Concerto For Oboe And Strings In D Minor (Marcello)
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The Oboe Concerto in
D minor D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative major is F major and its parallel major is D major. The D natural minor scale is: Changes needed for t ...
, S D935, is an early 18th-century concerto for oboe,
strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
and continuo attributed to the
Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
composer
Alessandro Marcello Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (; 1 February 1673 – 19 June 1747) was an Italian nobleman and composer. Biography Born in Venice, Marcello was the son of a senator, and as a nobleman, enjoyed a comfortable life that gave him the freedom to ...
. The earliest extant manuscript containing
Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
's solo
keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...
arrangement of the concerto, BWV 974, dates from around 1715. As a concerto for
oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...
, strings and continuo its oldest extant sources date from 1717: that year it was printed in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, and a
C minor C minor is a minor scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature consists of three flats. Its relative major is E major and its parallel major is C major. The C natural minor scale is: : ...
variant of the concerto, S Z799, was written down. Bach's keyboard version was published as an arrangement of a concerto by
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
in the 19th century. In 1923 the C minor version of the oboe concerto was published as a composition by
Benedetto Marcello Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (; 31 July or 1 August 1686 – 24 July 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. Life Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of a noble family and in his compositions he is f ...
, Alessandro's brother. In the second half of the 20th century several publications indicated Alessandro again as the composer of the piece, as it had been in its early 18th-century print, and the oboe concerto was again published in its D minor version. In the 20th and 21st centuries the concerto developed into a well-established
repertoire A repertoire () is a list or set of dramas, operas, musical compositions or roles which a company or person is prepared to perform. Musicians often have a musical repertoire. The first known use of the word ''repertoire'' was in 1847. It is a l ...
piece, as well as an oboe concerto as performed on keyboard.


History

The Concerto in D minor, S D935, was published by Jeanne Roger in Amsterdam in 1717, as a ''Concerto a Cinque'' (concerto in five parts) for oboe (soloist), strings (two violin and one viola parts) and continuo composed by Alessandro Marcello.Jones 2006
pp. 143–144
/ref>(score publication) Amsterdam
717 __NOTOC__ Year 717 ( DCCXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 717 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar er ...
/ref> No publication date appears in the print: although the year of publication is, depending on author, sometimes given as "ca. 1714-1717"Scarnati 1996 or "1716"Schulenberg 2013
p. 130
and endnote
p. 462
/ref> it can be inferred from the consecutive testaments of the publisher's father ( Estienne Roger) and from the sequence of publication numbers. The publication presents the melody lines unadorned, that is: it is left to the performing musician to embellish melodies with ornaments such as
trill TRILL (Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links) is an Internet Standard implemented by devices called TRILL switches. TRILL combines techniques from bridging and routing, and is the application of link-state routing to the VLAN-aware custom ...
s, mordents and grace notes.Scarnati 1996, pp. 12–13 Alessandro Marcello published most of his works under a pseudonym ( Eterio Stinfalico): the oboe concerto publication was an exception in that sense as it used his real name.Scarnati 1996, pp. 16–17 In his
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
period (1708–17) Johann Sebastian Bach arranged several concertos by Venetian composers, most of them by
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...
, for solo keyboard, known as his Weimar concerto transcriptions. In July 1713 Prince Johann Ernst returned to Weimar from
the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
with several compositions by Italian masters. Vivaldi's Op. 3, ''
L'estro Armonico ''L'estro armonico'' (''The Harmonic Inspiration''), opus number, Op. 3, is a set of 12 concertos for stringed instruments by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, first published in Amsterdam in 1711. Vivaldi's Twelve Trio Sonatas, Op. 1 (Vivaldi), ...
'' had been published in Amsterdam in 1711, and there is little doubt that the Prince brought this edition, containing twelve concertos, to Weimar in 1713, as Bach apparently used this print for five of his solo keyboard arrangements. The Prince, who also composed Italianate concertos, presumably encouraged Bach to produce solo keyboard arrangements of such works. As the Prince left Weimar in July 1714 it is estimated that most of Bach's solo keyboard arrangements of Italian and Italianate concertos originated in the period from July 1713 to July 1714. That is, at least those arrangements that could be performed on a
harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
without pedalboard, while the Weimar court
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
(which would be needed for arrangements including pedals such as BWV 592–597) would have been unavailable for undergoing repairs in this period. Bach's ''manualiter'' arrangement, BWV 974, of the Marcello concerto was apparently not based on the Amsterdam edition, but must have been based on a (lost) manuscript version of the concerto that circulated before it was printed. The July 1713 to July 1714 timeframe may fit for the production of the arrangement of this concerto, although an earlier or later date is possible too. Bach's autograph of the solo keyboard arrangement is lost, but the arrangement was copied around 1715 by Bach's second cousin Johann Bernhard, as the third item in a manuscript containing 12 of Johann Sebastian's keyboard transcriptions of Italian and Italianate concertos. In 1739 Johann Bernhard's son Johann Ernst wrote a title page for this collection, suggesting that the collection contained Vivaldi arrangements for organ exclusively. He may have intended this title page for the first concerto in the collection only (which was indeed an arrangement of a Vivaldi concerto), but an unknown hand later added the number "XII" before the title, thus causing the misunderstanding that all 12 were Vivaldi arrangements. Another copy of Bach's arrangement indicates "Marcello" (without first name) as the composer of the original work, and J. S. Bach as the arranger. That copy, specifying harpsichord as the intended instrument for the arrangement, originated after Johann Bernhard's, but may have been copied from an earlier stage of Bach's arrangement. Another manuscript containing Bach's arrangement of Marcello's oboe concerto indicated " J. S. B." as composer on the title page, without mentioning an earlier model, or its composer, for the composition. The ornamentation as indicated in Bach's keyboard version of the concerto works well on harpsichord, but is less suitable for performance on an early 18th-century oboe. Nonetheless Bach's ornamentation has been used for 20th-century publications of the oboe concerto – the ornamentation causes fewer problems when performed on a modern oboe. Editions of the D minor version of the oboe concerto with an ornamentation which is better in line with the possibilities of a baroque oboe have been proposed since the late 20th century.Scarnati 1996, pp. 99–111 Another transcription of the concerto, as concerto a 5 for oboe, strings and continuo in C minor, is found in a 1717 manuscript. The type of errors in this manuscript seems to suggest that the transposition from D minor to C minor may have been produced by its scribes while copying. This manuscript writes the composer's name as "Marcello" without specifying a first name: as Alessandro's brother Benedetto was far better known as a composer by the name Marcello, later generations would interpret the title of the manuscript as referring to the better known of the "Marcello" composers.


