The frottola was the dominant secular genre at Italian courts in the early 16th century. As published, frottole consisted largely of homophonic four-voice settings of poetry that seemed simple but concealed, as far as can be determined at this late date, a multitude of puns, local references, and sexual double entendres. The rhythms are bouncy and syncopated, fitting the poetry closely. Histories of Renaissance music tend to skate past them quickly in favor of the more musically complex madrigal and chanson, but the ...
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The frottola was the dominant secular genre at Italian courts in the early 16th century. As published, frottole consisted largely of homophonic four-voice settings of poetry that seemed simple but concealed, as far as can be determined at this late date, a multitude of puns, local references, and sexual double entendres. The rhythms are bouncy and syncopated, fitting the poetry closely. Histories of Renaissance music tend to skate past them quickly in favor of the more musically complex madrigal and chanson, but the frottola had no deficit in prestige in its own time; the learned northerners who were brought to Italy to compose music for its princes wrote some of the most famous examples, Josquin's El grillo (The Cricket) chief among them. That piece is omitted in this collection by the multinational Modena Consort, but Josquin is represented by an instrumental version of a similar piece, and various Italian composers are included. The musicians here try to situate the frottola among the other genres...
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