Fantasia 20 (Meyer no. 22)
The summation of Ferrabosco's achievements, short of the chromatic Hexachord fantasias:
- the principal imitative subject comprises a cadential alteration in its very first measure, causing some uncertainty about its modal centre: g? G? c?
- the alterations derive from conventional ficta uses ('una nota sopra la semper est canendum fa' and 'mi/fa' cadential formulas), soon carried to a point of expressive exploitation of cross-relations, "clashes" (see m.12 S/T, m.18 S/A, m.41 A/T), and x2nds, o5ths/x4ths, o4ths
- harmonic ambiguity allows for excursions to remote tonal areas, as far as Ab in the basic g dorian mode
- accented passing tones resolve as suspensions over Bass, in 9-8, 7-6 motion (besides 4-3) (esp.m.25-8)
- contrapuntal voice-leadings with such fluidity lead through highly original harmonic resolutions, rapidly travelling though expected areas, altered by new sequences and unexpected turns, to deceptive and otherwise elided cadences. The heightened cadence formulas at m.22-3 over an augmented Bass are especially remarkable, and derive from S, m.1: A-Bb-A Bnat-C-Bnat (mi-fa modal conventions)
- finally, all of the above are combined with motivic mastery, utilizing what amounts to a monothematic texture, with recapitulatory and climactic recalls of initial thematic materials.
View the complete analysis here *.
Listen to examples† of the motives:
| Motive 1a: |  | mp3 | wav | Real Audio | wma |
| Motive 1b: |  | mp3 | wav | Real Audio | wma |
| Motive 1c: |  | mp3 | wav | Real Audio | wma |
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†Sound clips are from "Alfonso Ferrabosco II: Four-Part Fantasias". CD Recording, Viola da Gamba Society -- New England, 25th Anniversary Project, Sarah Mead, Producer (2002). Reproduced by permission.
†Sound clips are from "Alfonso Ferrabosco II: Four-Part Fantasias". CD Recording, Viola da Gamba Society -- New England, 25th Anniversary Project, Sarah Mead, Producer (2002). Reproduced by permission.