Academic literature on the topic 'Sonatas (Double bass and continuo)'

The present article is devoted to the general characteristics of the historical process of the formation of the sonata for the trombone (or with the participation of the trombone) in the European music of the Renaissance – Early Classicism era. A particular attention in the research has been paid to the study of the national stylistic, which was the main driving force in the evolution of the trombone at the level of the chamber instrumental and concert genres. It has been noted that since the time of A. Willaert and A. and J. Gabrieli brothers, the trombone and trombone consorts have been the permanent components of the concerts da chiesa, and later – da camera. Due to its construction and melodic-declamatory nature of the sounding, the trombone was in good agreement with both the voices of the choir and other instruments. Gradually, along with collective (concert) varieties of trombone sonatas, solo sonatas with bass began to appear, and they reflected the practice of the Baroque-era concert style. The article reviews a number of trombone sonatas of the Italian, Czech, Austro-German schools, which later became the model for composers of the Newest Time, who fully revealed the possibilities of the trombone semantics and techniques in the sonata genre. The article has noted that the formation of the instrumental sonata in Europe was associated with the practice of concerts in the church, which was for a long time practically the only place where academic music could be performed. The term “sonata” was understood then as the music intended for the instrumental performance, which, however, was closely connected with the vocal one. Therefore, the first samples of sonatas with the participation of the trombone were mixed vocal-instrumental compositions created by the representatives of the Venetian school of the second half of the 16th century – A. Willaert and A. and J. Gabrieli brothers. It has been noted that the key and largely “landmark” composition opening the chronicle of a concert sonata with the participation of trombones was the sonata called “Piano e forte” (1597), where the functions of trombone voices are already beginning to the counterpoint independence, rather than to duplicating the vocal ones. G. Gabrieli is the creator of one of the most large-scale, this time exclusively trombone compositions – “Canzon Quarti Toni” for 12 trombones, cornet and violin – one of the first trombone ensembles based on the genre of canzone as the progenitor of all the baroque instrumental-concert forms. It has been emphasized that among Italian masters of the subsequent period (the early Baroque), the trombone received a great attention from C. Monteverdi, who in his concert opuses used it as the substitute for viola da brazzo (three pieces from the collection called “Vespro della Beata Vergine”). It is noted that in the era of the instrumental versioning, when compositions were performed by virtually any instrumental compound, the trombone was already distinguished as an obligate instrument capable of competing with the cello. Sonata in D minor Op. 5 No. 8 by A. Corelli is considered a model of such a “double” purpose. It has been proved that the Italian schools of the 16th – 17th centuries, which played the leading role in the development of the sonata and concert instrumentalism, mainly the stringed and brass one and the brass one as well, were complemented by the German and Austrian ones. Among the masters of the latter one can distinguish the figure of G. Schütz, who created “Fili mi, Absalon” for the trombone quartet and basso-continuo, where trombones are interpreted as instruments of cantilena sounding, which for a long time determines their use in opera and symphonic music, not to mention the sonata genre (introductions and slow parts). Along with the chamber sonata, which was written in the Italian style, German and Austrian masters of the 17th century turn to “tower music” (Tower music), creating their own opuses with almost obligatory participation of one or several trombones. Among such compositions there are the collection by G. Reich called “Quatricinua” of 24 tower sonatas (1696) for the cornet and three trombones, where, modelled on A. Corelli’s string-and-bow sonatas, the plays of a homophonic and polyphonic content are combined. The article notes that the creation of a solo sonata with bass for the trombone was historically associated with the Czech composing school of the second half of the 17th century. The first sample of such composition is the Sonata for the trombone and the thorough-bass (1669), written by a certain monk from the monastery of St. Thomas in Bohemia, where the instrument is shown in a wide range of its expressive possibilities. A significant contribution to the development of a trombone sonata was made by the Czech composer of the late 17th century P. Y. Veyvanovsky, who created a number of sonatas, which, despite the typical for that time performing versioning (trombone or viola da brazzo), were a milestone in the development of the genre in question. The traditions of the trombone sonata-quality genre in its three main expressions – da chiesa, da camera, “tower music” – have been preserved for a certain time in the era of Classicism. This is evidenced, for example, by F. Schneider’s 12 “Tower sonatas” for 2 pipes and 3 trombones (1803–1804). In general, in the classic-romantic era in the evolution of the trombone sonata genre there is a “pause”, which refers to both its collective and solo varieties. The true flourishing of the trombone sonata appeared only in the Newest time (from the end of the 19th century), when the instrumental music of a concert-chamber type declared itself not only as the one demanded by the public, but also as the leading, “title” field of creativity of a number of the leading composers. Among the instruments involved in the framework of the “new chamber-ness” (B. Asafiev) was also the trombone, one of the recognized “soloists” and “ensemblers” of the music from the past eras. The conclusions of the article note that the path travelled by the sonata for the trombone (or with the participation of the trombone) shows, on the one hand, the movement of the instrument to the solo quality and autonomy within the framework of “little-ensemble” chamber-ness (the sonata duet or the solo sonata without any accompaniment), on the other hand, the sustainable preservation of the ensemble origins of this genre (the trombone ensemble, sometimes in combination with other representatives of the brass group).

