The Consort
Penny Cave
Summer 2024
Tomaso Albinoni
Two newly identified violin sonatas
ed MICHAEL TALBOT
Edition HH 547
ISMN 979-0708185628
ISBN 978-1914137181
www.editionhh.co.uk
It is always exciting to find ‘new’ repertoire: in this case for violin and basso continuo. The two sonatas, offered here by Michael Talbot, were neither lost nor dramatically discovered in an ancient Venetian palazzo; the manuscripts of a number of works by Albinoni (1671-1751) have been safely residing in the digitised Este Collection at the Austrian National Library. However, it is the diligent work and sharp eye of an expert, such as the distinguished scholar, Michael Talbot, who is most likely to recognise the compositions of a composer whose life and works he had published with OUP in 1990.
Edition HH presents the two sonatas in the pleasing house-style which marks them out, with a fine cover painting, Chardin’s Youth with violin, and an excellent introduction in which Talbot gives reasons for his attributions plus details of his editorial method, textual notes, and hints for performance. Separate parts are included for the violin, and the bass instrument.
The first, shorter sonata, now identified as So 46, is entitled a solo per camera in G minor, comprising a slow opening movement, followed by an airy Balletto with plenty of leaps, a Corrente of quavers that run in a zig-zag style across various broken chords, throughout, and what is clearly a giga to finish. Talbot comments that the second work, Sonatta [sic] a Violino Solo, which is also in four movements, blends church and chamber sonata in a similar structure to that of Albinoni’s Twelve Opus 6 sonatas (published in 1712). He suggests that this composition preceded the others by a couple of years and is, thus, possibly the earliest of Albinoni’s violin sonatas. It comprises an Adagio, an Allegro with plenty of semi-quaver figuration, a second Adagio, described by Talbot as ‘powerful’, and a second Allegro which is a more substantial giga than that of So 46, and although mostly consisting of groups of three quavers, the cascade of semiquavers at the final cadence offers a flourish at the end.
The accompanying keyboard part is serviceable and not too obtrusive. I find it preferable to vary the texture as consistent four-part harmony can get heavy; the example of a semiquaver upbeat, (such as the one opening the Balletto), if played at all in the right hand would be preferable as a single note rather than a three-note chord, I think. Nevertheless, it is no hardship to tweak the helpful and clear harmonic structure, provided.
I would recommend these two sonatas, as rewarding works to play, well worth a place in the violinist’s repertoire.
We are grateful to the The Consort for permission to reproduce this review.
Violin sonatas
Fyll score and parts