First Book of Songs, Dances and Fantasies Guillaume Morlaye (1552): Edited and Transcribed for Ukulele

First Book of Songs, Dances and Fantasies Guillaume Morlaye (1552): Edited and Transcribed for Guitar

This book is a full and complete transcription of the first of four volumes of guitar music published by Guillaume Morlaye in 1552, "Le Premier Livre de Chansons, Gaillardes, Pavannes, Bransles, Almandes, Fantaisies". These pieces reflected the style, esthetic, and complexity of contemporary French court music, including songs and choral works.

Guillaume de Morlaye (c. 1510-c. 1558) was a true Renaissance man. We know him primarily as a lutenist, composer, music teacher and music publisher. He also was very active as a merchant, he also was involved in art engraving and even invested in shipping. It was because of this last that a number of biographers mention his "involvement with the slave trade", as one of the ships was carrying slaves. He lived in Paris, and studied with the very highly regarded Italian lutenist, Albert de Rippe (Alberto da Rippa), who also lived and worked in Paris.

In 1552 Morlaye received a ten year license to publish music from Henri II, and between 1553 and 1558 published four lute collections in cooperation with Michel Fezandat and six lute collections compiled by de Rippe. He also published four books of what appear to be his own four-course Renaissance guitar compositions from 1552-53; the last has a number of pieces for the cistre, another plucked instrument about which little is known. (Some of the works may have been copied from other sources; however, at this time it is not altogether clear who copied from whom.)

The pieces in this volume fall into three categories: fantasies, somewhat simplified instances of the most advanced lute music; dances, including pavanes, gaillardes, bransles, and other dance forms; and arrangements of polyphonic compositions by some of the great vocal composers of the day, including Pierre Certon, Pierre Sandrin, Josquin des Pr s, Cl ment Janequin and Claudin de Sermisy. Along with his own works, he included works by other guitarists and lutenists, including de Rippe and Simon Gorlier. So Morlaye acted as composer, arranger, editor and publisher for the volumes of music he put out.

Each book in this series presents complete volumes of music that appeared in Renaissance times. They will include pieces from the many French publications, but also some from the Spanish and Italian literature. The series goal is to give contemporary readers a chance to enjoy these works complete, in their original setting, and at the same time provide you with the most readable edition.

Author: Stephen Dydo
Publisher: Between Lines Books & Arts, LLC
Published: 08/15/2016
Pages: 56
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.34lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.50w x 0.12d
ISBN: 9780996665957

About the Author
Dydo, Stephen: - Stephen Dydo has received performances of over 80 works for a wide variety of media, including chamber, orchestral, choral and electronic pieces. Much of his recent work has been involved with ancient music; as a teacher and performer of Chinese guqin, he is involved with preserving some of the world's oldest music. In addition, his field recordings made on the western Tibetan Plateau have been released by Pan Records. He is past president of the New York Qin Society and on the board of the Association for the Promotion of New Music. He has also transcribed and performed music from Medieval Italy, and developed it for a modern English production of Dante's La vita nuova. His awards include the Bearns Prize and a BMI composer's award. He developed computer music in Utrecht for two years under a Fulbright grant, and has received fellowships from the Ora Lerman Trust, Weir Farm, Meet the Composer and the Composers Conference. He studied at Columbia University, where he received a doctorate in composition.

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