Statement of the problem. The violin style of A. Corelli, a composer-violinist who laid the foundation for the development of the violin art in Europe, represents a special “image of the instrument” that entered the professional-academic arena during the Baroque era. The research of A. Corelli’s violin style belongs to the field of organology, which is dedicated to the integrated study of instruments as the “organs” of musicians’ thinking. The close relationship, connection of the individual who is playing music with his/her instrument is not only one of the little developed theoretical problems, but also the basis of the practice for performing music, as well as learning this art. Analysis of recent publications on the topic. The available sources on the creative work of A. Corelli (written by K. Kuznetsov, I. Yampolsky, L. Ginzburg, N. Harnoncourt) contain either general information or individual observations on the image of the violin in the Baroque era. It is necessary to point out the significance of the general theory of the violin style (E. Nazaikinsky, V. Medushevsky, V. Kholopova, Y. Bentya) for the development of scientific ideas about the "image of the violin". The purpose of the article is to identify the special features of the “image” of the violin in the style of A. Corelli on the material of Concerti grossi op.6. The presentation of the main material. At the time of the creation of Concerts op.6 by A. Corelli, in Italy there was a violin school, which was distinguished by an exceptional variety of playing techniques. It was here that the historical process of replacing the viol with the violin was finally completed. The violin becomes the leading instrument in the instrumental genres of the 17th century music – suite, trio-sonata, solo sonata, and by the end of the century – concerto grosso. The path of movement to A. Corelli’s universal, generalized-reduced violin style ran along the line “ensemble feature – concert feature – solo feature”. The creation of the academic style of the violin playing logic is the merit of the Bologna school. The main thrust of the violin style of Bologna masters (Torelli, Antonia, Bassani, Vitali, and later Corelli and Vivaldi) is the combination of “church” and “chamber” models of the violin playing. For instrumental sound in an ensemble or orchestra, a “canon” and certain limitations in the technique of the playing are necessary, allowing establishing the balance of the parts of instruments and instrumental groups. The “invention” (inventio) in the violin playing, characteristic of the Italian school of the first half of the 17th century, was aimed at identifying the whole complex of the possible techniques of playing this instrument. The violin plating logic in Concertі grossi by A. Corelli is subordinated to the combination of two artistic and aesthetic tasks arising from two styles of concert making – the “church” one and the “chamber” one. Hence the choice of the appropriate techniques for playing. The “church” style, despite its democratization inherent in the Italian violin school, acquired the functions of a public concert for a mass audience and was distinguished by greater severity and regulation of the complex of the violin playing techniques. This stemmed from the genre style (“concert in the church”), where polyphonic presentation prevailed in the fast parts, the “tempo” names of the parts were used, and the organ in the numbered bass part was used. The “chamber” style opened up wider possibilities for the violin and the creation of an expressive technical complex associated with the genre (“dance” parts), replacing the organ in basso continuo with the harpsichord (cembalo), other stringed and plucked instruments (lute, theorbo), low string-and-bow instruments (gamba, cello, double bass), which gave a mono-articulate character to the general sounding. Playing shades of "lively speech" on the violin is a characteristic feature of A. Corelli’s violin style, reflected in the instrumental-playing complex through phrasing, attention to details and to micro-intonation. Conclusions. In describing the historical and artistic situation, in the context of which the style of the “great citizen of Bologna” was formed, its innovations have been outlined. The signs of the turning epoch have been indicated – they are the transition from the Renaissance polyphony and the “church” style to the secular homophony, with the instruments of the violin family singled out as the main ones. The particular attention has been paid to the principles of the violin intonation in the form of a speech playing (sprechendes Spiel) and dance motor skills, which together formed the semantics of A. Corelli’s violin style in the genres of concerto grosso, trio sonatas, solo sonata with bass. The main features of A. Corelli’s violin style, which became determinant for compositional decisions in the field of thematic, texture, and harmony, have been revealed.

