Ruffo: Capricci

Ruffo: Capricci a tre voci
Accademia Strumentale Italiana - Alberto Rasi
Stradivarius Dulcimer 33337

Contents:

  1. Capriccio IX - La Disperata (3 viols, violone)
  2. Capriccio XXII - El Cromato (2 lutes)
  3. Capriccio XIV - Hor che'l cielo e la terra (cornet, bombarde, sackbut)
  4. Capriccio XIII - La Gamba in basso e soprano (2 recorders, 2 viols, violone, harpsichord, lute, percussion)
  5. Capriccio XVIII - El Pietoso (2 viols, violone)
  6. Capriccio XXI - El Trapolato (2 flutes, viol, lute)
  7. Capriccio II - Quand'io penso al martire (soprano voice, 2 viols)
  8. Capriccio XV - La Danza (2 recorders, violone, harpsichord, percussion)
  9. Capriccio X - Martin Minoit son portiau au marche (cornet, harpsichord)
  10. Capriccio XII - El Travagliato (3 viols)
  11. Capriccio XI - Dormendo un giorno (2 flutes, bass voice, viol, lute)
  12. Capriccio V - La Gamba in tenor (cittern, lute, viol)
  13. Capriccio VIII - O felici occhi miei (cornet, bombarde, sackbut)
  14. Capriccio XVI - El Perfidioso (3 viols)
  15. Capriccio XVII - Da bei rami scendea (3 viols, bass voice, lute)
  16. Capriccio XX - Trinitas in unitate (cornet, bombarde, sackbut)
  17. Capriccio XXIII - La Piva (2 lutes, 3 viols)
  18. Capriccio I - La Sol Fa Re Mi (2 flutes, lute)
  19. Capriccio VI - Ut Re Mi Fa Sol La (3 viols, recorder)
  20. Capriccio IV - La Brava (cornet, bombarde, sackbut)
  21. Capriccio VII - Il Capriccioso (2 viols, recorder)
  22. Capriccio III - El Chiocho (harpsichord, recorder)
  23. Capriccio XIX - El Melanconico (3 viols, lute)

Performers: Alberto Rasi (discant & bass viol), Paolo Biordi (tenor & bass viol), Andrea Perugi (alto viol, harpsichord), Michele Zeoli (violone, bass viol), Terrell Stone (lute), Pierluigi Polato (lute, cittern), Roberta Invernizzi (soprano voice), Andrea Favari (bass voice), Fabio Tricomi (percussion), Stefano Bet (tenor flute), Gianni Lazzari (tenor & bass flute), Paolo Faldi (recorder, bombarde), Maria Paola Zannoni (recorder), Il Fantaccino (cornet), Mauro Morini (sackbut)

Playing time: 61'

Recording date: October 1993

Vincenzo Ruffo (1508-1587) spent his career in Northern Italy and published this collection of abstract instrumental music, the first of its kind in Italy, in 1564. This collection expands upon the formal instrumental ricercares of Willaert and others, adding various effect of fantasy derived from the emerging monophonic vocal repertory. Strangely, while Ruffo's output is almost excusively secular prior to this publication, it is almost exclusively sacred after it.

The present recording of the Capricci in musica a tre voci also has the distinction of using authentic 16th century wind instruments, preserved in the collection of the Accademia Filarmonico di Verona (founded, 1543). Ruffo was in charge of this academy in 1551-2.

Another recording:

Ruffo: Capricci in musica a tre voci
I Dilettanti / Sweet Musicke / Dulzainas
STIL 2908 SAN 94

And a more general collection including Ruffo:

Ricercari, Capricci e Fantasie a tre
Italienische Musik im Cinquecento
La Gamba Freiburg - Ekkehard Weber
Ars Musici 1168

A vocal collection featuring Ruffo:

Nova Metamorfosi
Le Poème Harmonique - Vincent Dumestre
Alpha 039

Finally, a recording devoted to a somewhat earlier, unpublished set of contrapuntal instrumental works from Italy:

Festa: 32 Contrapunti on "La Spagna"
Huelgas Ensemble - Paul Van Nevel
Harmonia Mundi 80 1799 (SACD)

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Todd M. McComb