UC Irvine Libraries

The Venetian publisher Ottaviano Pecrucci's petition of 1498, submitted to the Dogeand the Signory of Venice, requesting the exclusive privilege to publish music booksin the Venerian dominions for twenty years, states that Petrucci intended to publishbooks of 'canto figuraco' (polyphonic vocal music notated in mensural notation) as wdlas books of'intaboladure d'organo et liuto' (instrumencal music for keyboard inscrumencsand lute arranged and notated in cablarure).1 Perrucci subsequently publishedsix books oflure music between 1507 and 1511: the first two were books of music byFranc.esco Spinacino, the third contained music by Giovan Maria Hebreo, the fourthwas of music by Joan Ambrosio Dalza, and the fifth and sixth books were by FranciscusBossinensis. 2 All except one of these lute books were published in Venice where Petruccihad his prinring shop; the last of Pecrucci's lute series, Bossinensis' Libra Secondo, waspublished in Fossombrone, where Perrucci had moved from Venice in 1511.3 Spinacino'stwo books and Dalza's contain mostly solo lute pieces, with a few lute duets. GiovanMaria's (now lose) lute book seems co have contained solo lute pieces and perhaps someluce duets coo.~ Bossinensis' two luce books are devoted co frottola arrangements forvoice and lute, each supplemented with solo luce recercare that could serve as preludes,interludes, or postludes co the frottole.