An alta cappella or alta musica (Italian), haute musique (French) or just alta was a kind of town wind band found throughout continental Europe from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries, which typically consisted of shawms and slide trumpets or sackbuts. Waits is the British equivalent. These were not found anywhere outside of Europe.[1][2]
Early 17th-century Flemish alta cappella, drawing by Denis van Alsloot. Instruments are (from left to right): a bass dulcian, an alto shawm, a treble cornett, a soprano shawm, a second alto shawm and a tenor sackbut.A re-created wait in York
Modern reconstruction of a fifteenth-century slide trumpet
Alta musique in general refers to the "loud music" of instruments like shawms, sackbuts, trumpets, and drums, in contrast to basse musique, the "soft music" of recorders, viols, fiddles, harps, psalteries, and the like.[3] These ensembles first appeared in Europe in the thirteenth century, taken from the ceremonial loud bands of the Arab World, consisting of small shawms, nakers, and other percussion, together with pairs of straight trumpets functioning as something of a cross between drone and percussion. In Europe, these instruments were sometimes augmented by bagpipes and pipe and tabor.[4]
By the fifteenth century, these bands had come mainly to consist of three musicians, two playing shawms and the other a slide trumpet or (later) sackbut, but in the sixteenth century the size gradually increased and the instrumentation became more varied.[3] After about 1500 in Germany, the alta developed into the kind of band that came to be known as Stadtpfeifer (town pipers).[5]
Many English cities in the 1500s had town waits, as did rich individuals and institutions. In 1571, London ordered its waits to play "upon their instruments upon the turret at the Royal Exchange every Sunday and holiday toward the evening" (with winter break, between September and late March, excepted). These may have been London's first regularly scheduled public concerts.[6]
Present-day descendants of this tradition are the Catalan cobla bands, who play music for sardana dancers, and which feature a modern version of the shawm with melodies traditionally played by the tenor member of the family.[3] In addition, in the same Catalonia, specially in Tarragona area, the use of a shorten shawm called "gralla" is used for the human tower "castells" and "cercavila [ca]", an event that takes place in the streets, always festive parade, which involved a variety of elements and Town Hall representatives, including musical (grallers), audio (fireworks) and visual type (giants, dwarfs, costumes, representations of animals or mythological beings or invented, etc.).
RepertoireEdit
Two shawms of the fifteenth-century type
There is one surviving composition from the late-fifteenth or early sixteenth century actually titled Alta. It is an untexted piece for three (presumably instrumental) voices by F[rancisco?] de la Torre, in the Spanish manuscript Cancionero de Palacio (E-Mp 2–1–5), and is assumed to be a typical example of the improvisatory style of this ensemble. It sets the popular basse dansetenorLa Spagna in long notes with a contratenor in more or less note-against-note motion and a highly decorated fast-moving upper part.[3] Similar cantus-firmus settings from this period, mostly in three parts and in improvisatory style, may also be associated with these bands. Examples include pieces found in MS Trent 87,5 such as Auxce bon youre, Tandernaken, and the setting of the basse danse melody, Je suy povere de leesse.[7] During the sixteenth century, cantus firmus settings gave way to other kind of dances, sometimes improvised and sometimes composed. Music in four parts had become a normal texture by the early sixteenth century, and the bands accordingly increased in size.[3]
ReferencesEdit
^Iain Fenlon, Music and Patronage in Sixteenth-Century Mantua, 2 vols., Cambridge Studies in Music (Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1980–82):[full citation needed]:2008,[verification needed]ISBN978-0-521-229050 (vol 1); ISBN978-0-521-23587-7 (vol. 2) "It is not until a few years later, in 1468, that the names of the Mantuan court alta cappella, a group of four players, are recorded. From its origins as a simple band used on ceremonial occasions, this ensemble seems to have been transformed..."
^Roy C. Strong (2002). Feast: A History of Grand Eating. London: Jonathan Cape. p. 123. ISBN978-0-224-06138-4. In the hall it was haute musique, itself divided between musica alta for wind bands and basse musique for soft instruments accompanied by voices.
^ abcdeHoward Mayer Brown, and Keith Polk, "Alta (i)", Grove Music Online, edited by Deane Root (accessed 28 January 2015)
^Herbert W. Myers, "Slide Trumpet Madness: Fact or Fiction?", Early Music 17, no. 3 (August 1989): 382–89. Citation on 383.
