Ferrabosco Fantasias - Stylistic Observations
Bruce Bellingham
Introduction
Stylistic Elements
Suggested Readings
Key to Analyses
The author

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Fantasias by Musica Britannica number
112
213
314
415
516
617
718
819
920
1021
11
22
Fantasias by Meyer number
113
214
315
416
517
618
719
820
921
10
22
11
23
12
Fantasia 22 (Meyer nos. 10 and 11) - On the Hexachord (ut re mi fa sol la)
This Hexachord Fantasia (in 2 sections, Ascending and Descending) is cited in the literature as one of the most spectacular feats of Late Renaissance composition—surpassing the much simpler John Bull keyboard hexachord. Edward Lowinsky erroneously attributed it to one "Alfonso della Viola" of Ferrara in the mid-16th century, and was at pains to explain its appearance in English viol consort manuscripts along with most of the Ferrabosco 4-part fantasias. This composition exists also in a 5-part version, apparently re-worked by Ferrabosco by adding a Treble part above the Cantus Firmus, but making other revisions to the Alto part as well. See Musica Britannica vol. 81, Textual Commentary, p.227.
Perhaps because of the Cantus Firmus texture, Ferrabosco's imitative style differs in this piece, which manifests less consistent maintaining of only a few motives. Instead, each appearance of the Hexachord, entering by semitone, generates a new texture: Points of imitation, variable in melodic profile, rhythm, and harmonic context, sometimes anticipate the Hexachord entry and drive past its end into the single bar that separates each appearance. However, in the first section, the imitative figures from 5ab onwards seem to be variants of the same basic shapes, and the second section uses similar procedures from 5ab onwards. Cadences are mainly passing, so that the contrapuntal texture is maintained consistently. In spite of the Cantus Firmus texture, Alfonso mainly avoids obvious sequential repetition; even in Descending, m.42-45, with passing cadences on D, E, f#, G. With the Hexachord Fantasia, Ferrabosco managed to create a work that is more than a freak, but rather stands as the summation of his series of 4-part fantasias.

View the complete analysis here *.

Listen to examples† of the motives:

Ascending Cantus Firmus (in Treble)

Motive 1a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 1b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 1c: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2c: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2d: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2e: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 3a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 3b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 4a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 4b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 5a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 5b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 6a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 6b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 7a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 8a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 8b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma

Descending Cantus Firmus (in Treble)

Motives 1a,1b:
both motives: mp3  wav  Real Audio  wma
Motive 2a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 2c: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 3a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 4a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 5a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 5b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 5c: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 6a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 6b: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 7a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
Motive 8a: mp3 wav Real Audio wma
m.110A: mp3 wav Real Audio wma


* You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to view the analysis. In addition, you will need JavaScript and popups enabled for this link to function. If you prefer, you can click here to see the analysis in this browser window.

†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.