Giovanni Picchi (c. 1575 – after 1630), Danze et Toccata, nine pieces for harpsichord
Released 1976 by Philips 9502 101
The harpsichord used in this recording was built by Willem Kroesbergen of Utrecht, and is a copy of an Italian Qriginal by Stephanini in the Frankfurt museum Stephanini.

Seite 1 • Side 1:
00:00 Toccata (FWV Book I 174)
04:40 BaIlo detto il Picchi
06:43 Ballo Ongaro
09:07 Padoana ditta la Ongara

Seite 2. Side 2:
12:58 Pass’e mezzo antico di sei parti
18:30 Saltarello del ditto Pass’e mezzo
19:41 Todesca
21:20 Ballo ditto il Stefanin
23:20 Ballo alla Polacha

Illustration: Pietro Longhi (J 702-1762) »Die Tanzstunde«. “The Dance Lesson” (detail). Accademia. Venezia. Photo: Scala.

It is to be regretted th at so few of Giovanni
Picchi’s works have survived, for they are
distinguished by great boldness and originality
of invention; he must have been a scintillating
personality. Not many details of his life have
come down to us. The first we hear of him is as
an organist in the Basilica di Santa Maria
Gloriosa dei Frari, formerly known as Casa
Grande, in Venice. An item in the “Liber
Consiliorum”states th at in 1629 Picchi had been
attached to the Casa Grande for 36 years, so he
must have taken up his position as organist
there in 1593. He was probably born around
1570.
In F. Caroso’s “Nobilità di Dame” (published in
Venice in 1600), Picchi is mentioned among the
professori di ballare. He combined therefore the
functions of organist, in one of the most
important churches in Venice, and
dancing-master; for the period, this combination
was in no way unusual. In 1607, in an
application for a post, he calls himself organista ·
dei Frari. and in R. Michelis’s “Musica vaga et
artificiosa” (Venice, 1615) he is described as the
organist of the Cas a Grande. In 1625, on the
publication of his “Canzoni da sonar,” he calls
himself organist of the same church. In 1624 he
had applied for the position of second organist
at St. Mark’s, but without success; the post went
to Giovanni Petri Berti. In 1629 the Pater
Guardianus speaks, in the “Liber Consiliorum,”
of his 36 years of faithful service. Picchi was
allowed to carry out his duties as long as his
health permitted; moreover, provision was made
for him for the remainder of his life. In the
event of illness, or retirement due to old age, all
he had to do was provide a substitute.
Unfortunately, the archives of the Basilica Santa
Maria Gloriosa give us no further information,
not even the name of Picchi’s successor. His
death probably occurred in 1630.
A Toccata in D minor from his hand is to be
found in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, a
famous collection of harpsichord and organ
works assembied by Francis Tregian between
1614 and the year of his death, 1619. The
Toccata, known only from the Fitzwilliam book,
must therefore have been written before 1619. In
1618-19, Picchi published his “Intavolatura di
balli d’Arpicordo,” of which the first edition has
been lost. In 1621 he published a second edition.
Only one copy has survived the intervenin·g
centuries, and can now be found in the library
of the Bologna Conservatory. In his preface,
Picchi writes th at th is is the first in a set of four
volumes of balli. If it were successful, he would
issue the other th ree. He adds th at some of the
pieces are “difficuIt, of virtuoso standard, and
will therefore demand careful study.” In
addition, he warns against dissonances.
Unfortunately, the other th ree books have not
survived.
Of the harpsichord works, there survive also in
Turin three “Pass’e mezzo ·e saltarelli”
(MS Foà 7). This manuscript dates from about
1640, and was written in South Germany. The Foà
collection contains manuscripts by known and
unknown masters: among others Frescobaldi,
Porta, Gabrieli, Erbach, Hassler, Merulo,
Staden, Picchi, Philips, Scheidt, and Sweelinck.
It also contains numerous madrigal tablatures
(e.g. by Marenzio). I have worked out the pieces
by Picchi from the tablature. Unfortunately, the
works in Foà 7. were too poor in quality to be
worth recording. It is however conceivable th at
they, in imitation of the “Intavolatura di balli”
of 1621, were an introduction to Books 2, 3, and
4. Here, Picchi repeats fully and minutely all
that, in his first book, had been so new.

#WillemKroesbergen #TonKoopman