Deutsch
| Italiano
Concerto in D major D.42
Ed. © Enrica Bojan
From the
preface:
In drawing up
this critical edition of the Concerto in D major D. 42, some fundamental
factors limiting the critical and musical study of Tartini's work (which
to this day are not dealt with as a whole), had to be considered.
Excerpts (click to enlarge) |
First Movement |
Second Movement |
Third Movement |
The large quantity
of the material, and its dispersion in various foundations and
libraries, combined with the similarly large quantity of non-autograph
manuscripts written in later periods, makes the philological study
difficult and impede the creation of uniform criteria.
This work, makes
use of the most recent studies and modern methods of musicological
research. It provides the player with a critical text faithful to the
original both musically and historically, thus enabling a performance as
close as possible to the original practices and style of the composer.
This edition has
been realized by collating the two sources quoted in the Dounias
Catalogue: the autograph kept at Padua in the Music Archive of the
Basilica Antoniana, DVII 19023 and the manuscript from the Conservatory
Library in Paris, Gran Fond ms.11228/26, P. Folio. Other versions of the
score have not been used. Undoubtedly the work of copyists, these would
not have offered important elements vis-a-vis the original autograph,
which is here considered the main source.
The first source
is made up of a title page and of seven sheets in quarto with sixteen
staves each side. On the title page, a later hand has written the
heading "Concertos by Tartini, score no.99". This number has been
substituted by hand with 53, also printed further up the page. The
autograph is, as always with Tartini, neat and precise. Only on the
seventh sheet are there consistent corrections of the melodic line on
the first stave; eight bars have been substituted by four different
ones, written on the lower staves. Tartini, under these bars adds the
indication principal and indicates the other two parts with primo and
secondo. This correction is very clearly made, and does not allow for
any misunderstandings. The deleted eight bars are the same ones we
encounter further on, (b.180 onwards).
Observing the
thematic symmetry of this third movement, one supposes that Tartini was
about to forget one episode and, realizing what was happening corrected
it.
The instrumental
ensemble is not specified by Tartini which is a real problem with all of
his concertos. Numerous studies on this subject have shown, that the
number of players varied according to availability at the time, and the
occasion of the performance.
The Paris source,
is part of a volume containing a collection of concertos, and consists
of seven sheets with fourteen staves each. Placed at the top of the
first sheet is the simple title "Concerto by Mr. Giuseppe Tartini"
without further annotations. The clean, tidy handwriting - evidently a
copy - suggests that it is a later compilation. There are no signs of
major corrections or cuts. As in the original, the instrumental ensemble
is not specified, but the annotations Tutti, Solo and Soli are
consistent with the first source.
This critical
edition faithfully follows the original. The variations in the Paris
source are listed in the textual notes following this introduction. No
dynamic indications have been added, as these should be evident to the
careful performer. Accidentals have been rationalized, and the
eighteenth century practice of using a flat sign to naturalize a sharp,
has been replaced with a natural to conform with modern practice. To
present a modern graphical image, minor adjustments have tacitly been
made.
The embellishments
have been transcribed from the original, without suggestions for their
execution. The eighteenth century rules for routine execution of
embellishments and cadenzas on the crowned points, still constitute one
of the unsolved matters in the study of Tartini's style in spite of the
great violinist having compiled the Traité des agrémens for use in his
school.
The detailed
phrasing and articulation are retained; the performer might choose to
find equivocal interpretations. Considering the instrumental ensemble,
it should be remembered that the concertos were usually performed in the
Basilica del Santo during solemn ceremonies. Tartini probably would have
played the solo part (he had been "first violinist and concertmaster" in
Padua since 1721). Documentary evidence and the Traité des agrémens show
that he had at his disposal an excellent orchestra accustomed to perform
on such occasions. This meant that detailed musical annotations were not
required in the score.
The delicate and
still unsolved matter of Tartini's instrumental ensemble will not be
resolved here. However, on the basis of the original score, the passages
marked by Tartini with Tutti can be assigned as follows: the first stave
to the solo violin and the first violins in unison; the second stave
marked with Soli to a violin obbligato (or to a group of second
violins); the third written in alto clef to the viola (or to a group of
violas), and the final one, in bass clef, to the cello and basso
continuo. In the passages marked Solo and Soli, where there are three
staves, there must be first and second violins as well as the solo
violin, since all the parts are written in G clef. The contra-position
of groups of instruments which aims to create a stylistic dialogue of
sound intensities, recalls the structures of the concerti grossi by
Arcangelo Corelli. However, in contrast, Tartini entrusts a considerable
part to the solo violin; rich in agile steps and cantabile melodic
figures adorned by virtuoso sections; especially in the third movement.
These observations
do not apply to the second movement, written for three parts in G clef
marked Solo and Soli, and entrusted to the solo, first and second
violin. The second movement is similar to the style of Corelli's adagi
with the ever present cantabile higher voice independent of the other
two, which perform an harmonic accompaniment.
The part of the
basso continuo, which is known to have been present, is difficult as no
written part exists. There is no sign of it in the scores, and when
basso is mentioned, it refers to the part and not the instrument. In
fact, there is no trace of a figured bass. Studies tend to exclude the
use of the clavichord, but some elements external to the original score,
as well as other documents not strictly of musical nature, seem to
confirm the use of the organ, especially in view of the fact that the
concertos were written to be performed in the Basilica del Santo, a
religious environment where the organ was sovereign.11 However, there is
a consensus suggesting that basso continuo would accompany the passages
marked Tutti, whilst it would be silent during the passages marked Soli.
In this edition
therefore, the basso continuo is treated as complementary to the
cello-part, leaving its execution to the discretion of the performer.
One should be aware that Tartini, towards the last years of his life,
preferred the warm, linear sound of the cello solo, to the harmonic
overflowing of the keyboard instrument.
Translation
Annelisa Evans, Kate Holmes
|