Work
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Fantasia a4 in GKey: G
Genre: Dance or Instrumental
Pr. Instrument: Early Music Ensemble
The Fantasia a 4 in G by the English renaissance composer William Byrd (1543-1623) is a four-part, textless polyphonic composition. A consort of four unspecified instruments such as viols or recorders commonly performed this work.
As a composition, it owes much to Byrd's motet style. It was, in fact adapted to the text In manus tuas and published as a motet in Byrd's Gradualia of 1605. Despite changing many minor details of the composition (some required by the text underlay, some not), Byrd leaves the larger structures unaltered in the motet version of this work.
The work is divided into two sections and a coda. The first section begins with imitation between the parts with motet-like phrases. In the following section, Byrd utilizes three simultaneously themes that constantly change position. Byrd indulges in some stretto and augmentation of these themes, before moving to the coda, based on the same themes.
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