A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ricercare

by George Grove

RICERCARE or RICERCATA (from ricercare, 'to search out'), an Italian term of the 17th century, signifying a fugue of the closest and most learned description. Frescobaldi's Ricercari (1615), which are copied out in one of Dr. Burney's note-books (Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 11,588), are full of augmentations, diminutions, inversions, and other contrivances, in fact recherchés or full of research. J. S. Bach has affixed the name to the 6-part Fugue in his 'Musikalisches Opfer,' and the title of the whole contains the word in its initials—Regis Iussu Cantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Resoluta. But the term was also employed for a fantasia on some popular song, street-cry, or such similar theme. Mr. Cummings has a MS. book, dated 1580–1600, containing 22 ricercari by Cl. da Coreggio, Gianetto Palestina, A. Vuillaert, O. Lasso, Clemens non Papa, Cip. Rore, and others—fugues in 4 and 5 parts, on 'Ce moy de May,' 'Vestiva i colli,' 'La Rossignol,' 'Susan un jour,' and other apparently popular songs. This use of the word appears to have been earlier than the other, as pieces of the kind by Adriano (1520–67) are quoted.

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