+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + SOURCES FOR + + + + The 12 Violin Concertos Opus 8 + + + + - by - + + + + Antonio Vivaldi + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + The four chief sources for the concertos of Op. 8 are the print made in Amsterdam in 1725 by Michel-Charles Le Cene and three incomplete sets of manuscripts found in Dresden (Germany), Turin (Italy) and Manchester (England). A specific listing of the contents of these sources is given at the end of this document. ========================== The Amsterdam Print (1725) ========================== Like many Dutch prints of Italian music, the published versions of these works contain many small defects, such as inconsistencies in the rendering of parts that are musically parallel. Truly incorrect pitches are found at a relatively low level, although haphazardly marked accidentals are numerous. Rhythmic errors are few. The instrumental parts are identified as "Violino principale," "Violino primo," "Violino secondo," "Alto viola," and "Organo e Violoncello." These designations are retained in three Parisian reprints -- of c.1739, 1743, and 1748 -- all by Charles-Nicolas Le Clerc, a violinist turned publisher. The more daunting questions that arise from these prints are those of authority. Because Op.8 carries a dedication written by Vivaldi, we can be sure that this publication was sanctioned by the composer. It seems unlikely that he saw proof copy, however. "The Four Seasons" had a substantial performance history prior to publication and thus the copies offered for print, even if inadequately proofread, are highly polished musically. One exception, however, is the elusive obbligato Violoncello part of the slow movement of the "Winter" concerto, which is missing from many modern editions and recordings. It is incorporated in the Selfridge- Field critical edition version of this database. Discrepancies between parts are widespread, especially in the dynamics and placement of text elements in "The Four Seasons." Many of the remaining works that make up Op. 8 seem not to have had the benefit of frequent performance. While some works -- especially No. 5 ("The Tempest") and No. 10 ("The Hunt") -- give, like "The Four Seasons," evidence of currency in the repertory of the time, other numbers may not have been performed prior to publication. In the case of No. 9, for example, the performed version may have been that for oboe (preserved in manuscript) rather than that for violin, an adaptation intended to appeal to a broader market. Abrupt transitions are occasionally found in some of the other concertos of this collection and many contain unison ritornellos that amount to little more than sketches in Vivaldi's autographs. In the case of No. 11, manuscript sources suggest either that Vivaldi never settled on a final version of the work or that he adapted the solo episodes to suit a series of different violinists. The work printed by Le Cene may represent a preliminary selection of draft material. ======================= The Dresden Manuscripts ======================= The manuscript materials preserved in Dresden include scores and parts (not necessarily for the same works). k The most valuable of these are the copies made by Johann Georg Pisdendel, a famous violinist of Vivaldi's time, who visited Venice in 1716. Pisendel became an important exponent of Vivaldi's music at the Saxon court in Dresden, where he led the orchestra from 1730 to 1755. He was especially noted for his execution of expressive slow movements. In the case of Op. 8, the greatest differences from the Amsterdam print concern the treatment of the Violino principale and Basso continuo parts. In the Violino principale the slures are often longer and differently articulated from those of the print. Since the Pisendel manuscripts are earlier than or contemporary with the print, we must regard them as more authoritative in these matters. The Basso continuo tends to be more fully articulated rhythmically and more clearly differentiated from the Violoncello than in the Amsterdam print. Although these differences may have been influenced by Saxon practice, bowings and many virtuoso details have been adopted in the Selfridge-Field critical edition. Continuo figuration is far more extensive in these manuscripts, and often more accurate, than in the Amsterdam print. Fermatas on final notes, which appear only haphazardly in the print, are ubiquitous in these and the other manuscript sets. ======================== The Manchester Partbooks ======================== These partbooks were probably copied in Rome around the time of Vivaldi's death. They show many evidences of use and are valuable for their consistency in the use of slurs and ties. Many notes that are wrong or ambiguous in the Amsterdam print are appropriately corrected in the Selfridge-Field edition according to the Manchester partbooks. Continuo figuration is fuller and more accurately placed than in the Amsterdam print. The sonnet texts for "The Four Seasons" are not given in these parts, but the letters that link them with the musical structure are retained. The placement of labels varies between parts. The Viola part is labelled "Violetta." Since these manuscripts apparently accommodated Roman performance practice, their prescriptions -- for example, in the variable instrumentation of the Basso continuo -- do not necessarily represent Vivaldi's thinking. Some of the more interpretive changes have not been accepted. Among the elements generally rejected are (1) trills or staccatos substituted for detached legato and martellato markings, and other changes to Vivaldi's articulation; (2) harmonies changed from minor to major; (3) cadential tones altered to "complete" Vivaldi'ss harmony, where he has omitted a third or a fifth; (4) changes of texture in the inner parts; and (5) transpositions of an octave in the Basso continuo. ========================== The Turin Autograph Scores ========================== Vivaldi's autograph scores in Turin, which constitute the largest surviving corpus of his music, are extremely valuable. They provide insight into both Vivaldi's moethods of composition and his technical solutions to performance problems. In these sources the variability of Vivaldi's own thought on musical construction can be clearly seen. It is apparent that he often fashioned his solos and harmonic schemes first and then left the realization of ritornellos to copyists. For this reason, the sources do not always agree on the presence or absence of the ripieno string parts in interior passages. vivaldi sometimes substituted new solo episodes (Nos. 7 and 11). For the printed version of Nos. 9 and 12, the principal instrument was changed from oboe to violin. Alternative readings of Nos. 7, 9 and 11 are possible. Rhythmic detail is often more articulate in Vivaldi's manuscripts than in the print or other copies. The rhythmic detail of the opening motive of No. 10 "The Hunt," offers a striking example. In solo episodes some of the Turin manuscripts include position numbers for certain notes and a wealth of other subtlety in the management of what was, for its day, a dauntingly difficult repertory for the virtusos. Vivaldi's method of assisting other performers is rarely reflected in modern editions; some of his efforts are evident in the Turin sources.