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Enríquez de Valderrábano

Virgo prudentissima [Pieton]

 

Silva de sirenas (1547), fol. 15v

va023

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Source title Quarta en tercero traste se señala la claue de fefaut, como esto pasado. Segundo grado.
Title in contents   Virgo prudentissima en el segundo grado a quattro. Pieton.
Text incipit Virgo prudentissima.


Music

Category intabulation

Genre motet

Fantasia type

Mode 1

Voices 4

Length (compases) 133

Vihuela

Tuning E

Courses 6

Final V/5

Highest I/10

Lowest VI/3

Difficulty medium

Tempo medium

Song Text

Language LA

Vocal notation texted cifras rojas

Commentary

Intabulation of a motet attributed to Pieton by Valderrábano but whose model is unknown. The text is the Magnificat antiphon at First Vespers of the Feast of the Assumption, on 15 August, and is known in many settings by numerous composers. Brown suggests comparing it with the setting by Penet published by Attaingnant in 1534 (3rd book of motets, no 10) (Brown1967), but Gil’s examination shows that this is not the model (gil2017, 379). No setting by Pieton is otherwise known. Another version for lute also attributed to Pieton was published in Guillaume Morlaye’s Seconde Livre de Tablature de Leut (Paris, 1558), Brown 1558/3, no 3, edited in Morlaye, Oeuvres pour le Lute (CESR 1980) ed. Michel Renault who claims the Morlaye version to be “reédition en tablature française d’une version instrumentale de Valderrábano” (p. xxviii) but Morlaye’s version is much more highly ornamented, so it is difficult to claim that Morlaye used Valderrábano’s copy. It is clear, however, that both versions attributed to Pieton are based on the same vocal polyphony. The model has been reconstructed from John Griffiths’ unpublished transcription by Marc Busnel at CESR (2012), also unpublished.

Recordings
Song Text

Virgo prudentissima, quo progrederis, quasi aurora valde rutilans?
Filia Sion, tota formosa et suavis es:
pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol.

Virgin most wise, where are you going, shining out as brightly as the dawn?
Daughter of Sion, you are most comely and merciful,
beautiful as the moon, excellent as the sun.

(from: ChoralWiki, accessed 4/04/2022)

Intabulations
Modern edition(s)
Printed source(s)
Manuscripts