Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816. It is now deposited in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge.

For another major source of Elizabethan keyboard music, see My Ladye Nevells Booke.

History

Once called Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book, a title that has been abandoned because it has been determined that she never owned it, the manuscript was given no title by its copyist. It was believed to be the manuscript collection of an amateur keyboard player of the very early 17th century named Francis Tregian the Younger, who may have copied the entire collection while imprisoned between 1609 and 1619 in connection with his Catholic sympathies (although his authorship has been disputed [1]). Until Parthenia was printed in about 1612, there was no keyboard music published as such in England at this time, and like the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, most of the collections of keyboard music were compiled by performers: other examples include Will Forster's Virginal Book, Clement Matchett's Virginal Book, and [William] Tisdale's Virginal Book.

It includes music dating from approximately 1562 to 1612 by John Bull, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Giles Farnaby (51 of whose 52 known pieces are included), Martin Peerson, Peter Philips and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, as well as many others. There are 297 separate pieces (actually, 298: one piece is numbered, but is blank. Strangely, the Maitland Squire edition numbers No. 182 twice). As with many keyboard manuscripts of the time, the pieces were not written for a specific instrument, and most sound happily on all contemporary keyboard instruments, including virginals, harpsichord, clavichord and chamber organ. Many of the pieces in the book are short, and many of them are character pieces with droll and memorable titles, including "Put Up Thy Dagger, Jemy", "The New Sa-Hoo", and "Quodlings Delight" by Giles Farnaby; "Nobody's Gigge", by Richard Farnaby; "Pakington's Pownde" and "The Irishe Dumpe" (anonymous); "The Ghost" and "The Earle of Oxford's Marche" by William Byrd; "Worster Braules" by Thomas Tomkins; and the famous "Lachrymae Pavan" by John Dowland, as arranged by Giles Farnaby and by William Byrd.

In 1899, Breitkopf & Härtel published an edition in two volumes (the Maitland Squire edition, see the Sources below) with only a basic critical commentary, which has been reprinted by Dover Publications and is available inexpensively. Note that this contains many errors, despite the revisions made in the second (Dover) edition. A microfilm facsimile of the manuscript is included in The music collections of the Cambridge libraries (Woodbridge, Conn. : Research Publications, 1991). Musica Britannica is preparing a volume dedicated to the "Keyboard Music from Fitzwilliam Manuscripts" [2].

Much of this music has yet to be recorded; a complete performance series has been underway since 2005 by Francis Knights of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, on virginals, harpsichord, clavichord and organ (see www.francisknights.co.uk).

See also: My Ladye Nevells Booke

The Pieces in the Book

(For each composer, the pieces follow the order in which they appear in the manuscript)

Anonymous

• Alman
• Barafostus' Dreame
• Muscadin
• Alman
• Galiarda
• Praeludium, El. Kyddermynster
• Praeludium
• The Irishe Hoe-Hoane
• Veni
• Heavene and Erthe
• [Excercise]
• Praeludium
• Praeludium
• Why Aske Yow
• [deest owing to an error in numbering]
• Pakingtons Pownde
• The Irish Dompe
• Watkins Ale
• Can Shee
• A Toye
• An Almain
• Corranto
• Alman
• Corranto
• Corranto
• Corranto
• Daunce
• Praeludium
• Martin Sayd to his Man
• Coranto
• Corranto
• Corranto
• Corranto
• Corranto
• Alman
• Nowels Galliarde
• The Kynges Morisco
• Alman
• A Toye
• Corranto
• Ladye Riche
• Corranto
• A Toye
• Allemanda
• Dalling Alman

