Passamezzo Antico

OMP047 Nicolaus Ammerbach, arr Benjamin Thorn, Passamezzo Antico

Passamezzo antico is a Renaissance chord progression often used for dancing.  This edition links together three quartet settings by Nicolaus Ammerbach (c. 1530-1597).  The repeat of each section is a written-out diminution by Benjamin Thorn.  Double bar lines make the structure clear.  The printing is easy to read and the parts lie well in each recorder's range.  I'm a big fan of Benjamin Thorn's modern recorder compositions and was eager to hear what he would add.  Essentially, he made very long chains of eighth notes in stepwise motion.  This kept the music within technical reach of lower intermediate groups, but the sound became monotonous.  The reaction of my players was that they would have preferred to make their own diminutions of Ammerbach's original music.  For less experienced players, however, this piece could serve as an educational stepping-stone, presenting a basic melody along with simple variation for comparison.

Patrick O'Malley, American Recorder, Spring 2002