Alessandro Scarlatti was one of the leading composers in Italy in the
decades around 1700. His reputation was founded on his operas, serenatas,
oratorios, liturgical works and especially his chamber cantatas. It is
notable that he almost exclusively confined himself to vocal music and
composed hardly any instrumental works. Why did he turn to the genre of the
concerto at a relatively old age? He was 50 when he started the composition
of these
Sinfonie di concerto grosso in 1715.
That title is not quite correct. It is only the first concerto which uses
the words
concerto grosso, whereas the second is called
Sinfonia Concertata Con li ripieni. The other concertos have no
titles at all. Eight of them are in fact solo concertos for recorder. Only
the remaining four can be considered concerti grossi as they include two
solo parts, for recorder and either a second recorder (Nos. 1 and 5), an
oboe (No. 4) or a trumpet (No. 2). Every concerto in the set has a separate
cello part which is distinct from the basso continuo part.
The separate parts are collected under the title
12 Sinfonias and
Concertos. That could give us a clue as to the reasons why Scarlatti
started to compose them. Several composers of the time published collections
under such a title, and as domestic music-making was becoming increasingly
popular he may have seen an opportunity to raise his income. Unfortunately
they were never published. They have been preserved in two manuscripts which
are now in the British Library. Was it Scarlatti's intention to have
them published in London? Quite possible, because Italian music was very
popular in England, and so was the recorder. This could have been the reason
he gave this instrument such an important role, especially considering that
he didn't like wind instruments which he said were unbearably out of
tune.
These concertos are in five movements: fast - slow - fast - slow - fast.
The exceptions are
No. 4 which omits the opening fast movement and
No. 9 the last movement of which is followed by a menuet. These are
not solo concertos of the kind we know from Vivaldi. Scarlatti didn't
adhere to the ritornello form. The solo part is fully integrated into the
ensemble. It is especially in the slow movements that the recorder - in four
concertos joined by the second solo instrument - has the opportunity to
shine.
Although Scarlatti was a seasoned composer of music for the theatre there
are few dramatic features in these concertos. Alessandro Lattanzi, in his
liner-notes, sees some similarity between the opening and closing movements
and the opera sinfonias. The recorder parts are not virtuosic; that seems to
confirm that Scarlatti had the amateur market in mind while composing these
concertos.
The concertos featured here are not that well known. I am aware of only
one complete recording: by the Accademia della Magnifica Comunità (Tactus,
2002/2007; two separate discs). The performances are good, but they perform
the tutti with one instrument per part. However, two concertos include
indications of a distinction between soli and tutti or of
ripieni
which seems to point in the direction of performance with a larger
ensemble.
Some years ago Corina Marti and the Capella Tiberina delighted us with the
complete recording of the twelve recorder concertos by Francesco Mancini,
another Neapolitan composer of a later generation (
review). This new production is just as enjoyable as the
Mancini set. Ms Marti is a very fine player and the ensemble acts on the
same level. This recording makes one regret that Scarlatti didn't
compose much more for instrumental ensemble.
Johan van Veen
www.musica-dei-donum.org
twitter.com/johanvanveen
Works listingSinfonia No. 1 in F [5:46]
Sinfonia No. 2 in D 'Concertata con li ripieni' [7:26]
Sinfonia No. 3 in d minor [7:27]
Sinfonia No. 4 in e minor [7:06]
Sinfonia No. 5 in d minor [8:06]
Sinfonia No. 6 in a minor [7:13]
Sinfonia No. 7 in g minor [6:51]
Sinfonia No. 8 in G [6:18]
Sinfonia No. 9 in g minor [8:19]
Sinfonia No. 10 in a minor [7:16]
Sinfonia No. 11 in C [7:13]
Sinfonia No. 12 in c minor 'La
geniale' [8:51]
