Cavazzoni, Marco Antonio
Cavazzoni, Girolamo, Hieronimo da Bologna, also known as d’Urbino, *ca. 1510 Urbino, †after 1565 Mantua, the son of Marco Antonio, an Italian composer and organist. Only limited and often inconsistent information about his life and activities has survived. He was probably an organist in Mantua around 1525, first at the court of Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga and later at the Church of Santa Barbara.
Girolamo Cavazzoni’s sacred works are stylistically related to the motets of the early Venetian school, especially those of A. Willaert; they are characterised by strict adherence to the contrapuntal rules and a modest ornamentation. Girolamo Cavazzoni’s main contribution lies in the development of the organ canzone as an imitative composition, employing short themes upon which the individual sections of the piece are based. The vocal original is treated freely; thus, Girolamo Cavazzoni’s canzonas are not simple transpositions but artistic intabulations, giving rise to the later instrumental canzone. Girolamo Cavazzoni also pioneered the development of the imitative organ ricercare. His ricercares are characterised by a multi-thematic structure, extensive use of sophisticated polyphonic techniques, and, to a lesser extent, figurations.
Literature: G. Frotscher Geschichte des Orgelspiels und der Orgelkomposition, 2 vols., 1935–36, 3rd ed. 1966; K. Jeppesen Die italienische Orgelmusik am Anfang des Cinquecento, 2 vols., Copenhagen1943, 2nd ed. Oslo 1960; W. Apel Geschichte der Orgel- und Klaviermusik bis 1700, Kassel 1967; P.M. Tagmann Girolamo Cavazzoni – Girolamo Mantovano. Identitäts Fragen, in the commemorative book of A. Geering, Bern 1972; L. Romiti Le messe per organo di Girolamo Cavazzoni, “L’Organo” XVI, 1978; W. Kirkendale Ciceronians versus Aristotelians on the Ricercar as Exordium, from Bembo to Bach, “Journal of the American Musicological Society” XXXII, 1979; A. Ness D. Bianchini. Some Recent Findings, in: Le luth et sa musique II, ed. J.-M. Vaccaro, Paris 1984.
Compositions:
4 organ ricercares in Intavolatura cioè recercari, canzoni, himni, magnificati…, book 1, Venice 1543, and in Intabulatura d’organo cioè misse, himni, magnificat…, book 2, ed. Venice, n.d. (1543?)
3 masses in Intavolatura cioè recercari, canzoni, himni, magnificati…, book 1, Venice 1543, and in Intabulatura d’organo cioè misse, himni, magnificat…, book 2, Venice, n.d. (1543?), published also in Il primo libro de intabolatura d’organo dove si contiene tre messe…, Venice, n.d.
12 hymns in Intavolatura cioè recercari, canzoni, himni, magnificati…, book 1, Venice 1543, and in Intabulatura d’organo cioè misse, himni, magnificat…, book 2, Venice, n.d. (1543?)
4 Magnificats in Intavolatura cioè recercari, canzoni, himni, magnificati…, book 1, Venice 1543, and in Intabulatura d’organo cioè misse, himni, magnificat…, book 2, Venice, n.d. (1543?)
2 arrangements of chansons in Intavolatura cioè recercari, canzoni, himni, magnificati…, book 1, Venice 1543, and in Intabulatura d’organo cioè misse, himni, magnificat…, book 2, Venice, n.d. (1543?); one collection of chansons (Canzon sopra i le bel e bon P. Passereau) can be found in Tabulatura Jana z Lublina (facsimile, Krakow 1964) as an anonymous work entitled Ricercar bello, and the piece that follows it, marked Ipsius enim, is probably the fifth ricercar by Girolami Cavazzoni
2 research projects for an instrumental ensemble
Editions:
all works from early prints in «I Classici della musica italiana» VI, ed. G. Berwenuti, Milan 1919 and in G. Cavazzoni Orgelwerke, 2 vols., ed. O. Mischiati, Mainz 1959–61
works from Intavolatura… also in Torchi “Acta Musicologica” III, Milan 1899, facsimile edition 1968
individual pieces in numerous anthologies of organ music
both ensemble ricercares also in G. Cavazzoni Orgelwerke, vol. 2, ed. O. Mischiati
ensemble ricercare for 4 voices in: Musica nova (…) Venezia (…) 1540, ed. H.C. Slim, «Monuments of Renaissance Music» I, Chicago 1964, facsimile edition, in: J. Moderne Musicque de joie, introduction S.F. Pogue, Peer 1991, ed. J. Barbier, «Collection Ricercar» I, Tours 1993
ensemble ricercare for 3 voices, facsimile edition, in: A. Willaert et al. Fantasie, recercari, contrapunti a tre voci…, introduction I. Bossuyt, Peer 1986, ed. R.F. Judd, «Italian Instrumental Music of the Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries» II, New York 1994