Movements

The piece has three movements: # Andante
spiccato Spiccato is a bowing technique for string instruments in which the bow appears to bounce lightly upon the string. The term comes from the past participle of the Italian verb ''spiccare'', meaning "to separate". The terms '' martelé'', ''saltando ...
# Adagio # Presto The concerto survives in different printed and manuscript versions, one of these in C minor.


Other versions

The concerto has also been recorded played on a
piccolo trumpet The piccolo trumpet is the smallest member of the trumpet family, pitched one octave higher than the standard B trumpet. Most piccolo trumpets are built to play in either B or A, using a separate leadpipe for each key. The tubing in the B piccol ...
- a notoriously challenging transcription due to the breath control and tight embouchure required for its sustained passages in the higher register.


References


Sources

Manuscripts
D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 280 (3)
at Berlin State Library: , pp. 12–16, 1715, in ''XII. CONCERTO , di , VIVALDI. , elabor: , di , J. S. Bach''. ("Concerto in d (BWV 974)" in Bach Digital Sourc
00001222
) * SW Mus. Ms. 3530 at , Musikaliensammlung (D-SWl): ''Concerto a 5: , Hautbois , Violino: Primo , Violino: Secundo , Viola: , et , Basso Continuo , dÿ , Marcello:'', 1717 (S Z799; ) * D-B Mus. ms. Bach P 804, Fascicle 4 at Berlin State Library, after 1727 BWV 974, copied by
Johann Peter Kellner Johann Peter Kellner (variants: Keller, Kelner) (28 September 1705 – 19 April 1772) was a German organist and composer. He was the father of Johann Christoph Kellner. Biography He was born in Gräfenroda, Thuringia, and was intended by his par ...
and others; Bach Digital Sourc
00001801
* D-DS Mus. ms. 66 at , 1720–39 (BWV 974; Sourc
00002746
an
first page
at Bach Digital website) Score publications * "Concerto II: del Sig. Alexandro Marcello" i
''Concerti a Cinque: Con Violini, Oboè, Violetta, Violoncello e Basso Continuo, Del Signori G. Valentini, A. Vivaldi, T. Albinoni, F. M. Veracini, G. St. Martin, A. Marcello, G. Rampin, A. Predieri.'' – Volume I.
Amsterdam: Jeanne Roger (Catalogue No. 432),
717 __NOTOC__ Year 717 ( DCCXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 717 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar er ...
(S D935) *
Ernst Naumann Carl Ernst Naumann (15 August 183215 December 1910) was a German organist, composer, conductor, editor, arranger and musicologist. He is best known now as an arranger and editor of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus ...
(editor). Concerto III (pp. 73–79) of " VIII: XVI Concerte nach A. Vivaldi" in '' Volume 42: Clavierwerke, Band 5'' of the
Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe Joh. Seb. Bach's Werke () is the Bach Gesellschaft's collected edition of Johann Sebastian Bach's compositions, published in 61 volumes in the second half of the 19th century. The series is also known as Bach-Gesellschaft edition (german: Bach-Gese ...
. Leipzig:
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, 1894. Plate B.W. XLII. * Richard Lauschmann (editor). ''Benedetto Marcello: Concerto für Oboe in c-Moll mit Begleitung von zwei Violinen, Viola, Basso und Cembalo (oder Pianoforte)''. Leipzig: Forberg, 1923 * Hugo Ruf (editor). ''Konzert d-moll für Oboe (Violine), Streicher und Basso continuo: Cembalo (Orgel), Violoncello (Viola da gamba) ad lib.'' Schott, 1963. * Bernard Howard Gilmore (editor)
