without the support of hope. Hope is a powerful thing…

Whoever lives without hope, let him leave the game of love If he does not want his pain to increase, and his passion to weigh him down.

No one can be defended against treacherous and cruel love, unless he has the powerful shield of firm and true hope. Hope is a powerful thing…

So let us take it as our leader If we want to love and to have a good and reliable guardian. Whoever trusts in it, sooner or later reaches his destination. Now you can see how great a thing is hope.