Doctor John Bull

• Walsingham
• Galliarda to my Lorde Lumlyes Pavan
• Pavana
• Galiarda
• The Quadran Pavan
• Variation of the Quadran Pavan
• Galiard to the Quadran Pavan
• Pavan
• Galiard to the Pavan
• Sainte Thomas Wake
• Praeludium
• Fantasia
• Praeludium
• Gloria tibi trinitas
• Salvator Mundi
• Galliarda
• Variatio
• Galliarda to the Pavan
• In Nomine
• Christe Redemptor
• The Kynges Hunt
• Pavana
• Galiarda
• Dr Bulls Juell
• The Spanyshe Paven
• The Duke of Brunswykes Alman
• Pypers Galiarde
• Variatio ejusdem
• Praeludium
• Galiarda
• Galiarda
• A Gigge, Doctor Bulls My selfe
• A Gigge
• Praeludium
• Praeludium
• Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la
• The Duchesse of Brunswykes Toye
• Miserere in three partes

Ferdinando Richardson

• Pavana
• Variatio
• Galiarda
• Variation
• Pavane
• Variatio
• Galiarda
• Variatio

Giles Farnaby

• Pavana (Robert Johnson set by Giles Farnaby)
• The K[ing's] Hunt
• Spagnioletta
• For tow virginals
• Daphne
• Pawles Wharfe
• Quodlings Deligte
• Putte upp thy Dagger, Jemy
• Bony sweete Robin
• Fantasia
• Wooddy Cocke
• Rosasolis
• Alman (Robert Johnson set by Giles Farnaby)
• The Nuwe Sa-Hoo
• Giles Farnabyes Dreame
• His Rest
• His Humoure
• A Maske
• A Maske
• Fantasia
• A Maske
• Fantasia
• Loth to departe
• Fantasia
• Fantasia
• Ay me, poore Heart
• Fantasia
• Walter Erles Pavan
• The L. Zouches Maske
• Grownde
• Upp T[ails] all
• Tower Hill
• Praeludium
• A Gigge
• Galliarda
• A Toye
• Farnabyes Conceite
• Telle Mee, Daphne
• Mal Sims
• Rosseters Galiarde
• The Flatt Pavan
• Why aske yow
• Farmers Pavan
• The Olde Spagnoletta
• Meridian Alman
• Fantasia

John Munday

• Fantasia
• Fantasia, Faire Wether, etc.
• Robin
• Goe frome my windowe
• Mundays Joye

Peter Philips

• Tirsi, di Luca Marenzio. Ia. Parte intavolata di Pietro Phillipi.
• Freno
• Cosi morirò
• Fece da voi
• Pavana Pagget
• Galiarda
• Passamezzo Pavana
• Galiarda passamezzo
• Chi fara fede al Cielo, di Alessandro Striggio
• Bon Jour mon Cueur, di Orlando di Lasso
• Pavana Dolorosa, Treg[ian set by]
• Galiarda Dolorosa
• Amarilli, di Julio Romano (Giulio Caccini)
• Margott laborez
• Fantasia
• Pavana
• Le Rossignuol, (Lasso set by)
• Galliardo
• Fantasia

Thomas Morley

• Goe from My Window
• Nancie
• Fantasia
• Alman
• La Volta (Set by William Byrd)
• Pavana
• Galiarda

William Byrd

• Fantasia
• Jhon come kisse me nowe
• Praeludium
• Fantasia
• Passamezzo Pavana
• Galliardas Passamezzo
• The Carmans Whistle (Also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells Booke)
• The Huntes Upp
• Treg[ian's] Grownde
• Monsieurs Alman
• Variatio
• Alman
• Sellengers Rownde (Also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells Booke)
• Fortune
• O Mistris Myne
• Will Yow Walke the Woods soe Wylde (Also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells Booke)
• Have With Yow to Walsingham (Also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells Booke)
• The Bells
• Pavana, Bray
• Galiarda
• Pavana, Ph. Tr.
• Galiarda
• Praeludium to the Fancie
• Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La (Also catalogued in My Ladye Nevells Booke)
• Ut, Re, Mi
• Fantasia
• All in a Garden Grine
• Pavana Lachrymae (By Thomas Tallis, set by William Byrd)
• The Maydens Songe
• The Quadran Pavian
• Galiarde to the Quadran Pavian
• Malt's come downe (doubtful attribution)
• La Volta
• Alman
• Wolsey's Wylde
• Callino Casturame
• La Volta (T. Morley set by William Byrd)
• Rowland
• The Goste
• Alman
• Galliard
• Pavana
• Galiarda
• Pavana
• Galiarda
• The Queene's Alman
• A Medley
• Pavana
• Galliarda
• Miserere in three partes
• Miserere in fore partes
• A Gigg
• Sir Jhon Grayes Galliarde
• Gipsies Rownde
• Coranto
• Pavana
• Galiarda
• Pavana
• Galiarda
• Pavana
• Pavana Fant[asia]
• Galiarda
• The Erle of Oxfordes Marche
• Fantasia
• Pavana, Canon
• Pescodd Tyme
• Pavana deligte (Edward Johnson, set by William Byrd)
• Galiarda (Edward Johnson, set by William Byrd)
• Ladye Montegles Pavan.

