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23-663: It consists of 216 parchment folios, organized by composer, with each composer's section beginning with a portrait of the composer richly illuminated in gold, red, blue and purple. The manuscript is in good condition, and musical pieces are complete. Included in the codex are 146 complete pieces by Francesco Landini , 37 by Bartolino da Padova , 36 by Niccolò da Perugia , 29 by Andrea da Firenze , 28 by Jacopo da Bologna , 17 by Lorenzo da Firenze , 16 by Gherardello da Firenze , 15 by Donato da Cascia , 12 pieces by Giovanni da Cascia , 6 by Vincenzo da Rimini , and smaller amounts of music by others. It contains 16 blank folios, intended for

46-560: A pupil of another Giotto follower, Taddeo Gaddi (1300 – 1366). Casentino also showed an influence from the Sienese School of painting. The later Gothic style Casentino painted in was also influenced by the Sienese painters Pietro Lorenzetti (1280 – 1348) and his brother Ambrogio (1290 – 1348). [REDACTED] Media related to Jacopo del Casentino at Wikimedia Commons This article about an Italian painter born in

69-607: Is likely that he was very close to Petrarch . According to Villani, Landini was given a crown of laurel by the King of Cyprus , who was in Venice for several periods during the 1360s. Landini probably spent some time in northern Italy prior to 1370. Evidence in some of his music also points to this: a motet by a certain "Franciscus" is dedicated to Andrea Contarini , who was Doge of Venice from 1368 to 1382; and in addition, his works are well represented in northern Italian sources. He

92-477: The Squarcialupi Codex , represents almost a quarter of all surviving 14th-century Italian music. Numerous contemporary writers attest to his fame, not only as a composer, but as a singer, poet, organist, philosopher, and passionately devoted citizen of Florence, notably Giovanni da Prato , in his book Paradiso degli Alberti . This book, written in 1389 contains short stories, one of which supposedly

115-407: The lute , as well as the art of singing, writing poetry, and composition. Villani, in his chronicle, also stated that Landini was an inventor of instruments, including a stringed instrument called the 'syrena syrenarum', that combined features of the lute and psaltery , and it is believed to be the ancestor of the bandura . Despite his young age, Landini was already active in the early 1350s and it

138-428: The tonic . However this cadence neither originated with him, nor is it unique to his music; it can be found in much polyphonic music of the period, and well into the 15th century (for example in the songs of Gilles Binchois ). Gherardello da Firenze is the earliest composer to use the cadence whose works have survived. Yet Landini used the formula consistently throughout his music, so the eponym—which dates from after

161-464: The 15th century. The evidence linking him to the Landini family via his presumed father, who was identified by Filippo Villani as a painter who lived a simple life is no longer accepted by art historians. It can therefore also no longer be maintained that the painter Jacopo del Casentino (formerly also referred to as "Jacopo Landino") was his father or that Cristoforo Landino was his great-nephew. It

184-575: The Baptist , Saint Zenobius , Saint Reparata , and Saint Luke and was elected in 1339 its first consigliere . Casentino specialized in small devotional altars commissioned for private worship. Casentino popularized these altars throughout Italy along with artists such as Bernardo Daddi (1280 – 1348) . His work shows the influence of Giotto (1267 – 1337), with whom Daddi apprenticed. Casentino may have spent time in Giotto's workshop and have been

207-615: The following pages, added later, are humanistic poems in praise of Squarcialupi. All of the compositions in the codex are secular songs in Italian: ballata , madrigals , and cacce : there are 353 in all, and they can be dated to the period from 1340 to 1415. Notably absent are Italian pieces by Johannes Ciconia , a northerner transplanted into Italy, and the more innovative compositions of Antonio Zachara da Teramo . Francesco Landini Francesco Landini ( c.  1325 or 1335 – 2 September 1397; also known by many names )

230-439: The idea that he was a member of the Landini family and prefer to use the names "Francesco degli Organi" or "Francesco degliorghani" (Francesco of the organs), "Francesco da Firenze'"(Francesco of Firenze), and "Francesco il Cieco" or "Franciscus cecus" (Francesco the blind) to refer to the composer. The surname "Landini" or "Landino" has not been linked to the composer in any sources of the 14th century nor in secondary references in

253-510: The medieval era—is appropriate. Jacopo del Casentino Jacopo del Casentino (c. 1297 – 1358) was an Italian painter, active mainly in Tuscany in the first half of the 14th century. Very little is known about this artist other than that he likely came from Casentino . Giorgio Vasari incorrectly identified him as a member of the Landini family and that is the reason why in

