Thomas Morley was born in 1557 and died in 1602. Morley's life was marked by several important and remarkable accomplishments, which will be explored here. Morley is best known for his composition of madrigals and his development of the English madrigal in particular. Here we will discuss his accomplishments and touch on the English Madrigal itself.
First, a brief over view of his life: It is believed that Morley is most likely to have been a student of William Byrd, another well-known composer of madrigals. Morley is said to have written a book by the name of A PLAINE AND EASIE INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICAL MUSICKE, which he dedicated to his teacher, in 1597. Morley was first an employee of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. He later earned the title of Gentleman of the Chapel in 1592. Soon after, he published his first set of part-songs in 1593, a preview of what madrigals were to come shortly thereafter. Still, after all this success, Morley went on to play an active role in publishing and printing music. It wasn't long before he was able to obtain profits from this publishing in 1958.
The greatest of Morley's accomplishments was undoubtedly his work with madrigals.
The English Madrigal is a song that was of course written during the Renaissance as a sort of retreat from the typical monotonous song of earlier times. By this time people were writing music with poetry about love and emotions. They were generally light with very clear-cut changes. It has concise rhymed lines with a love song themes that are generally not all too in depth. The two sub-styles of the English madrigal, which will be mentioned here later, are the Canzonet and the Ballett. The two both have Italian derivation. They are very similar in that they are both very light and take on the quality of the setting of the song. The Ballett or Balletto has a dance rhythm feel with refrains on a "fa, la, la" syllable. The Ballett would often end up with an AABB rhythm scheme. The Canzonet is exlpained in the words of Morley in A PLAINE AND EASIE INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICALL MUSICKE, as "a little short song wherein little art can be shewed: being made in strains,...,and ! every strain repeated except the middle." Unlike the canzonet, the madrigal has much more of emphasis on the text.
Morley's Madrigals included the Canzonets, previously discussed, or Litle Short Songs, and Three Voices, which were published in 1593. These were followed by a four-part collection of madrigals in 1594. He then went on to write of adaptations to Italian Madrigals. In 1601 Morley put together a collaboration of madrigals by twenty-three different composers called THE TRIUMPHS OF ORIANA. This was written as an offering to the Arcadian Queen of the Shepherds. In the collection, every madrigal is completed with the words: "Long Live Fair Oriana!"
Well, I wasn't going to include this but I think it is necessary to understand exactly where Morley is coming from. So here goes! Be Patient and Read Through:
The light music hath been of late more deeply dived into so that there is no vanity which in it hath not been followed to the full; but the best kind of it is termed madrigal, a word for the etymology of which I can give no reason; yet use showeth that it is kind of music made upon songs and sonnets such as Petrarch and many poets of our time have excelled in. This kind of music were not so much disallowable if the poets who compose the ditties would abstain from some obscenities which all honest ears abhor, and sometimes from blasphemies to such as this, "ch'altro di te iddio non voglio" [I wish no other god but thee], which no man (at least who hath any hope of salvation) can sing without trembling. As for the music it is, next unto the motet, the most artificial and, to men of understanding, most delightful. If therefore, you will compose in this kind you must possess yourself with an amorous humor (for in no composition shall you prove admirable except you put o! n and possess yourself wholly with that vein wherein you compose), so that you must in your music be wavering like the wind, sometime wonton, sometime drooping, sometime grave and staid, otherwhile effeminate; you may maintain poets and revert them, use triplas, and show the very uttermost of your variety and the more variety you show the better you shall please. In this kind our age excelleth, so that if you would imitate any I would appoint you these for guides: Alfonso Ferrabosco for deep skill, Luca Marenzio for good air and fine invention, Horation Vecchi, Stephano Venturi, Ruggiero Giovanelli, and John Croce, with divers others who are very good but not generally good as these.
FROM A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Music
APRIL IS IN MY MISTRIS FACE
MY BONNE LASSE SHE SMYLETH
NOW IS THE MONTH OF MAYING
O SLEEP
FOND FANCY
SING WE AND CHANT IT
SWEET NYMPH
COME TO THY LOVER
THOUGH PHILOMELA LOST HIR LOVE
IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LOVER LASSE (This appears in Shakespeare's comedy AS YOU LIKE IT)
In addition to madrigals Morley also dabbled in a bit of keyboard instrumental music as well.
He wrote for the virginals, or as we know them, harpsichords which include:
GO FROM MY WINDOW
PASSYMEASURES PAVAN
(a take off on the dialogue of sir Toby Belch of Shakespeare's comedy TWELFTH NIGHT)
More Morley Info and Links to Music Education and Study
a timeline of Renaissance
composers
Hampton, Nathan. "The English Madrigal." NATHAN'S SCHOLARLY STUFF.
http://rhf.bradley.edu/~nhampton/nathan/library/madrigal.html (8 Oct. 1998).
Agnew, Hugh. "Morley." EARLY MUSIC LIST JAN. TO DEC. 1994. 3 May 1994.
http://apollo.wu-wien.ac.at:8085/em94/file/72225/81035/logfiles/earlym-Llog9405a (9 Oct.
1998).
Author, NA. "Thomas Morley." HMH INTERNATIONAL LTD.
http://www.hnh.com/composer/morley.htm (7 Oct. 1998).
Morley, Thomas. A PLAINE AND EASIE INTRODUCTION TO PRACTICALL
MUSICKE, ed. R. Alec Harman (New York Norton, 1973).
WORKS CITED