ABSTRACTThe analysis of a forgotten source sheds light on the early history of the cello in seventeenth-century Naples. The manuscript MS 2-D-13, held in the library of the Montecassino Abbey, dates from around 1699 and contains two unknown cello sonatas by Giovanni Bononcini, together with passacaglias, sonatas for two ‘violas’ and elaborations over antiphons by Gaetano Francone and Rocco Greco, two prominent string performers and teachers in Naples. A study of this remarkable source helps to clarify the nomenclature of the bass violins in use in the city and offers new evidence on the practice of continuo realization at the cello, as well as on the connections with partimento practice. This collection is thus of critical importance for a discussion of the technical achievements and developments of the cello repertory in Naples before the emergence of the celebrated generation of Neapolitan cello virtuosi in the early years of the eighteenth century.

In the past decade the eighteenth-century London music publisher John Walsh has been subject to a new evaluation with regard to his pirated editions and deliberate misattributions, especially of the music of George Frideric Handel. That Walsh's attributions were anything but trustworthy had already been recognized in the eighteenth century: a surviving copy (London, British Library, BM g.74.d) of his first edition of the Sonates pour un traversiere un violon ou hautbois con basso continuo composées par G. F. Handel (c.1730), which, as Donald Burrows and Terence Best have shown, was provided with a title-page designed to simulate that of Jeanne Roger, bears the manuscript inscription ‘NB This is not Mr. Handel's’ in an eighteenth-century hand at the beginning of the tenth and twelfth sonatas, precisely those that Walsh removed in his second edition of this collection (c. 1731–2), advertised on the title-page as being ‘more Corect [sic] than the former Edition’. In the second edition Walsh substituted two equally questionable works in their place, each of which bears the handwritten inscription ‘Not Mr. Handel's Solo’ in a copy in the British Library (BM g.74.h). Two of the sonatas attributed to Handel in Walsh's Six Solos, Four for a German Flute and a Bass and Two for a Violin with a Thorough Bass … Composed by Mr Handel, Sigr Geminiani, Sigr Somis, Sigr Brivio (1730; in A minor and B minor) are also possibly spurious, while three of the four movements of the remaining sonata attributed to Handel in this collection (in E minor) are movements arranged from his other instrumental works. And in 1734 Johann Joachim Quantz, to whom Walsh devoted four volumes of solo sonatas (1730–44), complained of the publication of spurious and corrupted works:There has been printed in London and in Amsterdam under the name of the [present] author, but without his knowledge, 12 sonatas for the transverse flute and bass divided into two books. I am obliged to advertise to the public that only the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth [sonatas] from the first book, and the first three from the second book, are his [Quantz's] compositions; and that he furthermore wrote them years ago, and besides they have, due to the negligence of the copyist or the printer, gross errors including the omission of entire bars, and that he does not sanction the printing of a collection that has no relationship with the present publication that he sets before the public.

