The Musical Bequest of Antonio Tarsia

Abstract

The musical bequest of Antonio Tarsia is currently held in the archives of the Koper diocese. It comprises signature-bearing manuscripts of 6 mass movements, 10 psalms, 1 cantigue, 1 sequence, and 4 non-lithurgical compositions. Added here should be works that have found themselves in involuntary private ownership: an interesting dramatic dialogue, a mass credo, 3 festive motets, and a collection of motets of unknown extent. Despite the musical notation used at that time the clearly written manuscripts still betray certain traces of mensural ways of thinking, while the musical volumes point to the performing abilities of the Koper musicians of the time. With Tarsia the creative stimulants obviously stem from the usefulness of the music written. From this bequest it is possible to follow up in an approximate way the 60-year period of Tarsia's creativeness. In the first preserved work, from the year 1660, there is emphasis on the characteristics of early baroque monodic writing. Later on the composer expanded and developed the sections in the treble measure to a rounded-up bel canto cantilena, and the recitative parts were replaced by formally related concert sections and by a cantata-like, almost numerically designed conception of compositions. Here the greatest development is to be noticed clearly in the bass part, which was in the following works to reach already the greater, prolonged effect.