^Margaret Sarkissian and Edward H. Tarr, "Trumpet", Grove Music Online, edited by Deane Root (accessed 28 January 2015).
^Ross W. Duffin, "The Trompette des Ménestrels in the 15th-Century Alta Capella", Early Music 17, no. 3 (August 1989): 397–402. Citation on 399.
Further readingEdit
Brown, Howard Mayer, and Keith Polk. 2001. "Instrumental Music, c.1300–c.1520", in Music as Concept and Practice in the Late Middle Ages: Players, Patrons and Performance Practice, edited by Reinhard Strohm and Bonnie J. Blackburn, 97–162. The New Oxford History of Music, vol. 3, part 1. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-816205-6.
Downey, Peter. 1984. "The Renaissance Slide Trumpet: Fact or Fiction?" Early Music 12, no. 1 (February): 26–33.
Heartz, Daniel. 1966. "Hoftanz and Basse Dance". Journal of the American Musicological Society 19, no. 1 (Spring): 13–36.
Peters, Gretchen. 2001. "Civic Subsidy and Musicians in Southern France During the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries: A Comparison of Montpellier, Toulouse and Avignon", in Music and Musicians in Renaissance Cities and Towns, edited by Fiona Kisby, 57–69. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-0-521-66171-3.
Polk, Keith. 1987. "Instrumental Music in the Urban Centres of Renaissance Germany". Early Music History 7:159–86.
Polk, Keith. 1989. "The Trombone, the Slide Trumpet and the Ensemble Tradition of the Early Renaissance". Early Music 17, no. 3 (August): 389–97.
Polk, Keith. 1992. German Instrumental Music of the Late Middle Ages. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press.
Polk, Keith, 2012. "Instrumental Performance in the Renaissance". In The Cambridge History of Musical Performance, edited by Colin Lawson and Robin Stowell, 335–52. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN978-0-521-89611-5.
Tröster, Patrick. 2001. Das Alta-Ensemble und seine Instrumente von der Spätgotik bis zur Hochrenaissance (1300–1550). Eine musikikonografische Studie. Tübingen: Medien Verlag Köhler. ISBN3-932694-77-5.
Tröster, Patrick. 2004. "More about Renaissance Slide Trumpets: Fact or Fiction?" Early Music 32, no. 2 (May): 252–68.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stadtpfeifer.
International Guild of Town Pipers
August 25, 2023
alta, cappella, alta, cappella, alta, musica, italian, haute, musique, french, just, alta, kind, town, wind, band, found, throughout, continental, europe, from, thirteenth, eighteenth, centuries, which, typically, consisted, shawms, slide, trumpets, sackbuts, . An alta cappella or alta musica Italian haute musique French or just alta was a kind of town wind band found throughout continental Europe from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries which typically consisted of shawms and slide trumpets or sackbuts Waits is the British equivalent These were not found anywhere outside of Europe 1 2 Early 17th century Flemish alta cappella drawing by Denis van Alsloot Instruments are from left to right a bass dulcian an alto shawm a treble cornett a soprano shawm a second alto shawm and a tenor sackbut A re created wait in York Contents 1 History 2 Repertoire 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksHistory Edit Modern reconstruction of a fifteenth century slide trumpetAlta musique in general refers to the loud music of instruments like shawms sackbuts trumpets and drums in contrast to basse musique the soft music of recorders viols fiddles harps psalteries and the like 3 These ensembles first appeared in Europe in the thirteenth century taken from the ceremonial loud bands of the Arab World consisting of small shawms nakers and other percussion together with pairs of straight trumpets functioning as something of a cross between drone and percussion In Europe these instruments were sometimes augmented by bagpipes and pipe and tabor 4 By the fifteenth century these bands had come mainly to consist of three musicians two playing shawms and the other a slide trumpet or later sackbut but in the sixteenth century the size gradually increased and the instrumentation became more varied 3 After about 1500 in Germany the alta developed into the kind of band that came to be known as Stadtpfeifer town pipers 5 Many English cities in the 1500s had town waits as did rich individuals and institutions In 1571 London ordered its waits to play upon their instruments upon the turret at the Royal Exchange every Sunday and holiday toward the evening with winter break between September and late March excepted These may have been London s first regularly scheduled public concerts 6 Present day descendants of this tradition are the Catalan cobla bands who play music for sardana dancers and which feature a modern version of the shawm with melodies traditionally played by the tenor member of the family 3 In addition in the same Catalonia specially in