Emanuele Barbella (1718-1777): Concerto for Mandolin
II. Andantino
This is an 18th century late Baroque/early Classical mandolin concerto by the Neapolitan composer Emanuele Barbella. I'm working up my courage to try the two allegro movements, but for now here is my interpretation of the Andantino.
There are a fair number of recordings of the Andantino on Youtube (compared to only one of the full concerto), none much alike with a fairly wide range of tempo choices. I've taken it fairly briskly, at about the same speed as Jacob Reuven (Link), while the Edinburgh Mandolin Orchestra directed by Nigel Gatherer took it much slower in this recording from the Edinburgh Festival (Link). There is a also this recording with the original instrumentation (basso realised on violoncello and therobo).
Adapted from the original instrumentation of solo mandolin, two violins and basso to a mandolin quintet (solo nylgut-strung mandolin, two vintage Italian bowlback mandolins, octave mandolin and mandocello). It's a fun piece, and I've tried to just go with the flow and not worry too much about how others have interpreted it -- my reading sounds doesn't much sound like any of the above. This is to me a sprightly and joyful rococo piece, building up to a big climax in the final tutti section.
"Baroq-ulele" nylgut-strung mandolin
1890s Umberto Ceccherini mandolin
1915 Luigi Embergher mandolin
Mid-Missouri M-111 octave mandolin
Suzuki MC-815 mandocello
The paintings I have chosen are mostly by Gaspare Traversi, a contemporary of Barbella in Naples -- from his musical genre paintings I suspect the two knew each other. I've interspersed a few wide open Bellotto city scenes to leaven Traversi's crowded interiors.
Martin
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