Composition -
Par ung jour
By Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450-1517)
 
A T/A B/T B
 
 
Par ung jour de matinee – Heinrich Isaac (c. 1450-1517), from Canti C numero cento cinquanto (Venice, 1504) (also from Canti C, see Tres doulce fillette, Anon.)

Recommended ATBB, but AATB is also possible.  Contra (2nd voice) on alto and Tenor (3rd voice) on tenor recorder lie quite low in the range, which is why I made the recording with tenor and bass recorders, respectively, on those parts.  The tempo of the recording is whole note = 88.  I would rate the difficulty as moderate/upper intermediate.
 
The Contra and Tenor parts are exact canons at the fifth, 2 bars apart.  The Contra actually leads that chase, starting with the melody a fifth up (on C) in bar 4.  The Tenor follows with the melody in the original tone (F), and they're off!  The outside voices, Cantus and Bassus, are elaborations and decorations on the melody.
 
Just a side note:  with only a few switcheroos where the cantus part goes down to B, this piece would work for SATB krummhorns!  If this interests you, look at mm. 8 and 33, where the Contra player could cover the Cantus part; and mm. 15 and 40, where Cantus and Contra players would switch.  Some leaps are added, but the notes are covered.
 
Acknowledgments:  I am grateful to Allen Garvin for making these wonderful transcriptions, and giving free permission to use them.  If you are not familiar with his transcriptions (which are admittedly mostly done for viols, but work remarkably well for recorders and other instruments), you should explore the IMSLP website. Click HERE for a link to a page listing all of his contributions.   Allen has added over 1500 pieces to IMSLP, nearly all Renaissance!  Also, my everlasting thanks to Win Bent for providing sound engineering, as well as unfailing encouragement.
-- Susan Richter
 
 
Play-along files recorded by Susan Richter, supported by a grant from the Recorder Artist Relief Fund.

Listen to all parts
No cantus - you play alto
No contra - you play tenor (or alto)
No tenor - you play bass (or tenor)
No bassus - you play bass
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
4
Difficulty:
Moderate
Occasion:
Any
Libraries:
Play-alongs, Arrangements and Transcriptions
Date Added:
12/19/2020
Style:
Recorded Accompaniment, Renaissance/Baroque/Classical
 
2024, Anytown Civic Club
Website by Vieth Consulting