Making an Initial Impression: Lassus's First Book of Five-Part Madrigals

In 1555 Antonio Gardano's Venetian printing firm issued Orlande de Lassus's Primo Libro di Madrigali a cinque voci. The lack of the customary dedication, however, has led some scholars to wonder whether there was an earlier edition that is no longer extant, and to suggest that this collection, like all the other early Lassus madrigal books, was first printed in Rome. While appealing, this explanation fails to acknowledge that Lassus's Book I à 5 differs significantly from the other early books, not only in its known publication details, but also in terms of its textual and musical content, which appears to be self-consciously Venetian. Book I à 5 appears to be Lassus's conscious attempt to gather together madrigals that would help him gain recognition as a significant composer, capable of writing serious music. To this end, he might well want to emulate and imitate Venetian composers, which his collection does in a variety of ways. I offer a new interpretation of the existing evidence: Lassus himself began compiling this book sometime before his sudden departure from Italy in 1554, intending it to be printed by Gardano in Venice from the very start. That he hoped to draw the notice of his potential Venetian clientele can be seen in his borrowings from several madrigals by Willaert that would be published only in the older master's highly coveted Musica nova of 1559. Lassus's Book I à 5 reveals the work of an ambitious young composer trying to make a strong first impresson on the Italian musical community.