Carlo Tessarini was one of several Italian violin virtuosos who made their
appearance in several places across Europe. He was an almost exact
contemporary of Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1695-1674) and there are quite a
few similarities between the two. Both worked in various places in Italy,
then went abroad and lived for several years in the Netherlands. Locatelli
died in Amsterdam, and that probably goes for Tessarini as well, although
there is no evidence of that. The last sign of his existence dates from 15
December 1766 when he gave a concert at the Collegium Musicum in Arnhem, a
town in the east of the Netherlands. Another similarity between the two
composers is that they were also active as music publishers. Tessarini
printed not only his own works but also those of other composers. To further
complete the picture, both Locatelli and Tessarini gave private concerts of
their own works, Locatelli in Amsterdam, Tessarini in London where he lived
and worked between 1747 and 1750.
The fact that a considerable number of collections of sonatas from
Tessarini's pen were printed by some of the main publishers of his
time - mostly without his permission or even knowledge - bears witness to
the popularity of his music. There is an interesting difference between
Tessarini's own editions and the pirate publications. The former are
less virtuosic than the latter. In particular the set of sonatas which the
Amsterdam publisher Witvogel printed as op. 3 are technically demanding.
They may have circulated in manuscript and it is quite possible that
Tessarini didn't want to publish them because they were too
complicated for the amateur market. The same could be the case with the
sonatas op. 16 which were printed in Paris by Louis-Hector Hüe around 1753.
By contrast, the sonatas op. 3 which Tessarini himself printed in 1740 in
Urbino - the town where he worked for several periods during his career -
are much better suited to amateurs.
There is also a shift in style. The sonatas op. 1 follow the pattern of
the Corellian
sonata da chiesa with its sequence of four movements.
The same is the case with the sonatas op. 2 which were first printed for
transverse flute and bc by Le Cène in Amsterdam, and then as pieces for
flute, oboe or violin by John Walsh in London. These are again in four
movements, but the role of counterpoint is reduced. In the other sonatas on
this disc Tessarini rather follows the model of the Vivaldian solo concerto,
with a sequence of three movements: fast - slow - fast. The sonatas in the
Wittvogel op. 3 and the op. 16 are probably a reflection of the
composer's own skills as a performer. One could conclude that he
liked the form of a theme with variations, because the
Sonata in G, op.
3 (Witvogel),12 and the
Sonata in B, op. 16,3 end with a
movement of this kind. The largo from the latter sonata is also notable as
it includes a long cadenza, probably written out by the composer.
Although Tessarini's music has appeared on disc before he is
anything but a household name. Considering the quality of his sonatas and
the fact that they reflect the developments in the style of composing of the
time this disc has to be warmly welcomed. Valerio Losito and Federico Del
Sordo deliver very fine performances which convincingly bring out the
characteristics and qualities of Tessarini's sonatas. The only regret
is that the playing time is so short. Recently a study of Tessarini's
life and works has been published which includes a catalogue of his oeuvre.
Let us hope that this will encourage performers to delve into his oeuvre. It
fully deserves exploration.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
