+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + THE SOURCES AND VARIANTS FOR THE + + OPUS 8 VIOLIN CONCERTOS + + + + - by - + + + + Antonio Vivaldi + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ========= VARIANTS: ========= The enclosed files encode a number of variants The variations arise due to (1) discrepancies between different manuscript sources, (2) obvious minor errors in the manuscript that are easily corrected, (3) omissions (such as missing accompaniment materials). Five basic sources are distinguished in the enclosed Humdrum files: the Amsterdam print (abbreviated "A"), the Dresden manuscripts ("D"), the Manchester partbooks ("M"), and the Turin autographs ("T"). In addition, the critical edition prepared by Dr. Eleanor Selfridge-Field is available (abbreviated "S"). This later edition is the one published in the companion score published by Dover Publications, 1996. General differences between these sources are discussed later in this document under the section entitled "Description of Sources." For any given movement, users can select any of the available sources for that movement. (Note that not all sources are available for each concerto.) Specific sources can be selected by invoking the "edition" command, followed by an option the specifies the single-letter abbreviation for the desired source. For example, to select the Turin source for the first movement of Opus 8, No. 2, type: edition -T op8n02a.krn This command will create a file "op8n02at.krn" (notice the trailing "t" in the filename -- designating the Turin source). Similarly, the command: edition -S op8n01b.krn will create a file "op8n01bs.krn" that contains the Selfridge-Field critical edition for second movement of Opus 8, No. 1. Options can be specified using either upper-case or lower-case characters, so -D is equivalent to -d, etc. ============== OBOE VARIANTS: ============== Two concertos (nos.9 and 12) were also arranged by Vivaldi for oboe. In the case of Concerto No. 12, the oboe part is identical to the violin part in all respects. Only the instrument name need be changed in order for the work to become Vivaldi's Oboe Concerto RV 449 rather than the violin concerto RV 178. In the case of Concerto No. 9, a few differences exist between the violin and oboe versions -- but only in the first movement. In order to create the oboe version of this file, simply type: edition -O op8n09a.krn This command will create a file "op8n09ao.krn" -- where the trailing "o" in the filename designates the oboe concerto. Note that the catalogue number for the oboe version is RV 454 rather than RV 236 for the violin version. ======== REPEATS: ======== Three of the middle (slow) movements in Opus 8 contain binary-form repeat signs. They are the Largo from Opus 8, No. 7 (op8n07b.krn), the Adagio from Opus 8, No. 10 (op8n10b.krn), and the Largo from Opus 8, No. 12 (op8n12b.krn). Each of these files encodes the respective movements without repeats; the repeats may be expanded, however, by using the Humdrum "thru" command. For example, the following command will expand the repeats for op8n12b.krn and place the results in a file called "expanded": thru op8n12b.krn > expanded ======================= OPUS 8 NO. 11, 3rd MOV. ======================= The sources for the third movement from Opus 8, No. 11 are especially complicated. There are three extant sources for this work: the Amsterdam print, and Turin autograph manuscripts Giordano 29 and Giordano 30. A number of alternative sections can be selected. The movement's passages may be graphically illustrated as follows: Opus 8, No. 11, 3rd mov. +---2a---+ +---4a---+ +----6a----END | | | | | ---1---+ +---3---+ +---5---+ -> -> -> +----6c----END | | | | | | +---2b---+ +---4b---+ +----6b----+ The upper-most path (1, 2a, 3, 4a, 5, 6a) represents the Amsterdam print. The Giordano 30 manuscript traces the path (1, 2b, 3, 4b, 5, 6c), whereas the Giordano 29 manuscript traces the path (1, 2b, 3, 4b, 5, 6b, 6c). The Humdrum file ("op8n11c.krn") permits all possible paths to be selected by the user. To select a particular rendition, use the Humdrum "thru" command with one of the following ten variations: COMMAND PATH thru -v Amsterdam op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2a,3,4a,5,6a] thru -v Turin1 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2b,3,4a,5,6a] thru -v Turin2 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2a,3,4b,5,6a] thru -v Turin3 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2a,3,4a,5,6c] thru -v Turin4 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2a,3,4a,5,6b,6c] thru -v Turin5 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2b,3,4b,5,6a] thru -v Turin6 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2b,3,4a,5,6c] thru -v Turin7 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2b,3,4a,5,6b,6c] thru -v Turin8 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2b,3,4b,5,6c] Giordano 