Domenico Scarlatti's Sei Sonate per Mandolino

[fernando.f]

Anyone knows about Domenico Scarlatti's 5 Sonate per Mandolino sheet music ?

I am not sure http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...-music/2318717 is the right place..... at least for its price !

[margora]

The original is for melody instrument and basso continuo. I prefer this edition, available from Les Productions D'oz in Canada:

http://www.productionsdoz.com/en/she...bass/6-sonatas

There is also the Berben edition, which has a keyboard realization and is perfectly fine, but is much more expensive, as your posting indicates:

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/...-music/2318717

There are also various editions of individual sonatas with the b.c. realized for classical guitar, published in Germany. These editions are available from www.trekel.de. But if you want a reliable edition of the original, see above.

[Martin Jonas]

The original is for melody instrument and basso continuo. I prefer this edition, available from Les Productions D'oz in Canada:

http://www.productionsdoz.com/en/she...bass/6-sonatas

These sonatas are also available free on IMSLP, again for melody instrument and basso continuo. Search IMSLP for the K numbers on the Productions D'Oz score and ignore the fact that it says "keyboard": K.77, 81, 88, 89, 90, 91.

I've also just come across a loose sheet score with a solo mandolin arrangement by Carlo Munier of one of the Scarlatti sonatas -- I'll post it once I get around to scanning it.

Martin

[margora]

"These sonatas are also available free on IMSLP, again for melody instrument and basso continuo. Search IMSLP for the K numbers on the Productions D'Oz score and ignore the fact that it says "keyboard": K.77, 81, 88, 89, 90, 91."

Except that these are keyboard arrangements, not the originals. There are differences (in the right hand of the keyboard, not the left). One of the keyboard editions (Kenneth Gilbert) is non-PD in the US. The other seems to lack the figures in the bass part for K77. With regard to Munier, one should keep in mind that the "mandolin" we are talking about here is the baroque version, meant to be plucked with the (right hand) fingers, unlike the modern Neapolitan.

[Martin Jonas]

Except that these are keyboard arrangements, not the originals. There are differences (in the right hand of the keyboard, not the left). One of the keyboard editions (Kenneth Gilbert) is non-PD in the US. The other seems to lack the figures in the bass part for K77.

I am confused now. I don't have the Productions D'Oz edition, but both of the editions at IMSLP (Gilbert and Gouin) are marked as "Urtext". Only K.77 is marked as "keyboard", the other five sonatas are all described as "solo instrument (e.g. violin or flute), continuo" with the additional comment:

Grove Music lists Sonatas K.81-88-89-90 & 91 as originally for "Solo instrument and continuo" (e.g. violin, flute). They have 4-movements. Grove Music does not give alternative instrumentation for solo keyboard, so perhaps those versions are arrangements not by Scarlatti. When played as harpsichord solo pieces, some harmonic filling might be necessary.

Are the differences you have noted in all six sonatas or just in K.77, which from the above seems to be of different provenance from the other five? As far as I can see, the Gouin edition does have the bass figurations for the sonatas other than K.77.

Interesting to see the comment on the link you've given:

Discovered at the library "Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal de Paris" 300 years after it was written, the manuscript entitled "Sonatina per mandoline e cembalo" corresponds to the first movement of the sonata K89 by Domenico Scarlatti. It is clear that Scarlatti intended to use the mandolin for these sonatas with the markings in the score specifying a "figured bass".
These masterpieces are markedly different, in terms of their character and their form, from Scarlatti's classical sonatas for solo harpsichord. They show off the richness of the mandolin to its full: light, expressive, voluble and masterful.
The pieces also reveal the Italian School's interest in this small instrument during the 18th century; which descended from the lute and was also readily adopted by the European aristocracy.

Do you know if there is any more evidence on whether it was only K.89 that was specifically intended by Scarlatti for the mandolin, or whether the same would have been true for all six (or five, if we exclude K.77) sonatas?

Martin

[margora]

Hi Martin, there are slight differences in the other sonatas (e.g K88) but extremely minor, as best as I can tell (I have not looked note-by-note). These could be purely editorial decisions; it is difficult to tell. My edition of K77 does have figured bass; you are correct that K77 is more speculative than the others (it is not included in the Berben edition). I have a copy of part of the manuscript of K89 which clearly indicates "mandolino" at the top; I do not believe that is the case with the others (but I do not have these manuscripts).

The IMSLP editions will certainly suffice for someone interested in getting to know these pieces.

[Hany Hayek]

I've also just come across a loose sheet score with a solo mandolin arrangement by Carlo Munier of one of the Scarlatti sonatas -- I'll post it once I get around to scanning it.

Martin

Martin, I am looking forward for that score sheet of Munier solo arrangement.

[Martin Jonas]

Martin, I am looking forward for that score sheet of Munier solo arrangement.

Hi Hany,

Sorry for the delay -- here is the Munier solo arrangement I mentioned.

The score is headed "Andante Variato", but gives no indication of which of Scarlatti's compositions it is based on. Does anybody recognise it? Indeed it's not even clear if it's Domenico or Allessandro, although I would think that "Scarlatti" without anything else usually means Domenico.

At least the dreaded "tremolo" question should not arise, as there are very few sustained notes on which Munier would have played tremolo.

Martin

[Hany Hayek]

Thank you so much Martin, I really appreciate it. A lot of the music sheets I have and have played are from what you posted and played here.
I am planing to take some lessons with my old violin teacher (Dr. Wael Sedky - viola player and teacher at the faculty of music and conservatoire in Cairo / Alexandria). He has finally agreed to teach me mandolin. We'll concentrate on Baroque, specially Bach, Scarlatti and Vivaldi. There is no tremolo there and I will not be confusing him with what my right hand is doing