The music of Dance includes two Balli (I and III), one Galliard and two Correntes. Ballo I and III present us with themes and virtuoso variations divided into different dances (Uscita, Ballo, Gagliarda, Corrente) to which I added the refrain of the initial dance. The Galliard is introduced by a prelude built on harmonic and melodic elements from Book III, the theme followed by two partite. The Correntes are structured also in themes and variations with a “broken style“, that suggests a structured contrapuntal texture.
The two Madrigali Passeggiati are unique in the work of Kapsberger. The first, “Come esser può”, is taken from the First Book of Madrigals by Gesualdo, and the second “Ancidetemi pur”, from the First Book of Madrigals by Arcadelt. Both have intriguing passages, characterised by unusual melodic and rhythmic inventions: original and virtuosic in the Arcadelt madrigal, more lyrical in the madrigal by Gesualdo.
In the Battaglia, Kapsberger uses all the different instrumental possibilities of the theorbo in an allegorical song, where you can find very different elements combined with each other: war songs, onomatopoeic elements, nostalgic soldiers’ songs, that are intensely evocative.