30 thru -v Turin9 op8n11c.krn > newfile [1,2b,3,4b,5,6b,6c] Giordano 29 ======================= OPUS 8 NO. 4, 2nd MOV. ======================= The violoncello obbligato incorporated in this edition demonstrates one way to elaborate the skeleton provided by the continuo. It originates on an unnumbered page, facing p. 10, in the Basso continuo partbook of the Amsterdam print, suggesting that its publication was an afterthought. ============ OPUS 8 NO. 5 ============ This concerto is notated with two flats in the key signature in the Amsterdam print, Dresden manuscript, and Manchester partbooks. The first and second violines are doubled by oboes in the Dresden manuscript, reflecting the greater use of woodwinds in Dresden. Also in the Dresden source there are two *Organo* and two *Basso* parts for the accompaniment of the outer movements. Pisendel's bowings in the Dresden manuscript, which are generally longer than those in the Amsterdam print, are adopted throughout the Selfridge-Field edition. Pisendel's *Violino pinrcipale* also includes multiple stops on some strongly accented notes and other additional notes. The additional tones are indicated in the Dover print in cue-sized notes. In the Manchester partbooks, the *Violoncello* is marked "tacet" in all *soli*. More detailed descriptions of the sources are given later in this document. ====================== DESCRIPTION OF SOURCES ====================== The four chief sources for the concertos 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 later in this document. The variants are also documented in the companion printed edition published by Dover Publications. ========================== 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 Violoncell part of the slow movement of the "Winter" concerto, which is missing from many modern editions and recordings. It is incorporated in this edition. 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). The most valuable of these are the copies made by Johann Georg Pisendel, 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 slurs 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 this 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 (generally followed in this edition) in the use of slurs and ties. Many notes that are wrong or ambiguous in the print are appropriately corrected. 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" Vavaldi's harmony, where he has omitted a third or fifth; (4) changes of texture in the inner parts; and (5) transcriptions 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 methods 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 can be created by substituting the Important Variants for standing materials. Rhythmic detail is often more articulate in Vivaldi's manuscripts than in th eprint 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 virtuoso. Vivaldi's method of assisting other performers is rarely reflected in modern editions; some examples of this effort are indicated in the Table of Emendations. The accompanying data files form the electronic companion to the critical edition edited by Dr. Eleanor Selfridge-Field and published by Dover Publications, New York. For permission to consult its holdings, we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the Saechsische Landesbibliotek, Dresden, Germany; the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria, Turin, Italy; and the Henry Watson Music Library, Manchester, United Kingdom. A detailed description of the **kern representation format is given in the accompanying file "kern_hlp.txt". op8n07a.krn Amsterdam Dresden op8n09a.krn extract -f 1-5,7 (violin version: RV 236)--| same op8n09a.krn extract -f 1-4,6-7 (oboe version: RV 454)--| file op8n11a.krn Amsterdam, Turin1, Turin2, Turin3 Turin1 contains variants from the Giordano 30 MS (bars 100-112n) Turin2 contains variants from the Giordano 29 MS (bars 122-132) Turin3 contains variants from both the Giordano 29 and 30 MS (both of above) op8n11c.krn Amsterdam, Turin1, Turin2, Turin3, Turin4 Turin5, Turin6, Turin7, Turin8, Turin9 Amsterdam[1,2a,3,4a,5,6a] Turin1[1,2b,3,4a,5,6a] Turin2[1,2a,3,4b,5,6a] Turin3[1,2a,3,4a,5,6c] Turin4[1,2a,3,4a,5,6b,6c] Turin5[1,2b,3,4b,5,6a] Turin6[1,2b,3,4a,5,6c] Turin7[1,2b,3,4a,5,6b,6c] Turin8[1,2b,3,4b,5,6c] Giordano 30 Turin9[1,2b,3,4b,5,6b,6c] Giordano 29 Opus 8, No. 11, 3rd mov. +---2a---+ +---4a---+ +----6a----END | | | | | ---1---+ +---3---+ +---5---+ -> -> -> +----6c----END | | | | | | +---2b---+ +---4b---+ +----6b----+ op8n12b.krn (has AABB repeat sections) op8n07b.krn (has AABB repeat sections) op8n10b.krn (Adagio) (has AABB repeat sections) Note: For op8n08b.krn: In the Turin autograph, violino 1 duplicated violino 2 for the first seven measures (spine 4); later this was changed to "Unisoni" so that violino 1 duplicates violino principale throughout (spine 5). The Selfridge-Field edition is equivalent to the revised Turin autograph.