Performing the First Cello Concertos
- Maximiliano Segura Sánchez
- Aug 25, 2021
- 5 min read
Aspects about the emerging solo cello in Giuseppe Maria Jacchini’s Opus 4 and 5
3. Jacchini’s obbligato violoncello
Jacchini’s a quattro pieces might give us many clues about the violoncello’s role in ensemble music, expanding its scope into a soloist position. His Sonate Op.2 encompasses pieces a 3 and a 4. The violoncello is identified on the cover of each part-book as obligato.
Image 1: Detail of Jacchini's Op.2.
However, an obbligato function isn’t specified in all of the sonatas. Six sonatas call for violoncello obbligato (although the last one of those doubles the continuo), while in the rest the cello functions as continuo. The last movements of Sonatas no. 1, 3, 4 and 6, in simple triple meter and compound duple meter, have solos for violoncello. To start, the last movement of the first sonata, marked “solo” in the violoncello part, comprises a brief arioso character accompanied by the strings. It is worth noting the note “tutti” in opposition to “solo” in the cello part when the strings reply after the cello passage. In opposition, the solo at the last movement of Sonata no.3, Prestissimo (cf. Footnote 1), extends throughout the piece without any tutti. We found solo passages in last Allegro from Sonata no. 4 and last movement in Sonata no. 6 with similar formats.
Example 1: Fragment from last movement of Sonata no 3 in Sonate da camera a trè, e quattro Stromenti, col Violoncello obligato, Pier Maria Monti, Bologna 1695
Further, his Concerti per camera Op.4 could define the form of what we classify as solo concerto. All of the concertos, with the exception of concertos no. 3, 6 and 7 treat the violoncello as an integral solo instrument. The number of movements are standardised. From the typical four or more used in the church concerto/sinfonia to three movements, a number that became a regular sequence in the solo concerto during the eighteenth century: fast-slow-fast. This order remains consistent throughout his concertos. Jacchini regularly uses the dichotomy “tutti” and “solo” to delineate the solo voice in the musical discourse. After Torelli’s Op.6, Jacchini is the second Bolognese composer who consistently uses solos for his instrument as a defined part of the musical form. As a regular feature, in the tutti passages the violoncello doubles the basso continuo. The solos are found in the first and last movements of each concerto, often requiring very fast tempi, as in the solos of his Op.2 (cf. Footnote 2). The length of each movement is very short though; the longest about 70 bars.
Structurally wise, these pieces strongly differs from his Sonate Op.2. Short motifs in the tutti provide introductions to solo passages for the violoncello: the first movement of Concerto no. 1 and 9 are good examples. In other sections, like the first and third movements of no. 9, virtuoso passages of one or two bars are briefly presented in question-answer with the ensemble. In Concerto no. 10, four-bar phrases present the violoncello's melodic-rhythmical pattern. In the second Concerto, an eight bars introduction is presented before the solo. Concerto no. 4 presents a special situation: The orchestra introduces a theme in A minor and C major before the entrance of the solo cello. Although Torelli writes tutti introductions in both Concertos Op.5, no. 6 and no.10, Jacchini uses this type of introductory pattern in all of his solo concertos. It will also eventually become standard practice during the eighteenth-century.
Jacchini’s last published work, Trattenimenti per camera a 3, 4, 5 e 6 Strumenti, comprises ten sonatas. In this publication he employs the same scoring used in his Op.2 and Op.4, with the addition of trumpets in the first (two trumpets), fifth (one trumpet), and eighth sonata (two trumpets). The only piece a 3 is the third sonata. In the rest of the string sonatas, the scoring does not change and the violoncello is marked obbligato in all of the pieces except for the seventh and the tenth. We find different approaches in the writing of the solos and their place in the pieces. For instance, the second movement of Sonata no. 1 for two trumpets, Posato & alla Francese is exclusively written for violoncello and continuo. The third movement in Sonata no. 5 for solo trumpet presents a solo for violoncello and trumpet notated in the score “Violoncello, e tromba soli,” presenting the typical Trumpet sonatas’ middle movements. The melodic relevance of the theme is given to the violoncello. The trumpet’s melodic material derives from the cello and mimics it contrapuntally.
Example 2: Third movement in Jacchini's Sonata no 5 from his Trattenimenti per camera a 3, 4, 5 e 6 Strumenti, Pier Maria Monti, Bologna 1703
Sonata no. 8 proceeds with a very similar structure. The short cadential Grave, six bars in B minor, is devoted entirely to the cello and connects the following movement. In contrast with the Bolognese’s third movement tradition written usually for solo trumpet, solo cello and continuo, in this case a solo movement for violoncello is presented. Structured in two phrases twice repeated, the violoncello apes the character of the trumpet.
With exception of Sonata no. 3, the trio sonata, the string sonatas accurately follow Op.4's style. For example, the last allegro in Sonata no. 2 comprises violoncello solos combined by tutti passages. The solo and tutti phrases are structured in sequences of six to eight bars. The violoncello part specifies solos in two places (bar 1 and 85), although there are six more along the movement. The violins play unison in the first and last movement. It is noteworthy that unison indication becomes consistently marked in many movements, namely fast ones, in both Op.4 and Op.5. In all cases it’s indicated in the parts. Sonata no. 4 has another example of first and second violins playing in unison. The first movement, Allegro e staccato in F major, begins with a tutti introduction before the entrance of the first solo and follows the same pattern throughout the piece. Dotted quarter notes in the violins emphasises the staccato character. The finale - Presto unissoni - is similar in structure to his first movement. A tutti introduction in unison uses the tremolo effect before the cello’s entrance. Jacchini adds textures and colours to the solo by using trills and dots, and written out inégal rhythms which extend through many passages, also in the first movement. Sonata no. 6 follows clearly the conventions of the solo concerto with a clear division of solo and tutti sections. Lastly, the second movement in Sonata no. 9 presents the cello again with harmonic and rhythmical patterns, and passages with fast scales-intervals in thirds, while the ensemble provides the harmonic support of each section. A short tutti introduces the last movement followed by responses of the violoncello. This tutti-solo formula is repeated in short phrases across the entire movement.
Inégal rhythms, first movement Sonata no 4 Op.5
Short trills employed in the last movement, Sonata no 4 Op.5
Dots indicating a staccato character, Sonata no 4 Op.5
It is clear Jacchini’s approach to the violoncello in his last two collections with regard to the ensemble. Although the music lack some inventiveness, we can observe a procedure in transforming the concertante role in his instrument. Nevertheless, as proposed, I may venture to suggest a broader input from the Bolognese musical community in ensemble performance practices that he assimilated in his works.
Footnotes:
1. Although Prestissimo is printed in the violoncello part, "Presto, e spicco” is indicated in the violin and viola parts and “Prestissimo, e spicco” in the continuo. “Spicco" refers to a bow technique asking to play short notes. Observing the piece’s character and the way the strings parts are written, it seems logical to ask for such bow technique.
2. Out of the seven concertos with violoncello solo, only two movements calls for allegro, while the rest are presto, or presto presto (sic), or presto e spicco.
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