Romanesca
Romanesca was a melodic-harmonic formula popular from the mid 16th to early 17th centuries, used as an aria formula for singing poetry and as a subject for instrumental variation. It was most popular with Italian composers of the early Baroque period. It was also used by vihuelistas including Luis de Narváez, Alonso Mudarra, Enríquez de Valderrábano, and Diego Pisador.
Originating in Spain as O guárdame las vacas, a romanesca is composed of a sequence of four chords with a simple, repeating bass, which provide the groundwork for variations and improvisation. A famous example is the refrain of "Greensleeves" . The romanesca is usually in triple meter and its soprano formula resembles that of the passamezzo antico but a third higher.
The harmonic bass pattern of the romanesca is:
Romanesca is also the name of two early music ensembles: one, La Romanesca, founded in 1978 in Australia by John Griffiths; and the other, Romanesca, founded in 1988 in England by Nigel North. Both specialize in the performance of early plucked string instruments.
