Consort music by Thomas Tomkins, Alfonso Ferrabosco II and others: Conteralto

Digital Object
Link to digital surrogate
Dates
- Creation: 1641-1642
Language of Materials
- English
Summary
Four part-books from a set of five, containing 5-part pavanes etc., by Thomas Tomkins, Alfonso Ferrabosco II and others, copied 1641-1642.
Summary
Four part-books from a set of five, containing 5-part pavanes etc., by Thomas Tomkins, Alfonso Ferrabosco II and others, copied 1641-1642 by a variable hand in books which formerly contained 'A Messelania of / Madrigals Songes Sonets & Villanellas / of fyve partes' (title on wrappers); the leaves on which were copied have been cut out. The parts are: i, 'Canto'; ii, 'Conteralto'; iii, 'Tenore'; iv, 'Basso'. One treble book is missing. The copyist's numbering is consistent and is used for reference below. The hand of Francis Withy annotated two pavanes by Tomkins as 'Made for J. Withy' (iv, fols. 17, 25v) and wrote in iii, fol. 31v, 'Mr. Thos Tomkins Mr. Humphry Withy 1642'.
Not on the 1682 list of the Music School collection.
1-8: Pavans:
1. A.F. [Ferrabosco]. [VdGS A.F.II-6, no. 1], published, Musica Britannica IX, p. 104.
2. Mr. T. Tomkins. [VdGS TOMKINS-3].
3. Alfonso [Ferrabosco]. 'The 4 note Pavan', [VdGS A.F.II-6, no. 4], published, Musica Britannica IX, p. 102.
4. Mr. T. Tomkins. [VdGS TOMKINS-3]. Copied by a different hand in ii and iii.
5. Alfonso [Ferrabosco]. [VdGS A.F.II-6, no.3].
6. Mr. Nicholson. [VdGS NICHOLSON-2].
7. 'Mr. Wm. White' [in fact R. Mico - VdGS MICO-4, no. 2]. Attribution corrected by another hand in iii.
8. 'Mr. White', [in fact R. Mico - VdGS MICO-4, no. 1].
9-13: Anonymous music:
9-11. Pavan, Almane and Coranto [VdGS A1671-1673]. Much corrected in iii, where the leaf was cut out but was replaced by pinning to the stub.
12-13. Pavan, Almane [VdGS A1674-1675].
14-16. Pavane, Almane and Coranto, added later, for consort with 2 basses [VdGS A1676-1678]. The Coranto was completed on a spare piece of paper in all parts: i, ii, fol. 11; iii, fol. 12; iv, missing. 1st bass in iii; '2° Bassus' in iv.
17. 'Mr. [R.] Browne'. Pavan [VdGS R.BROWNE-1].
18-23. Almanes by Ferrabosco, formerly numbered 33-37 [VdGS A.F.II-8, nos. 5-10], apparently copied at a different time from the preceding and following pieces. 'Finis 1641' after 23 in iv.
24-25. Pavanes by T. Tomkins [VdGS TOMKINS-3, nos. 2-3], the second headed '2 Trebles' in iv.
26. Mr. [W.] Younge [Young]. Pavan [VdGS YOUNG-6].
27-30. Mr. [W.] Younge [Young]. Pavan, Almane, Coranta, Sarraband [VdGS YOUNG-6]. Headings only in iii.
31-41. 4 anonymous suites, Pavan, Alman, Coranta [VdGS A1679-1689], the first lacking Coranta.
42. Mr. Tho. Tomkins. Pavan, 'Ut re my fa sol la' [VdGS TOMKINS-3, no. 4], 'exa. Mr. T. T.' in i; 'made for J. Withy in Francis Withy's hand, iv.
43. Mr. T. Tomkins. Pavan, '9 October 1641' [VdGS TOMKINS-3, no. 5].
44. 'Myco' [R. Mico]. Pavan [VdGS MICO-4, no. 4].
45. 'Alfonso' [Ferrabosco]. Pavan [VdGS A.F.II-6, no. 9].
46. Claudio Monteverde. Là tra'l sangue. '2nd part' [of 'Vattene pur crudel', from Il 3° Libro dei Madrigali (1592)]. Not identified in i; unnumbered in iii, where 46 is a 2nd part by Mico [VdGS MICO-4].
47. Mr. T. Tomkins. Pavan [VdGS TOMKINS-3, no. 6]. Second treble part copied in ii; alto missing. In C minor, published in A minor in Musica Britannica IX, p. 111.
48. [M. Borchgrevinck]. Pavan [VdGS BORCHGREVINCK-1, no. 1]. Published: London Pro Music Edition, 1998 (Early Music Library, 333).
49. 'A.F.' [Ferrabosco]. Pavan [VdGS A.F.II-6, no. 2].
50. 'Alfono' [sic, Ferrabosco] Allman [VdGS A.F.II-8, no. 1], copied by a different hand, which had to rule blank leaves in i and iii.
Physical Description
Now 29, 29, 32 and 33 leaves, formerly each 9 gatherings of 4 ruled leaves within end-papers of the same paper. Watermark, Pot, somewhat resembling Heawood 3560, initialled DB. Ruled with 6 staves to a page, marginal ruling in the same ink. Binding, white limp vellum. Thonged through the quires.
Preferred Citation
Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. Mus. Sch. e. 415, fols. 1-2].
Biographical / Historical
Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656) was a composer and a member of the Tomkins family of church musicians and composers. See Grove Music Online for further details.
Alfonso Ferrabosco II (c 1575-1628) was an English composer and viol player of Italian descent. See Grove Music Online for further details.
Custodial History
This item is part of the Music School collection of printed and manuscript music, which was originally bequeathed to the University of Oxford by William Heather (c 1563-1627), and gradually added to until the end of the 18th century.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was transferred to the Bodleian in 1885.
Bibliography
Physical Description
Now 29, 29, 32 and 33 leaves, formerly each 9 gatherings of 4 ruled leaves within end-papers of the same paper. Watermark, Pot, somewhat resembling Heawood 3560, initialled DB. Ruled with 6 staves to a page, marginal ruling in the same ink. Binding, white limp vellum. Thonged through the quires.
Dimensions
Small upright quarto
General Note
MS. Mus. Sch. e. 416 (Former reference: Music School B. 4. 5)
Repository Details
Part of the Bodleian Libraries Repository
Weston Library
Broad Street
Oxford OX1 3BG United Kingdom
specialcollections.enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk