Musica transalpina : Cantus. Madrigales translated of foure, fiue and sixe parts, chosen out of diuers excellent authors, with the first and second part of La Verginella, made by Maister Byrd, vpon two Stanz's of Ariosto, and brought to speake English with the rest. Published by N. Yonge, in fauour of such as take pleasure in Musick of voices.

Record ID: 
408647
Accession number: 
PMC 2198-203
Title: 
Musica transalpina : Cantus. Madrigales translated of foure, fiue and sixe parts, chosen out of diuers excellent authors, with the first and second part of La Verginella, made by Maister Byrd, vpon two Stanz's of Ariosto, and brought to speake English with the rest. Published by N. Yonge, in fauour of such as take pleasure in Musick of voices.
Published: 
London : Imprinted at London by Thomas East, the assignè of William Byrd, 1588.
Credit Line: 
Purchased on the Mary Flagler Cary Fund in 2017.
Contents: 

These that bee certaine signes (Questi ch'inditio) / Noe Fagnient -- The faire Diana (Non piu Diana) / Giouan de Macque -- Ioy so delights my hart (Gioia s'abond'all cor) / Gio Petraloysio Prenestino [Palestrina] -- False Loue now shoot (Amor ben puio) / Gio Petraloysio Prenestino [Palestrina] -- O griefe, if yet my griefe (Dolor, se'l mio dolor / Baldessar Donato -- As in the night (Come la note) / Baldessar Donato -- In vayne hee seekes for beautie (Per diuina bellezza) / Filippo di Monte -- What meaneth Loue to nest him (Perche s'annida Amore) / Gio Petraloysio Prenestino [Palestrina] -- Sweet Loue when hope (Amor quando fioriva) / Gio Petraloysio Prenestino [Palestrina] -- Lady that hand (Donna la bella mano) / Mare' Antonio Pordenone -- Who will ascend (Chi salira) / Giaches de Vuert -- Lady your looke so gentle (Donna bella e gentile) / Cornelio Verdonch -- From what part of the Heauen (In qiual parte del ciel) / Filippo di Montte -- In euery place (ogni luogo) / [Anon] -- Thirsis to dye desired (Tirsi morir volea) / Luca Marenzio -- Susanna fayre (Susann' un iovr) / Orlando di Lasso -- Susanna fayre (Susann' un iovr) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- When shall I cease (To the note of Chi per voi non) / Noe Faignient -- I must depart (Io partiro) / Luca Marenzio -- I saw my lady weeping (Vidi pianger Madonna) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- So gracious (Sci tanto gratiosa)/ Giouan Ferrettie -- Cruell vnkind (Donna crudel) / Giouan Ferrettie -- What doth my prety darling (Che fa hoggil mio sole) / Luca Marenzio -- Sleepe mine onely Iewell (Sonno scendosit) / Stefano Felis -- Sound out my voice (to the note of Vestiv' I colli) / Gianetto Palestina -- Liquide & watry perles (Liquide perle) / Luca Marenzio -- The Nightingale (Le Rossignol) / Orlando di Iasso -- Within a greenwood (In un Roschetto) / Giouan Ferretti -- Sometime when hope reliu'd mee (Gia fu ch' io) / Rinaldo del Melle -- Rubyes and perles (Perle rugini) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- O sweet kisse (O dolcissimo bascio) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- Sometime my hope (Gia fù mio dolce speme) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- Lady that hand (Donna la bella mano) / Lelio Bertany -- My hart alas (Alma giu dotta) / Gironimo Conuersi -- Lady if so spight mee (Donna se voi m'odiate) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- When I would thee embrace (Quand' io voleva) / Giouan Gattista Pinello -- Thirsis enioyed the graces (Godea Tirsi gl'amori) Alofonso Ferabosco -- The nightingale (Le Rossignol) / Alofonso Ferabosco -- The faire yong virgine (La verginella) / William Byrd -- I will goe dye for pure Loue (Io moriro d'amore) / Luca Marenzio -- These that bee certaine signes (Questi ch' inditio) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- So far frō my delight (Se lungi dal mio sol) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- Loe here my hart (Ecco ch' io lasso) / Luca Marenzio -- Zephirus brings the time (Zephiro torna) / Gironimo Conuersi -- I was full neere my fall (Fui vicin' al cader) / Alfonso Ferabosco -- I soung sometime (Cantai gia) / Luca Marenzio.

Notes: 

Collection of Italian madrigals with English texts.
Six part books, each with separate dated title page and register. Third word of title, part 2, “ALTVS”; part 3, “TENOR”; part 4, “QVINTVS”; part 5, “SEXTUS”; part 6, “BASSVS”.
Signatures: A₂ A-H₄; A₂ A-H₄; A₂ A-H₄; A₂ A-G₄ (B₂ missigned D₂); A₂ A-B₄; A₂ A-H₄.
With a table of contents at the end of each part book.
The last leaf of the Tenor, Quintus, and Bassus parts is blank.
Line 1 of each table of contents has “contayned,” except the Bassus which has “conteyned.”
On the title page verso is printed a large coat of arms, facing a dedication page to Gilbert Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (1552-1616).
This appears to be a second edition of the Musica Transalpina, not printed in 1588 as stated on the title page, but ca. 1593-94: see Jeremy L. Smith, Thomas East and Music Publishing in Renaissance England (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2003), pp. 67-68, 152-53; Peter Clulow, 'Publication Dates for Byrd's Latin Masses', Music and Letters 47 (1966): 1-9.

Provenance: 

Frederick Locker, with his bookplate; William Augustus White; John Whipple Frothingham, with his bookplate.

Associated names: 

Yonge, Nicholas, -1619, publisher.
East, Thomas, 1540?-1608?, printer.
Shrewsbury, Gilbert Talbot, Earl of, 1552-1616, dedicatee.
Faignient, Noé, active 1560-1600, composer.
Macque, Giovanni de, approximately 1550-1614, composer.
Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da, 1525?-1594, composer.
Donato, Baldassare, -1603, composer.
Monte, Philippe de, 1521-1603, composer.
Pordenon, Marc'Antonio, composer.
Wert, Giaches de, 1535-1596, composer.
Verdonck, Cornelis, 1563-1625, composer.
Marenzio, Luca, 1553-1599, composer.
Lasso, Orlando di, 1532-1594, composer.
Ferrabosco, Alfonso, 1543-1588, composer.
Ferretti, Giovanni, approximately 1540-approximately 1609, composer.
Felis, Stefano, approximately 1550-approximately 1603, composer.
Mel, Rinaldo del, approximately 1554-approximately 1598, composer.
Bertani, Lelio, approximately 1550-approximately 1620, composer.
Conversi, Girolamo, active 1571-1575, composer.
Pinello, Giovanni Battista, approximately 1544-1587, composer.
Byrd, William, 1539 or 1540-1623, composer.
Bedford, Francis, 1799-1883, binder.
Locker-Lampson, Frederick, 1821-1895, former owner.
White, William Augustus, 1843-1927, former owner.
Frothingham, John Whipple, former owner.