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276-533: The music of Paolo da Firenze , since they are labeled as such and include his portrait; the usual presumption by scholars is that Paolo's music was not ready at the time the manuscript was compiled, since he was away from Florence until 1409. There is also a section marked out for Giovanni Mazzuoli which contains no music. The manuscript was almost certainly compiled in Florence at the monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli , probably around 1410–1415. Because

299-472: The original biographical data on him comes from a 1385 book on famous Florentine citizens by chronicler Filippo Villani , who was also born approximately 1325. Landini was most likely born in Florence , though Cristoforo Landino gave his birthplace as Fiesole . Blind from childhood (an effect of contracting smallpox ), Landini became devoted to music early in life, and mastered many instruments, including

322-634: The past he was referred to as Jacopo Landino . Vasari also incorrectly placed his origins in Arezzo . It is likely he received his training in Florence in the milieu of the Master of St Cecilia . His career appears to have been confined to the first half of the 14th century. He was one of the founders of the Compagnia di S Luca (Company of Painters), which was under the patronage of the Virgin and Saints John

345-438: The same unidentified family seal appears on the first folio of the manuscript and on the portrait page of Paolo da Firenze , it was long suggested that Paolo may have had some part in supervising the effort or have been part of the family that commissioned the manuscript. However, more recent evidence about the biography and in particular poor finances of Paolo has his connection to financing the manuscript unlikely. The manuscript

368-460: Was Cristoforo's naming of Francesco as an ancestor when he connected himself to an ancestor "Lando di Nato," taking on the family name of "Landini" that has influenced centuries of scholars to call the composer Francesco Landini or Landino . Details of Landini's life are sketchy and few facts can be established with certainty, but the general outline has begun to take shape as more research has been done, especially into Florentine records. Most of

391-469: Was almost exclusively secular. While there are records that he composed sacred music, none of it has survived. What have survived are eighty-nine ballate for two voices, forty-two ballate for three voices, and another nine which exist in both two and three-voice versions. In addition to the ballate, a smaller number of madrigals have survived. Landini is assumed to have written his own texts for many of his works. His output, preserved most completely in

414-553: Was an Italian composer , poet, organist , singer and instrument maker who was a central figure of the Trecento style in late Medieval music . Landini's name is recorded in many variants throughout medieval manuscripts and documents, including, Francesco degli Organi , Francesco il Cieco , Francesco da Firenze , Magister Franciscus de Florentia, Magister Franciscus Coecus Horghanista de Florentia, Francesco degli orghani and Cechus de Florentia. Modern scholars no longer accept

437-495: Was associated at Santa Trinità, as well as Andreas da Florentia , whom he knew in the 1370s. Around or shortly after 1375, Andreas hired him as a consultant to help build the organ at the Servite house in Florence . Among the surviving records are the receipts for the wine that the two consumed during the three days it had taken to tune the instrument. Landini also helped build the new organ at SS Annunziata in 1379, and in 1387 he

460-538: Was employed as organist at the Florentine monastery of Santa Trinità in 1361, and at the church of San Lorenzo from 1365 onward. He was heavily involved in the political and religious controversies of his day, according to Villani, but he seems to have remained in the good graces of the Florentine authorities. Landini knew many of the other Italian composers of the Trecento, including Lorenzo da Firenze , with whom he

483-474: Was involved in yet another organ-building project, this time at Florence Cathedral. He is buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. His tombstone, lost until the 19th century and now again displayed in the church, contains a depiction of him with a portative organ . Landini was the foremost exponent of the Italian Trecento style, sometimes also called the " Italian ars nova ". His output

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506-641: Was owned by renowned organist Antonio Squarcialupi in the middle of the 15th century, then by his nephew, and then passed into the estate of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici , who gave it to the Biblioteca Palatina in the early 16th century. At the end of the 18th century, it passed into the ownership of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana . The first folio in the codex states: "This book is owned by Antonio di Bartolomeo Squarcialupi , organist of Santa Maria del Fiore." On

529-409: Was related by Landini himself. His reputation for moving an audience with his music was so powerful that writers noted "the sweetness of his melodies was such that hearts burst from their bosoms." Landini is the eponym of the Landini cadence (or Landino sixth ), a cadential formula whereby the sixth degree of the scale (the submediant ) is inserted between the leading note and its resolution on

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