Ricercars over Genevan Psalm Tunes

for Renaissance Lute

Christoph Dalitz

Version 1.2, January 23rd, 2010

 Ricercars over Genevan Psalm Tunes
Christoph Dalitz

In 2009, the 500th anniversary of Johannes Calvin’s birthday, I had written a set of twelve
two part settings ("bicinia") for an alto and tenor voice over psalms from the Genevan
psalter. As most of them also work very well on the lute, I make here some additional
settings available, arranged for a Renaissance lute and with some divisions and
embellishments added.

In all ricercars, the original psalm melody is used as a cantus firmus in the bottom part.
The contrasubjectum of the original vocal versions was written in close polyphonic
imitation of the cantus firmus. In these lute intabulations, the contrasubjectum is elaborated
more freely, but its close relation to the cantus firmus is hopefully still obvious.

My primary source for the 16th century Genevan psalm melodies has been Ambrosius
Lobwasser’s print "Die Psalmen Davids" from 1579. I am grateful to the Herzog August
Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel for making this print available as an online facsimlie under the
URL http://diglib.hab.de/drucke/xb−1304−2/start.htm.

The present edition, as well as the vocal versions of selected psalms for alto and tenor, is
freely available (see the "copyleft notice" below) through the website
http://music.dalitio.de/. There are also some audio samples of myself playing ricercars
from the present volume.

If you enjoy playing or singing this music, or have any other comments, I would greatly
appreciate feedback. On the same website, you find information how to contact me.

Christoph Dalitz, November 2009

Copyleft Notice

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Ricercar for Renaissance Lute
over the Genevan melody to Psalm 5 Christoph Dalitz (2009)

a da c d d c c a d c d c a caca a
a aca c d d f d c d
c

ca d a c a d c d
f a c d c d a c a dcc
f f d c a aad c a
a e

cdc adc da cd a d c c bcb c f e c adc

e e e c a d c a

d cad a c d cd f d ca a cd c dcac d d a c ad c
a a c a a d b a c a

d
a c caa e ae a c d c d d c a eec a
a e c e c a e c

This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution−Share Alike 3.0 Germany License,
which explicitly permits copying, distribution and performance of this music free of charge. For the
full text of the license see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by−sa/3.0/de/.

http://music.dalitio.de/

1
Ricercar for Renaissance Lute
over the Genevan melody to Psalm 65 Christoph Dalitz (2009)

c c c a c d a c
a a d c
a c a
b d b
f cabd f da b

a d a d b d ab d b b a a a ae a a a a c da
b d f d d b b a c f

c
a a ac d c a d a a
b d b abdbab a bd a d ba b d ac
c f f d b d

da c aa ece a a da b b ad a c d c
d b c a c c f a a

ab d df cd a c
d
ad a c d
a cad a
b cd
a d
dc d d c a
b

df b a bd d a
b d
a ad b a da bab a
b dba d db ad a
b cda
c c e

c d a e aece a a c d c a d a d b a b d a eca e a
d b a c b d b a c

This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution−Share Alike 3.0 Germany License,
which explicitly permits copying, distribution and performance of this music free of charge. For the
full text of the license see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by−sa/3.0/de/.

2 http://music.dalitio.de/
Ricercar for Renaissance Lute
over the Genevan melody to Psalm 96 Christoph Dalitz (2009)

c c c d a c d a c d ac c d a d ad ca
f f f d a d f c

c d a cd a c c d a c c a c d c a a a
a a f d a c a e e
c

a d b a ac d a b da d a c d ab a d c acd a
fc e a c e a c e

a c a c a c d a d ca a c d
c acd a c d c
c e e c a d d
e c d c e
e e

d c a c a cada c d c
a a c d a c d c
a a
c e a c e c c c e a c

a c a c c a c d a dc a d c aa a
e a c a e
e c c e a c e c

This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution−Share Alike 3.0 Germany License,
which explicitly permits copying, distribution and performance of this music free of charge. For the
full text of the license see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by−sa/3.0/de/.

3 http://music.dalitio.de/
Ricercar for Renaissance Lute
over the Genevan melody to Psalm 132 Christoph Dalitz (2009)

c a d c c a dc d c aa c c ac d a dc
a a c a d
e c e e e

a dd d c a a e aece a a cd a c cd a dc a d c
a e c a a a c d a d
e c

a a dcd a c ac d a dc a d a c d c a a d d cc a
c a c c c a c d c
e

ca c c d a a dc a d a c d a d c a d d c a c d a d acd a
e c c a e c a

c ca c d a d c a da c d c a d c c ad c
e e c c a e c a e

This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution−Share Alike 3.0 Germany License,
which explicitly permits copying, distribution and performance of this music free of charge. For the
full text of the license see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by−sa/3.0/de/.

http://music.dalitio.de/

4
Ricercar for Renaissance Lute
over the Genevan melody to Psalm 138 Christoph Dalitz (2009)

c d a f e ca c a e a ca c a a
d a c d c a c c d
ec
a e

c a c a d c d c d a f c e a d c caa a e
e e aec a a ea c

a a a d c a a ca c da c a a acad
c c dec e e a d c d
ec a
d ca

c d ac a a e a a d c a d ca d c d a c a dc d
c c c c a ec ea c e

a c d a a d c a a ac dac a d c a
c
c d d a c c a d
a ac ea e c

a a c d c ad a c a
cc aa d cd c a c a d cd
e e c a c e e c a

This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution−Share Alike 3.0 Germany License,
which explicitly permits copying, distribution and performance of this music free of charge. For the
full text of the license see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by−sa/3.0/de/.

5 http://music.dalitio.de/
Ricercar for Renaissance Lute
over the Genevan melody to Psalm 143 Christoph Dalitz (2009)

a a dc d a a c f e c c bc b c a
a e e cd c a c d c a
c

c adc d ca c da da c a dc c
f f f d c a d c a ca d a ca

c b cb eb c f e
acda a a d c d a c d
e e c a d c c a
c

c a d c d c a c d ac d c d a c a c e f e c b c b eb
f f f d c a d c

c f ecad cacd a a cd a caa ae a ac

a d c d
e c a c a e c

d ac a c acacd a a c ad c a a
dd c d
e c a c e e ce
e c

This work is published under the Creative Commons Attribution−Share Alike 3.0 Germany License,
which explicitly permits copying, distribution and performance of this music free of charge. For the
full text of the license see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by−sa/3.0/de/.

6 http://music.dalitio.de/