Intabulation
Encyclopedia
Intabulation, from the Italian word intavolatura, refers to an arrangement of a vocal or ensemble piece for keyboard
, lute
, or other plucked string instrument, written in tablature
. It was a common practice in 14th-16th century keyboard and lute music. A direct effect of intabulation was one of the early advantages of keyboards, the ability to render multiple instruments' music on one instrument. The earliest intabulation is from the mid-14th century Robertsbridge Codex
, also one of the first sources of keyboard music still in existence. Some other early sources of intabulated music are the Faenza
and Reina manuscripts (from the 14th century) and the Buxheim manuscript (from the 15th century). The Faenza manuscript,the largest of these early manuscripts, written circa 1400, contains pieces written or transcribed in the 14th century, such as those by Francesco Landini
and Guillaume de Machaut
. More than half of its pieces are intabulations. The large Buxheim manuscript is dominated by intabulations, mainly of prominent composers of the time, including John Dunstable
, Gilles Binchois
, Walter Frye
, and Guillaume Dufay
. The term "intabulation" continued to be popular through the 16th century, but fell out of use in the early 17th century, though the practice continued. The exception is the 16th and 17th century Italian keyboard pieces which included both vocal and instrumental music. Intabulations contain all the vocal lines of a polyphonic piece, for the most part, although they are sometimes combined or redistributed in order to work better on the instrument the intabulation is intended for, and idiomatic ornaments are sometimes added.
Intabulations are an important source of information for historically informed performance
because they show ornaments
as they would have been played on various instruments, and they are a huge clue as to the actual performance of musica ficta
, since tablature shows where a musician places their fingers, which is less up to interpretation than certain staff notations.
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
, or other plucked string instrument, written in tablature
Tablature
Tablature is a form of musical notation indicating instrument fingering rather than musical pitches....
. It was a common practice in 14th-16th century keyboard and lute music. A direct effect of intabulation was one of the early advantages of keyboards, the ability to render multiple instruments' music on one instrument. The earliest intabulation is from the mid-14th century Robertsbridge Codex
Robertsbridge Codex
The Robertsbridge Codex is a music manuscript of the 14th century. It contains the earliest surviving music written specifically for keyboard....
, also one of the first sources of keyboard music still in existence. Some other early sources of intabulated music are the Faenza
Faenza
Faenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
and Reina manuscripts (from the 14th century) and the Buxheim manuscript (from the 15th century). The Faenza manuscript,the largest of these early manuscripts, written circa 1400, contains pieces written or transcribed in the 14th century, such as those by Francesco Landini
Francesco Landini
Francesco degli Organi, Francesco il Cieco, or Francesco da Firenze, called by later generations Francesco Landini or Landino was an Italian composer, organist, singer, poet and instrument maker...
and Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut was a Medieval French poet and composer. He is one of the earliest composers on whom significant biographical information is available....
. More than half of its pieces are intabulations. The large Buxheim manuscript is dominated by intabulations, mainly of prominent composers of the time, including John Dunstable
John Dunstable
John Dunstaple was an English composer of polyphonic music of the late medieval era and early Renaissance...
, Gilles Binchois
Gilles Binchois
Gilles de Binche , also known as Gilles de Bins , was a Franco-Flemish composer, one of the earliest members of the Burgundian School, and one of the three most famous composers of the early 15th century...
, Walter Frye
Walter Frye
Walter Frye was an English composer of the early Renaissance.-Life:Nothing certain is known about his life. He may have been a "Walter Cantor" at Ely Cathedral between 1443 and 1466, and he may have been the Walter Frye who joined the London Parish Clerks in 1456; he also may have been the Walter...
, and Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay
Guillaume Dufay was a Franco-Flemish composer of the early Renaissance. As the central figure in the Burgundian School, he was the most famous and influential composer in Europe in the mid-15th century.-Early life:From the evidence of his will, he was probably born in Beersel, in the vicinity of...
. The term "intabulation" continued to be popular through the 16th century, but fell out of use in the early 17th century, though the practice continued. The exception is the 16th and 17th century Italian keyboard pieces which included both vocal and instrumental music. Intabulations contain all the vocal lines of a polyphonic piece, for the most part, although they are sometimes combined or redistributed in order to work better on the instrument the intabulation is intended for, and idiomatic ornaments are sometimes added.
Intabulations are an important source of information for historically informed performance
Historically informed performance
Historically informed performance is an approach in the performance of music and theater. Within this approach, the performance adheres to state-of-the-art knowledge of the aesthetic criteria of the period in which the music or theatre work was conceived...
because they show ornaments
Ornament (music)
In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes that are not necessary to carry the overall line of the melody , but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central note...
as they would have been played on various instruments, and they are a huge clue as to the actual performance of musica ficta
Musica ficta
Musica ficta was a term used in European music theory from the late 12th century to about 1600 to describe any pitches, whether notated or to be added by performers in accordance with their training, that lie outside the system of musica recta or musica vera as defined by the hexachord system of...
, since tablature shows where a musician places their fingers, which is less up to interpretation than certain staff notations.