Background. The article deals with the interaction of the constructive evolution of the instrument and the development of bassoon performing of the 16–17 centuries. The aesthetics of that time was associated with the search for new expressive means, realization of which could be ensured by new instruments with rich and expressive sound. One of such instruments is bassoon; it was during the Baroque era when the bassoon took its shape and the sound image we know today. Thanks to technical evolution, the instrument acquired new artistic capabilities and new sound quality. A new repertoire was formed; bassoon became the part of such instrumental genres as sonata and concerto, it was firmly fixed in the score of the symphony orchestra. In music science, there are a number of studies devoted to wind instruments, the most significant of which are researches by G. Abadzhyan, V. Apatskiy L. Belenov, V. Berezin, V. Bohdanov, N. Volkov, V. Gromchenko, Yu. Dolzhikov, V. Kachmarchyk, V. Lebedev, V. Popov, I. Pushechnikov, Yu. Usov, and A. Kiziliayev. There are works, which focus on the bassoon, its history, expressive and technical capabilities (G. Abadzhyan, V. Apatskiy, V. Bubnovich, N. Karaulovsky, S. Levin, V. Leonov, V. Popov, V. Starko, Anthony Baines). It is worth noting the rather important and comprehensive work by V. Apatskiy “Bassoon from A to Z”. There are numerous scientific publications of international woodwind performers associations, such as the International Double Reed Society, the Australian double reed community, the British double reed community, the Japan bassoon society, the Finnish double reed community. The purpose of the article is to reveal the specifics of the relationship between the structural improvements of the bassoon and the performance on the bassoon in the period of 16–17 centuries. Achieving this goal will help to perform tasks such as a historical overview of the development of the bassoon in the Baroque era and identify the relationship between constructive changes, artistic possibilities, repertoire potential (including the genre palette of the instrument) and composer work for the bassoon of this period. The presented article is a material used in the candidate’s dissertation, which is devoted to a wide range of issues of performance on the bassoon from the origins to the present. Methodology. The main research methods are historical, organological and performing. The historical method is associated with the characterization of the historical conditions of origin and development of the bassoon; the organological method is necessary to establish the connection between the constructive changes of the instrument with the new quality of its sound; the performing method helps to reveal new tendencies in bassoon performance of the 16–17 centuries from the new repertoire to the functional purpose of the instrument. Research results. Around the middle of the 17th century, fundamental changes occurred in the construction of the bassoon. They were caused by the need to regulate the overall tuning system of the instrument in such a way that it could participate in joint music-making with other instruments, as well as by the desire to make the instrument more portable. At the turn of the 16–17 centuries, in the process of bassoon chromatization as the result of complication of composer creativity, fundamental changes were made in the design of the instrument: new “chromatic” holes and valves, as well as fork fingering appeared. It was all connected with the formation of certain musical and aesthetic needs and developed along with them. So, the evolution of the bassoon 16–17 centuries led to such qualitative changes in the sound of the instrument as: softness of the tone, pitch control, expansion of the working range, great power of sound, ease of playing the instrument. The above-mentioned factors entailed fundamental changes in the composers’ attitude towards the instrument. The bassoon enters a more complex functional level in the works of various music genres (interlude to the comedy “La Pellegrina” by Girolamo Bargalia, “Sacrae symphoniae” by Giovanni Gabrieli, “Messa a 4 voci et Salmi” by C. Monteverdi, “Fantasy for basso continuo” by Bartolome deSelma-i-Salaverde, sonata “Lamonica” by PhilipFriedrich Bodekher, nine sonatas for solo bassoon and basso continuo by Giovanni Antonio Bertoli, sonata for two bassoons by Philipp Friedrich Buchner, opera “Il pomo d’oro” by Antonio Cesti, singspiel “Seelewig” by Sigmund Theophil Staden). The role of Antonio Vivaldi in the formation of the concerto, including concerto for bassoon, is difficult to overestimate, and thirty-nine Vivaldi’s concertos for bassoon are evidence of that. The creative work of Antonio Vivaldi affected Johann Sebastian Bach, who wrote bassoon parts in his works of different genres. George Philippe Telemann, Bach’s contemporary, is known for a large number of pieces with bassoon parts. Conclusions. Constructive changes resulted in the arrival of the bassoon to a new timbre, figurative-intonational, genre, and performance level. Meanwhile, there is a linear rather than reciprocal relationship between the above-mentioned levels. On the one hand, there is a direct dependence in the evolution of bassoon performance: new constructive features – technical capabilities of the instrument – more individual timbre character – new expressive possibilities – solo parts – solo pieces. On the other hand, all this creates new requirements both for the performer and for the instrument, which brings the situation back to the need for further search. The results of this research can be used in further studies devoted to the history and theory of bassoon performance in the historical, organological and genre-stylistic directions.

