Francesco Geminiani (1687-1762)
Violin Sonatas op 1 (1739 edition)
new urtext edition with realisations of the figured basses by Tony Urbainczyk with introduction and notes on bowing and double-stopping passages - I believe it to be the first modern edition of its sort. Geminiani’s revision of his 1716 set of violin sonatas features much more written-out ornamentation, detailed fingering, bowing indications, and expansion of the fugal movements.
Vol. 1 Sonatas 1-6
score £8.00 CM027
violin part £5.00 CM027A
cello part £4.00 CM027B
Vol. 2 Sonatas 7-12
score £8.00 CM028
violin part £5.00 CM028A
cello part £4.00 CM028B
Complete set of scores and parts for op 1 £30
or
Complete without cello parts for £22
click here for a preview of part of the score of Sonata No. 1
An edition showing how the 1739 edition differs from the original 1716 print is also in progress with most sonatas now nearing completion - do ask if interested.
Concertos op 2 (1755 edition)
scores each £4.00
individual parts (4 solo parts, 4 tutti parts) each £1.00
Concerto 2 in C minor CM022
Concerto 3 in D minor CM071
Concerto 4 in D major CM047
Concerto 5 in preparation
Concerto 6 in preparation
Geminiani made a new edition of his op. 2 Concertos in around 1755, producing both score and parts. He added a solo viola part to the concertino group and added bowing and ornamentation. Making a practical edition has various pitfalls: sometimes there are 3 slightly different versions of a ‘tutti’ passage for the violins: from the score, from the solo part and from the ripieno part and sometimes they are quite contradictory! I have made what I believe are intelligent decisions from a practical, musical and sensible point of view: a few are pointed out in the score, but minor discrepancies I have not commented on. I have not aimed at total consistency as I believe that sometimes the composer wanted variety. Anyone interested can find the scores and parts on the IMSLP website. Any bowing marks - up bow and down bow signs - are editorial.
I have not supplied the figures in the bass part but can supply them, and/or a continuo realisation, with a little warning!
Geminiani was most insistent about trills. In this edition I have used the traditional tr sign to mean a trill with a turn while the ‘pralltriller’ sign means a trill without termination. There also appears a sign for a ‘swell’ (/)
I have performed the solo violin 1 part in all these concertos. It seems that Geminiani performed these concertos with a pupil playing the 2nd solo part. If that is the case, then it does seem to me that the composer may have been guilty of giving the most awkward technical passages to his pupil to tackle! I have not added the 1st concerto as it features a 2nd viola part, but could produce a version (using the score only) if required.
Concertos op 3 (1755 edition)
scores each £4.00
individual parts (4 solo parts, 4 tutti parts) each £1.00
Concerto 1 in preparation
Concerto 2 in preparation
Concerto 3 in preparation
Concerto 5 in preparation
Concerto 6 in preparation
Concertos op 7
Concerto 1 in D major CM097
scores each £4.00
individual parts (4 solo parts, 4 tutti parts) each £1.00
This fine concerto contains one of Geminiani's great fugues which he (rather daringly) entitles 'L'Arte del Fuga'. One of Geminiani's great contemporaries, Veracini, could not help but pour scorn on this movement in a treatise, calling it 'fuga mostruosa' (and a fugue to run away from!). He does avoid mentioning names directly, using an anagram of Geminiani's name. He wrote his own fugue using Geminiani's themes to prove his point.
This is also available from Camel Music as Fuga con quatro soggetti CM056
see our Veracini page for details
Concertos from Corelli’s op. 5
Concerto 10 CM033
scores each £3.00
individual parts (3 solo parts, 4 tutti parts) each £1.00
Selections from ‘The Art of Playing on the Violin’ op. 9 (1751)
new edition with realisations of the figured basses by Tony Urbainczyk
Examples 8-13, 15-17 CM087
(continuo parts for all the accompanied Examples)
score and part £12.00,
score £10.00
part £5.00
Examples 8 and 9 CM087Ex
(an extract from the above)
score and part £6.00
Example 9 variations CM050
score and part £2.00
Example 14 solo scales CM049
£1.00
Example 24 bowing exercises on open strings CM000
also arr. for viola and cello
Francesco Geminiani (?)
Solo in C major for unaccompanied violin CM115
£2.00
I now regard this piece to be by Tartini!
Camel Music
