Bernardo Pisano

Bernardo Pisano (also Pagoli) (October 12, 1490 – January 23, 1548) was an Italian composer, priest, singer, and scholar of the Renaissance. He was one of the first madrigalists, and the first composer anywhere to have a printed collection of secular music devoted entirely to himself.

Music and influence

While Pisano wrote sacred music in a sober, homophonic style, almost certainly for use in Ss Annunziata when he was maestro di cappella there, it is as a composer of secular music that he was most influential. Pisano is arguably the first madrigalist. The slightly later composers who became famous masters of the genre — Costanzo Festa, Jacques Arcadelt, Philippe Verdelot — were aware of his work and copied some of his stylistic traits.

Related Topics:
Homophonic - Costanzo Festa - Philippe Verdelot

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Pisano's early secular music is typical of Italian music of the first two decades of the 16th century: light, rhythmically active, usually homophonic, containing frequent repetition, and generally for three voices. Most of these pieces are ballatas or canzonettas. His later secular music, including the important collection of 1520, the first printed book of secular music dedicated to the work of a single composer, contains music which is best defined as madrigalian (although he did not use the term). Poetry is sometimes serious, and sometimes humorous; seven poems by Petrarch are represented. The music carefully attempts to convey the emotion expressed by the poem being set. Often the last line of the text is repeated for emphasis, a peculiarity which was to become a defining feature of the early madrigal. Texturally, the music varies between homophonic and polyphonic passages, as well as between passages for groups of two, three, and four singers together.

Related Topics:
16th century - Ballata - Canzonetta - 1520 - Petrarch - Polyphonic

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