The Other Pieces

• Pavana - M. S.
• The Woods so Wilde - Orlando Gibbons
• Praeludium - Thomas Oldfield
• In Nomine - William Blitheman (see John Blitheman)
• Fantasia - Nicholas Strogers
• Alman - Nicholas Strogers
• Toccata - Giovanni Picchi
• Praeludium, Toccata - Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
• Pavana - Thomas Warrock
• Galiarda - Thomas Warrock
• Praeludium- Galeazzo
• Heavene and Erthe - Fre - Francis Tregian
• Felix namque 1 - Thomas Tallis
• Felix namque 2 - Thomas Tallis
• Ut, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La a 4 voci - Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck
• Pavana Lachrymae - John Dowland (set by William Byrd)
• Galiarda - James Harding (set by William Byrd)
• Pavana - Thomas Tomkins
• A Grownde - Thomas Tomkins
• Barafostus' Dreame - Thomas Tomkins
• The Hunting Galliard - Thomas Tomkins
• In Nomine - John Parsons
• Psalme - Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck
• Nobodyes Gigge - Richard Farnaby
• Pipers Pavan - Martin Peerson
• Allemanda - Marchant
• Fayne would I Wedd - Richard Farnaby
• Worster Braules - Thomas Tomkins
• Almand - William Tisdall
• Pavana Chromatica - William Tisdall
• Fantasia - Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck
• Pavana, Clement Cotton - William Tisdall
• Pavana - William Tisdall
• Alman - Hooper
• Corranto - Hooper
• Jhonsons Medley - Edward Johnson (composer)
• A Galiarde Grownde - William Inglot
• The Leaves bee greene - William Inglot
• Galiarda - Jehan Oystermayre
• The Primerose - Martin Peerson
• The Fall of the Leafe - Martin Peerson
• Pavana Delight - Edward Johnson (set by William Byrd)
• Lachrymae Pavan - John Dowland (set by Giles Farnaby)
• Pavana - Orlando Gibbons
• Galiarda - William Tisdall
• Hanskin - Richard Farnaby

See also

• The Mulliner Book
• The Dublin Virginal Manuscript
• My Ladye Nevells Booke of Virginall Musick
• Parthenia
• Priscilla Bunbury's Virginal Book
• Elizabeth Roger's Virginal Book

Sources

• J.A. Fuller Maitland and W. Barclay Squire, ed., The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (2 vols., Leipzig 1899; repub. New York 1963; rev. edn, 1979)
• Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
• The New Harvard Dictionary of Music, ed. Don Randel. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1986. ISBN 0-674-61525-5
• Sadie, Stanley, ed. (1980). "{{{title}}}". The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. {{{volume}}} (1st ed.). London: Macmillan. pp. {{{pages}}}.
• Percy A. Scholes, The Oxford Companion to Music. London, Oxford University Press, 1970. No ISBN.
• Harold Gleason and Warren Becker, Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance (Music Literature Outlines Series I). Bloomington, Indiana.
• Ruby Reid Thompson, Francis Tregian the Younger as music copyist: A legend and an alternative view. Music and Letters 2001 82: 1-31; doi:10.1093/ml/82.1.1

External links

• Free scores by The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, c.1610 – c.1625, informations by the Fitzwilliam Museum
• Lynda Sayce und Kah-Ming Ng: The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Signum Records, 1999