''Alessandro Marcello's Concerto in D minor, for oboe, strings, and continuo: A practical edition and discussion'', No. 1
Department of Music, 1965. * Himie Voxman (editor); Richard Hervig (continuo realization / piano reduction). ''Alessandro Marcello: Concerto in D minor (C minor) for Oboe & Strings (with Bach's Ornaments)''. London: Musica Rara, 1977 * Manfred Fechner (editor). ''Alessandro Marcello: Konzert d-Moll für Oboe, Streicher und Basso continuo''. Leipzig: Peters, 1977. * Karl Heller (editor). "Concerto d-moll BWV 974 nach dem Oboenkonzert von Marcello" in Johann Sebastian Bach: Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke
Series V: Keyboard and Lute Works''Volume 11: Arrangements of Works from other Composers''
Bärenreiter Bärenreiter (Bärenreiter-Verlag) is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle (1903–1975) in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still has its headquarters; it also ...
, 1997. Writings *
Richard D. P. Jones Richard Douglas P. Jones is a British musicologist and editor, known especially for his work as a Bach scholar. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he has taught at Cardiff University and Sheffield University. Selected publications E ...

"Concerto Transcriptions" pp. 142–153
in ''The Creative Development of Johann Sebastian Bach''
''Volume I: 1695–1717 – Music to Delight the Spirit''.
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2006. * Rudolf Rasch. "De dochters van Estienne Roger", pp. 65–78 i
''Jaarboek voor Nederlandse boekgeschiedenis'', Vol. 12.
Nijmegen: Vantilt, 2005. * David Schulenberg
"8: The Concerto Transcriptions", pp. 117–139
i
''The Keyboard Music of J.S. Bach''.
Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
, 22013. * Eleanor Selfridge-Field. ''The Music of Benedetto and Alessandro Marcello: A Thematic Catalogue with Commentary on the Composers, Repertory, and Sources''.
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
/
Clarendon Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 1990.
* Rebecca Kemper Scarnati
''The Ornamentation of Four Early Eighteenth-century Italian Oboe Concerti Found in "Concerti a Cinque... Libro primo" of Jeanne Roger (Amsterdam, ca. 1714-1717)''.
University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...
, 1996 (Ph.D. thesis).


External links


Marcello's Concerto in D minor for Oboe, Strings and Basso continuo: a view of its origin and use in J.S. Bach's Concerto III for solo harpsichord, BWV 974
* {{IMSLP , work=Oboe Concerto in D minor, S.Z799 (Marcello, Alessandro), cname=Oboe Concerto in D minor, S.Z799 (Marcello, Alessandro) , work2=12 Concerti a 5 (Various), cname2=''Concerti a Cinque: Con Violini, Oboè, Violetta, Violoncello e Basso Continuo'' , work3=16 Konzerte nach verschiedenen Meistern, BWV 972–987 (Bach, Johann Sebastian), cname3=16 Konzerte nach verschiedenen Meistern, BWV 972–987 (Bach, Johann Sebastian) Compositions by Alessandro Marcello Marcello 1715 compositions 1710s in music Compositions in D minor Compositions with a spurious or doubtful attribution