Capirola Lutebook


The so-called Capirola Lutebook is one of the most important sources of early 16th century Italian lute music. It is an illuminated manuscript which comprises the entire surviving output of Vincenzo Capirola.
The Capirola Lutebook was compiled in 1520 by Vitale, a pupil of Capirola. The compositions included probably date from around 1517. There are 42 folios; the manuscript begins with a short note by its creator, one Vitale, pupil of Capirola's. Vitale informs the reader that he adorned the lutebook with paintings to ensure its survival: even owners not interested in musical matters would, by Vitale's reasoning, keep the lutebook in their collections because of the paintings. This explanation is followed by a substantial text on lute playing technique, ornaments and notation—one of the most important sources on performance practice of the time. The actual music starts at folio 5. The lutebook contains the following works :
  1. La villanella
  2. Recercar 1
  3. Oublier veuil
  4. Recercar 2
  5. O mia cieca e dura sorte
  6. Che farala, che dirala
  7. La spagna 1
  8. Recercar 3
  9. Sit nomen domini
  10. Padoana francese
  11. Stavasi amor dormento
  12. Voi che passate qui
  13. Balletto
  14. De tous biens plaine
  15. Sancta Trinitas
  16. Canto Bello
  17. Recercar 4
  18. Padoana
  19. Recercar 5
  20. Recercar 6
  21. Christe de "Si Dedero"
  22. Allez regretz
  23. Agnus dei
  24. Recercar 7
  25. La spagna 2
  26. Recercar 8
  27. Recercar 9
  28. Recercar 10
  29. Padoana alla francese
  30. Recercar 11 alla spagnola
  31. Non ti spiaqua l'ascoltar
  32. Gentil prince
  33. Nunca fué pena major
  34. Et Resurrexit
  35. O florens rosa
  36. Si dedero
  37. Benedictus "Ut re mi fa sol la"
  38. Bassadanza la spagna
  39. Et in terra
  40. Qui tollis peccata mundi
  41. Recercar 12
  42. Recercar 13
  43. Tota pulchra es
The music varies in difficulty from very easy pieces to virtuosic toccata-like works. The thirteen ricercars of the book stylistically stand between the earliest, improvisatory examples and Francesco da Milano's ricercars, which exhibit a more advanced imitative technique. The manuscript is notable not only for the place Capirola occupies in lute repertoire, but also for the earliest known dynamic indications: for instance, the indication tocca pian piano appears in "Non ti spiaqua l'ascoltar". However, Capirola's seems to be an isolated example.