Nabokov, Nicolas [Nikolay]

Narváez, Luys de

(b Granada; fl 1526–49). Spanish composer and vihuelist. He may have entered the service of Charles V's secretary, Francisco de los Cobos, in Granada as early as 1526, thereafter residing in Valladolid until his patron's death in 1547. From 1548 he is listed among the musicians of the royal chapel, with the added duty of teaching music to the boy choristers. Late in 1548 he travelled abroad with Prince Philip (later Philip II of Spain), and his presence is reported for the last time in the Low Countries during the winter of 1549. His son Andrés was also an accomplished vihuelist.

Aside from two motets, both published by Moderne, one reprinted by Berg & Neuber, all of Narváez’s music is included in his book, Los seys libros del delphín (Valladolid, 1538/R1980; ed. in MME, iii, 1945/R; ed. and arr. G. Tarragó, Madrid, 1971). The pieces are for solo vihuela and are notated in tablature similar to that used in Italian lute sources, with minor points of difference, such as the printing of notes to be sung in red ciphers. There are fantasias, variation sets, intabulations of vocal pieces, songs and a baxa de contrapunto (setting of a basse danse tenor). Selections from the Delphín were reprinted in French lute tablature by Phalèse (in Leuven) and Morlaye (in Paris) and five, sometimes freely arranged, were set in Spanish keyboard tablature by Venegas de Henestrosa. Narváez's book is the first to contain groups of pieces identified as variations (diferencias) and to include symbols indicating tempo.

His 14 fantasias, with at least one in each of the eight modes, are all of the highest quality. They are characterized by pervading but not rigorous imitation. Most open with a short theme treated imitatively and continue with sections in two- and three-part textures. They are reminiscent of the style of Josquin and are characterized by techniques such as voice pairing and sequences. Known to have collected music by Francesco da Milano, Narváez was the earliest composer for the vihuela to work in the new Italian style of lute music in the 1530s. Famed as an improviser on the vihuela, he was reputed to be able to extemporize four parts over another four at sight. His fantasias reflect improvisatory techniques in their motivic simplicity and use of certain short motifs with identical left-hand fingering patterns in more than one work.

He included vocal pieces by Josquin (six works), Gombert (two) and Richafort (one) in intabulations as vihuela solos, elaborated with passing notes and scalar ornaments. His arrangement of Josquin's famous Mille regretz is described as ‘la canción del Emperador’, presumably a favourite song of Charles V.

There are three types of variation sets. In those on the Spanish hymn O gloriosa Domina, the hymn tune appears in each variation and sometimes phrase openings are imitative. Variety of texture, rhythm, tempo and placing of the cantus firmus provides contrast between the six diferencias. Variations on ostinato harmonies include seven entitled Guárdame las vacas (although only three are on the romanesca, the last three being on the passamezzo antico), and 22 on Conde claros, a form of the bergamasca. The latter set contains bravura scale passages, unusual arpeggio patterns, sudden changes of register and one variation which ‘imitates the guitar’.

In two of the five villancicos, the vocal line is repeated, often without significant change in tune or text, while the accompaniment is varied. Paseávase el rey Moro, one of the two romances, survives in three other contemporary Spanish settings including two with vihuela accompaniment.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BrownI

M. Frenk Alatorre: ‘Sobre los textos poéticos de Juan Vásquez, Mudarra y Narváez’, Nueva revista de filología hispánica, vi (1952), 33–56

J.M. Ward: ‘The Editorial Methods of Venegas de Henestrosa’, MD, vi (1952), 105–13

J.M. Ward: ‘The Use of Borrowed Material in 16th-Century Instrumental Music’, JAMS, v (1952), 88–98

J. Griffiths: The Vihuela Fantasia: a Comparative Study of Forms and Styles (diss., Monash U., 1983)

J. Ruiz Jiménez: ‘Luis de Narváez and Music Publishing in 16th-Century Spain’, JLSA, xxvi–xxvii (1993–4), 1–15

J. Sage: ‘A New Look at Humanism in 16th-Century Lute and Vihuela Books’, EMc, xx (1992), 633–43

T. Binkley and M. Frenk Alatorre: Spanish Romances of the Sixteenth Century (Bloomington, IN, 1995)

HOPKINSON K. SMITH/JOHN GRIFFITHS

Nasal stop

(Fr. nasale; Ger. Nasal-Register).

See Lute stop.

Nasard

(?Fr.; Ger. Nasat).

See under Organ stop. There may have been an early French woodwind instrument of this name.

Nasardos

(Sp.).

See under Organ stop.

Nasarre, Pablo.

See Nassarre, Pablo.

Nasat

(Ger.).

See under Organ stop (Nasard).

Nasci, Michele

(fl Naples, 1770s). Italian violinist and composer. Burney mentioned Nasci as a violinist and director of the orchestra at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in Naples in 1770. Burney also heard him perform his trios at the home of William Hamilton, the British minister there. About 1771 his Sonate sei di cembalo con accompagnamento di violino were published in London, dedicated to Catherine Hamilton, an accomplished keyboard player. Since the Hamiltons visited London in that year (when he received his knighthood), they may have arranged the publication. However, Burney himself may have been the agent, as the sale of his library in 1814 included manuscript copies of sonatas and trios by Nasci.

Despite the designation ‘cembalo’ on the title-page, the music of these sonatas is pianistically conceived. (In 1770 Catherine Hamilton owned an English square piano, likely to have been the only one then in Naples.) Apart from their pianistic dynamics, the sonatas are of only moderate interest; they seem caught in an awkward phase of the general transition in style then taking place. Nasci’s other extant works include a sonata for violin and continuo and three violin concertos (in A-Wgm), and a solo motet with accompaniment for violins and continuo, composed in 1769 for the castrato Caffarelli (in GB-Lbl). A further six concertos at the Naples Conservatory library and ascribed to Nasci are questionable on stylistic grounds.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BurneyFI

EitnerQ

GerberNL

SainsburyD

The Late Dr. Burney’s Musical Library (London, 1814/R) [sale catalogue]

R.R. Kidd: The Sonata for Keyboard with Violin Accompaniment in England (1750–1790) (diss., Yale U., 1967), 186

RONALD R. KIDD