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Esteban Daza

Fantasía [06] por el sexto tono

 

El Parnaso (1576), fol. 9

da006

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Source title Fantasia por el sexto tono señalase la claue de Fefaut en la quarta en segundo traste. D[ificil]
Title in contents   Fantasia por el sexto tono
Text incipit


Music

Category abstract

Genre fantasia

Fantasia type Imp

Mode 6

Voices 4

Length (compases) 83

Vihuela

Tuning F

Courses 6

Final VI/0

Highest I/9

Lowest VI/0

Difficulty difficult

Tempo not specified

Song Text

Language

Vocal notation puntillos

Commentary

Polythematic, episodic fantasia in mode 6. Less of a “composed-to-a-recipe” work than many of Daza’s. Differentiates itself on two counts:
1) Fewer themes and sections, longer although repetition is avoided.
2) Double exposition of themes in most voices.

Sections: (bar nos from Griffiths1982)
I (theme 1) 1-19
II (theme 2) 19-30
III free interlude 30-34
IV (theme 3) 34-42.

Section I – Theme and section are both long. Theme almost 7 bars when extended to its cadence in S.
Theme 2 is more characteristic of Daza. Free polyphonic interlude 30-34 is strongly reminiscent of 1st theme (and 2nd also sharing material with 1st) in the two middle voices. Almost a codetta in that respect.
Theme III behaves quite typically. Its head is quite fixed in character but its tail seems to vary somewhat particularly rhythmically, despite its descending stepwise melodic deflection. Note false entries of superius in bars 10 & 34 – also the unique voice leading in the cadence of 34. The falling 3rd is the most significant interval.
All themes start on weak beat (including 1st). Examination of non exposing voices in this work reveals a number of secondary themes and motives which operate independently of the principal thematic structure creating more unity. (See diagram of contrapuntal analysis). Sub theme x appears in B main variants during each of the four sections. Appears 6 times – in S&A only. The motives and intervals z, y, w are also significantly numerous. Purely free melodic invention is relatively small.
Theme 2 occurs 3 times in bass. Last time harmonized in Parallel 3rs in A. Structural character of bass is evident. Its only free passage is during the short interlude, otherwise just theme, cadential leading, pauses. The relative inactivity of the voice may also be seen as an idiomatic consideration – RH thumb – and to add structural clarity within the idiomatic context.