Tarragona area the use of a shorten shawm called gralla is used for the human tower castells and cercavila ca an event that takes place in the streets always festive parade which involved a variety of elements and Town Hall representatives including musical grallers audio fireworks and visual type giants dwarfs costumes representations of animals or mythological beings or invented etc Repertoire Edit Two shawms of the fifteenth century typeThere is one surviving composition from the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century actually titled Alta It is an untexted piece for three presumably instrumental voices by F rancisco de la Torre in the Spanish manuscript Cancionero de Palacio E Mp 2 1 5 and is assumed to be a typical example of the improvisatory style of this ensemble It sets the popular basse danse tenor La Spagna in long notes with a contratenor in more or less note against note motion and a highly decorated fast moving upper part 3 Similar cantus firmus settings from this period mostly in three parts and in improvisatory style may also be associated with these bands Examples include pieces found in MS Trent 87 5 such as Auxce bon youre Tandernaken and the setting of the basse danse melody Je suy povere de leesse 7 During the sixteenth century cantus firmus settings gave way to other kind of dances sometimes improvised and sometimes composed Music in four parts had become a normal texture by the early sixteenth century and the bands accordingly increased in size 3 References Edit Iain Fenlon Music and Patronage in Sixteenth Century Mantua 2 vols Cambridge Studies in Music Cambridge and New York Cambridge University Press 1980 82 full citation needed 2008 verification needed ISBN 978 0 521 229050 vol 1 ISBN 978 0 521 23587 7 vol 2 It is not until a few years later in 1468 that the names of the Mantuan court alta cappella a group of four players are recorded From its origins as a simple band used on ceremonial occasions this ensemble seems to have been transformed Roy C Strong 2002 Feast A History of Grand Eating London Jonathan Cape p 123 ISBN 978 0 224 06138 4 In the hall it was haute musique itself divided between musica alta for wind bands and basse musique for soft instruments accompanied by voices a b c d e Howard Mayer Brown and Keith Polk Alta i Grove Music Online edited by Deane Root accessed 28 January 2015 Herbert W Myers Slide Trumpet Madness Fact or Fiction Early Music 17 no 3 August 1989 382 89 Citation on 383 Margaret Sarkissian and Edward H Tarr Trumpet Grove Music Online edited by Deane Root accessed 28 January 2015 Will Kimball 2020 Trombone History 16th Century Retrieved 2023 02 20 Ross W Duffin The Trompette des Menestrels in the 15th Century Alta Capella Early Music 17 no 3 August 1989 397 402 Citation on 399 Further reading EditBrown Howard Mayer and Keith Polk 2001 Instrumental Music c 1300 c 1520 in Music as Concept and Practice in the Late Middle Ages Players Patrons and Performance Practice edited by Reinhard Strohm and Bonnie J Blackburn 97 162 The New Oxford History of Music vol 3 part 1 Oxford and New York Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 816205 6 Downey Peter 1984 The Renaissance Slide Trumpet Fact or Fiction Early Music 12 no 1 February 26 33 Heartz Daniel 1966 Hoftanz and Basse Dance Journal of the American Musicological Society 19 no 1 Spring 13 36 Peters Gretchen 2001 Civic Subsidy and Musicians in Southern France During the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries A Comparison of Montpellier Toulouse and Avignon in Music and Musicians in Renaissance Cities and Towns edited by Fiona Kisby 57 69 Cambridge and New York Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 66171 3 Polk Keith 1987 Instrumental Music in the Urban Centres of Renaissance Germany Early Music History 7 159 86 Polk Keith 1989 The Trombone the Slide Trumpet and the Ensemble Tradition of the Early Renaissance Early Music 17 no 3 August 389 97 Polk Keith 1992 German Instrumental Music of the Late Middle Ages Cambridge and New York Cambridge University Press Polk Keith 2012 Instrumental Performance in the Renaissance In The Cambridge History of Musical Performance edited by Colin Lawson and Robin Stowell 335 52 Cambridge and New York Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 89611 5 Troster Patrick 2001 Das Alta Ensemble und seine Instrumente von der Spatgotik bis zur Hochrenaissance 1300 1550 Eine musikikonografische Studie Tubingen Medien Verlag Kohler ISBN 3 932694 77 5 Troster Patrick 2004 More about Renaissance Slide Trumpets Fact or Fiction Early Music 32 no 2 May 252 68 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stadtpfeifer International Guild of Town Pipers Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alta cappella amp oldid 1158585633, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
