Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)
Concerto in F major (RV 442)
(piano reduction and solo part)for alto recorder and keyboard instrument
Edited by Franz Müller-Busch
Piano reduction by Franz Müller-BuschGirolamo G 12.029, score and 1 part, € 16,00
ISMN 979-0-50084-048-0
Preface
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) is a composer of great significance for recorder players primarily because of his virtuoso concertos for "flautino" (RV 443 and 444 in C major, RV 455 in A minor) and the C minor concerto for treble recorder (RV 441). Moreover Vivaldi wrote two sonatas for recorder as well as numerous concertos for different solo instruments and orchestra and several opera arias all in which the recorder was included.
The recorder concerto in F major (RV 442) is Vivaldi’s first concerto for treble recorder and strings 1) and was composed around 1725 2). In the present critical as well as practical edition the concert has been published for the first time in its original form.
At this point it seems appropriate to mention the only existing source, the autograph of the score manuscript that is kept in the Biblioteca Nazionale Universitaria di Torino (University Library of Turin) under the signature Giordano 31, p. 347–352. Here I would like to kindly express my thanks to the Ministerio per i Beni e le Attività Culturali and the direction of the library for their valuable support and permission for publication.
The two corner movements of the concert are in F major and the slow middle movement in F minor. It is entitled "Concerto per flauto" which in Vivaldi’s terms unambiguously signifies treble recorder. Later he used the concerto as a model for the flute concerto op.10/5 in F major (RV 434) that was published in Amsterdam in 1728 or 29. 3) Alterations in the text relating to this are to be found in various places. Moreover there are notes addressed to the copyist at the beginnings and endings of the movements such as the commentary that the 2nd movement should be transposed one second upwards and notated in five staffs (Scrivete un tuono più alto tutto e scrivete tutto in 5 poste).
The original version was relatively easy to reconstruct since Vivaldi used lighter ink or the ink had faded in the course of time. The original notation is also still legible at the few places where notes have been scratched away and been written over by the lighter ink. In the 1st movement at bars 34–35 and 50–53 however it seemed to make more sense to take over the revised version since real errors could be rectified, the places gained considerably in elegance and a stronger rapport could be established to the rest of the thematic material.
The editorial work is documented in the audit report of the score (Ed. No. G 12.030).
An interesting detail is the fact that Vivaldi gives the instruction "Tutti gl’ Instrumenti Sordini" (all instruments with mute) at the beginning of the concerto which is noted above the tempo indication. This renders the accompanying strings a twangy and withdrawn character.
Translation: Julia Whybrow
Celle, February 2010, Franz Müller-Busch
1) F. M. Sardelli: Preface to Antonio Vivaldi: VI Concerti a Flauto Traverso Opera Decima, facsimile edition, Florence 2002, p. 17
2) loc. cit., p. 14–15 and p. 19
3) loc. cit., p. 9
