Francesco Turini (approx. 1589–1656)
Due Sonate a Tre
(E tanto tempo hormai / Il Corisino)
for 2 recorders in c (violins), bass instrument and basso continuo
Edited by Franz Müller-Busch
Realization of the thorough bass by Eckhart KuperGirolamo G 12.019, score and 3 parts, € 22,00
ISMN 979-0-50084-034-3
Preface
Francesco Turini was born about 1589 in Prague, where he received tuition in singing, composition and the organ from his father Gregorio. Already at the age of twelve he became court organist to the Emperor Rudolf II, who later sent him on a study visit to Rome and Venice. Up till Rudolf II’s death in 1612 Turini lived in Prague and then returned to Italy, where he worked at first in Venice. In 1620 he was appointed cathedral organist in Brescia, a position which he held until his death in 1656.
These two pieces have been taken from a publication which appeared in 1624 and is preserved in the Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale di Bologna. The part-books bear the title:
Madrigali / a una, due, tre, voci / Con alcune Sonate à due, & à tre. / Libro Primo. /
di Francesco Turini / Organista del Duomo di Brescia. /
dedicati / al Ill.mo et Rev.mo Signor il Signor / Lodovico Gonzaga / Marchese, Vescovo d’Alba. /
Nuovamente Ristampati. / Stampa del Gardano. /
in Venetia Appresso Bartholomeo Magni. MDCXXIV.The annotation “Nuovamente Ristampati” indicates that this must be at least the second or, even more probably, the third edition of the original publication of 1621.
In the four purely instrumental pieces in the publication the two upper voices are marked “Violino”. However, from the choice of range and musical language they can equally well be played by other instruments such as descant or tenor recorders.
The notation for the present edition has been brought into line with modern practice, especially in the use of bar lines and accidentals. We decided against adjusting the accidentals at places where false relations are obviously intended albeit unaccustomed to the listener. We interfered only in bar 80 of the sonata E tanto tempo hormai in order to avoid the notes b and b flat from sounding simultaneously. Obvious printer’s errors in the source have been corrected with no further comment. At places where the notation remains questionable we have added the original writing in foot notes.
In the last section of both sonatas one comes across a remarkable feature of Turini’s notation: he has written them in coloured triplets. Note values as well as rests are notated in double value which normally would imply that the tempo should slacken. Musically spoken however it makes more sense to accelerate tempo here. A transcription to a 6/4 beat seemed most appropriate to us which means that the coloured semibreve in the source corresponds to a minim in our edition.
The title E tanto tempo hormai could be translated as “It is such a long time ago”. This melody was also used by Salomone Rossi under the title La Monica. Il Corisino is presumably a different manner of spelling Il Coricino (the little heart). Turini underlies his sonata which leans on a variation form, with the dance melody La bella Pedrina.
Translation: John and Julia Whybrow
Freiburg, August 2002, Franz Müller-Busch
