A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Gafori, Franchino

by George Grove

GAFORI, Franchino, or Franchinus Gafurius, born at Lodi Jan. 14, 1451, a priest and a writer on music. His first instructor was Goodendag, or, as he latinised his name, Bonadies. Circumstances led him to Mantua, Verona, Genoa, and in 1478, in company with the fugitive doge Adorno, to Naples. There he found Tinctor and two other great Belgian musicians, Gamier and Hycart; and there he remained for more than two years till driven back to Lodi by war and the plague. He passed a short time as maestro di capella at Monticello and Bergamo, and in 1484 became attached to the cathedral at Milan, where he died June 24, 1523, still in full vigour. His works are as follow:—'Theoricum opus armonice discipline' (Naples 1480); 'Practica musicæ' (Milan 1496); 'Angelicum et divinum opus musice' (Milan 1508, in Italian); 'De harmonica musicorum instrumentorum opus' (Milan 1518); 'Apologia ad versus Spatarium' (Turin 1520). Works with other titles are but editions or abridgments of the above. Though a man of much learning and research, and in some respects a pedant—witness the headings of his chapters and the terms he coined—Gafori was no mere archæologist. He addressed himself to the wants of his time, and in consequence enjoyed for long a wide and special authority. His great drawback was his overweening conceit, often displayed in the very titles of his books. Hawkins has devoted chapters 72, 73, 74, and 75, of his History to him, and has given copious extracts from the 'Practica musicæ,' his most important work, and the 'Apologia.'

[ G. ]

[App. p.643–4 "The following is a short list of the various editions of the valuable works of this writer:—

A. 'Theoricum opus musicae discipline.' Franciscus de Dino: Naples, 1480. 4to. 115 leaves.

Gerber and Becker quote another work, 'De Effectibus … Musicae,' as published in this year. The mistake arose from the title of the first chapter being taken as that of the whole work.

B. 'Theorica Musice.' Philippus Mantegatius: Milan, 1492. fol. 64 leaves.

The 2nd edition of A.

C. 'Practica Musice.' Guillermus Signerre: Milan, 1496. fol. 111 leaves.

Becker states that an Italian translation of this work was published by Gotardus de Ponte in 1500, but no copy is known. It is probably a mistake arising from a confusion with H, which is written in Italian.

D. 'Musice utriusque Cantus practical Angelus Britannicus: Brescia, 1497. fol. 111 leaves.

The 2nd edition of C.

E. 'Practica Musicæ utriusque Cantus.' Bernadinus Misinta de Papia: Brescia, 1502. fol. 111 leaves.

The 3rd edition of C.

F. 'Practica Musicæ utriusque Cantus.' Augustinus de Zannis de Portesio: Venice, 1512. fol. 82 leaves.

The 4th edition of C.

[G. 'Practica Musicæ,' etc. Venice, 1522. fol.]

Mentioned in Brunet's Manuel as the 5th edition of C, but otherwise unknown.

H. 'Angelicum ac divinum Opus Musice.' Gotardus de Ponte: Milan, 1508. fol. 48 leaves.

Brunet states that an edition of this appeared in 1500, but no copy was known to Fétis, nor has been discovered since, so Brunet's statement is probably a mistake.

I. 'De Harmonia Musicorum Instrumentorum.' Gotardus Pontanus: Milan, 1518, fol. 106 leaves.

Draudius, followed by Walther, Gerber, and Becker, mentions a work called 'Practica Musica' as published in 1518: but Fétis points out that this arises from a misdescription of I.

K. 'Apologia Franchini Gafuri ... adversus Joannem Spatarium.' A. de Vicomercato: Turin, 1520. 10 leaves.

Copies of all these editions (with the exception of G, the existence of which is doubtful) are to be found in the British Museum. Copies of B, C, F, H and I are in Anderson's College, Glasgow, and of C and I in the Royal College of Music.

[ W. B. S. ]