Within the context of the compositions of Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643) the Liber secundus diversarum modulationum Singulis, Binis, Ternis, Quaternisque vocibus published in Rome in 1627 is of particular interest for several reasons.
Firstly, it came down to us through a single copy, published in part-books and lacking the Cantus secundus; secondly it represents a rare example of Frescobaldi’s vocal - and in particular sacred - music printed in a particularly fertileperiod of his activity as a composer.
This edition is the 26th volume in the series Monumenti Musicali Italiani published by Suvini Zerboni in collaboration with the Società Italiana di Musicologia. It is edited by Marco Della Sciucca andMarina Toffetti who first outline the context in which the motets were created and then describe in detail their stylistic characteristics. The editors then illustrate all the difficulties in the apparatus criticus, explaining the criteria adoptedfor the transcription and edition as well as those used for the reconstruction of the missing part.
The volume therefore, for the first time, makes available for study and performance also compositions that have survived incomplete and in doingso offers a significant contribution to the rediscovery and furtherance of works till now unduly neglected.