Entre 1750 et 1800, l’émergence et l’adoption de nouveaux genres musicaux et modèles stylistiques, bouleversent la pratique de l’accompagnement au clavier en France. La basse chiffrée se raréfie dans les œuvres gravées et cède progressivement le pas à des parties de clavier entièrement écrites dans la musique vocale. La première partie de cette thèse définit la place de l’accompagnateur et l’évolution de la notation. La seconde est consacrée à l’enseignement dispensé par les méthodes et traités, et établit des passerelles avec les écoles étrangères et le siècle suivant. Enfin, la troisième partie reconsidère la question de l’accompagnement dans les sonates pour clavier et violon. La confrontation des écrits théoriques et des partitions trouve une application directe dans la pratique de la basse continue et de l’accompagnement au clavier, et permet de proposer des modèles de réalisation conformes aux caractéristiques observées dans les œuvres de cette période
Between 1750 and 1800, the emergence and adoption of new musical genres and stylistic models radically change the accompaniment practice on keyboard instruments in France. Figured bass becomes scarce and is gradually replaced by written-out keyboard parts in vocal music. The first part of this thesis defines the role of the accompanist and the evolution of the notation. The second part is devoted to the instructions given in methods and treatises and establishes links with foreign schools and the following century. Finally, the third part reconsiders the question of the accompaniment in the sonatas for keyboard and violin. The comparison between theoretical writings and scores finds a direct application in the continuo and keyboard accompaniment practice, and leads to the proposition of realisation models in accordance with the characteristics observed in the musical works of that period

Sonata no. 1 : Gamba / Johann Sebastian Bach -- Four pieces. Andante, op. 1 ; Valse miniature : op. 1, no. 2 ; Chanson triste : op. 2 ; Humoresque : op. 4 / Serge Koussevitzky -- Monk's mood / Thelonious Monk ; arr. Buell Neidlinger -- Sonata for double bass and piano (1996) / David Anderson.
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This chapter examines Beyer's instrumental chamber works and pieces for symphony orchestra or large ensemble. Beyer's two suites for solo clarinet, composed in 1932, are landmark works of dissonant counterpoint and modernist formalism. These clarinet suites are compositionally intricate and virtuosic in their demands. These are important in their theoretical implications, and they started Beyer down a path of writing a number of pieces for woodwinds. Meanwhile, Beyer composed only two duos for strings and piano: Movement for Double Bass and Piano (1936) and Suite for Violin and Piano (January 1937). She also composed four works for string quartet: String Quartet (1933–34), String Quartet No. 2 (July 1936), Movement for String Quartet (also called Dance for Strings, 1938), and String Quartet IV (undated).

Symphonies Reframed recreates symphonies as chamber music. The project aims to capture the features that are unique for chamber music, at the juncture between the “soloistic small” and the “orchestral large”. A new ensemble model, the “triharmonic ensemble” with 7-9 musicians, has been created to serve this purpose. By choosing this size range, we are looking to facilitate group interplay without the need of a conductor. We also want to facilitate a richness of sound colours by involving piano, strings and winds. The exact combination of instruments is chosen in accordance with the features of the original score. The ensemble setup may take two forms: nonet with piano, wind quartet and string quartet (with double bass) or septet with piano, wind trio and string trio. As a group, these instruments have a rich tonal range with continuous and partly overlapping registers. This paper will illuminate three core questions: What artistic features emerge when changing from large orchestral structures to mid-sized chamber groups? How do the performers reflect on their musical roles in the chamber ensemble? What educational value might the reframing unfold? Since its inception in 2014, the project has evolved to include works with vocal, choral and soloistic parts, as well as sonata literature. Ensembles of students and professors have rehearsed, interpreted and performed our transcriptions of works by Brahms, Schumann and Mozart. We have also carried out interviews and critical discussions with the students, on their experiences of the concrete projects and on their reflections on own learning processes in general. Chamber ensembles and orchestras are exponents of different original repertoire. The difference in artistic output thus hinges upon both ensemble structure and the composition at hand. Symphonies Reframed seeks to enable an assessment of the qualities that are specific to the performing corpus and not beholden to any particular piece of music. Our transcriptions have enabled comparisons and reflections, using original compositions as a reference point. Some of our ensemble musicians have had first-hand experience with performing the original works as well. Others have encountered the works for the first time through our productions. This has enabled a multi-angled approach to the three central themes of our research. This text is produced in 2018.