Performing the First Cello Concertos

4. Orchestral practices during Jacchini’s career

Early orchestral performance practices could be related to collections of ensemble sonatas, such as the aforementioned Cazzati’s Op.35 and Placuzzi’s Op.1. Cazzati’s presents the prototype of the Bolognese trumpet orchestral sonata developed later, and Placuzzi’s pieces entirely devoted to strings, the chori spezzati techniques used in San Petronio. However, instrumental pieces extant at the Basilica’s archive provide more details about orchestration and the number of instruments used per part in certain works which therefore influenced directly the creation of forms like the concerto. The string orchestral concerto definitely expanded its scope in works by Giuseppe Torelli, namely in his published Op.5, Op.6, Op.8 and mainly in most of the pieces intended for San Petronio written from the early 1690s on, most of them preserved in manuscript. Op.5, divided in a 3 and a 4, keeps the solos within the counterpoint norms of the Sonata a 3. Yet, in the second movement of Sinfonia quarta à 3 the violins have solos defying such restrictions. This is also the case in the second Allegro of his Concerto quinto à 4. Nevertheless, the Concerti musicali Op.6, no. 6 and 12, comprises traces of the solo violin concerto’s form, specifying in the violin part solo and tutti dichotomies.

Concerning the scoring in Jacchini’s concerti, Op.4 and Op.5, excluding the trumpet sonatas, two main categories can be defined: The orchestral Concerto a 4 (no. 3, 6 and 7 in Op.4) in which the violoncello doubles the continuo, and the Concerto a 4 with a solo function indicated obbligato. Richard Maunder suggests that the designation a 3 at the front-page of Op.4 offers to the performer the option to play these pieces without the viola, thus as a beneplacito instrument (cf. footnote 1). Although completely feasible inasmuch as it gives flexibility for performance choices, along with counting that the alto part is a merely fulling in the harmonic structure, yet this instrumentation choice encompassed in other collections by Jacchini may be take into consideration in order to understand deeply instrumentation mediums in the early solo concerto (cf. footnote 2). Next to these, no. 3 Op.5 specifically calls for due violini e basso.

Even though a solo for violin in dialogue with the violoncello appears in Concerto Op.4 no. 9, these pieces might have been conceived with one instrument per part for they are labelled as da camera, suggesting thus light instrumentation devices (cf. footnote 3). On the other side, i.e. ecclesiastical contexts, San Petronio’s practice to double parts in ensemble music was usual. Performance practices at the Basilica give us precise information about how many players per part were involved in different events (cf. footnote 4). Most of Torelli’s trumpet and string pieces comprises an average of eight up to the stoning number of forty parts. Jacchini’s trumpet pieces written for San Petronio includes more than one part per voice. All of his sonatas follow same instrumentation procedure: First and second violin, alto-viola, bass and the trumpets (one or two). The continuo section is hierarchically divided in two groups, namely the foundation (violoncello, violone, theorbo, trombone and organ) and a violoncello obligato and/or spezzato. The inclusion of a big continuo ensemble might be related to architectonical reasons in the Basilica, as well as acoustic requirements, albeit it was too a general practice in late seventeenth century orchestras, as alike practices are found in Venice and Rome (cf. footnote 5).

Torelli’s manuscripts comprises not only concertante trumpet music but also strings concertante pieces a 4, mere orchestral and with solos and ripieno parts, ranging from a 4 to a 7. These pieces give us helpful perceptions to understand the development of the string concerto during the composition years of Jacchini’s Op.2 to Op.5. The part-books of every piece by Torelli and Jacchini are extant at the basilica’s archive. I selected some of Torelli’s compositions whereby it can be observed the big differences in the selection of number of instruments per part. Not only Torelli’s sonatas and concertos may serve as sources, but too compositions by Giacomo Antonio Perti intended as introductory pieces to Masses and Motets performed during Jacchini’s active years as cellist of the Basilica.

Additionally, the term unissoni for both first and second violin in Op.4 and Op.5 might not imply one musician per part, as previously exposed. Jacchini’s San Petronio trumpet pieces require two to three violins per part in three of his sonatas. In addition, Torelli’s pieces stand as clear examples of both, flexibility in the number of instruments per part and standard settings in the ensemble (see tables). A further look into the violins part-book from Jacchini’s concertos no.4 and 5 from Op.4 reveals possibly soli uses in unison non relate to the solo cello passages but in connection with introduction ritornellos, in both cases without the viola involved.

Although Jacchini’s publications rely on da camera models, his music was probably also meant to be performed at the Basilica, since its archive preserves a manuscript of the Sonata Op.2, no. 1, and a copy of Sonata Op.5, no. 8 (cf. footnote 6). The sonata Op.2 is nevertheless entitled concerto and dated a year prior of its publication (cf. footnote 7). The trumpet sonatas are originated doubtless at San Petronio for they follow the conventions of the other sonatas for trumpets generated in the church.

Torelli’s Op.5 and Op.6 confirms likewise the addition of extra parts if desired. At the top of each part-book in Op.5, both in the first 1692 Bolognese print and the reprint by Estienne Roger in Amsterdam is advised that “If you would like to perform these concerti, do not hesitate to multiply all the instruments (parts), if you wish to find out my intention.” (cf. footnote 8) The preface of his Op.6 gives the same advise in connection with solos for violin: “I advise that if in some concertos you see solo written, it must be play with a solo violin; the rest can be duplicated up to three or four voices per instrument, if you want to find out my intention.” (cf. footnote 9)

Image 1: Violino primo's first page in Torelli's Op.5, Bologna 1692.

In the same line, his Concerti Grossi Op.8 advises that the first violin of the concertino must be played alone: “[..] Avvertendoti, che volendo sonare questi miei Concerti, e neccessario, che i Violini del Concertino siano soli, senza verun raddoppiamento, per evitar maggior confusione […],” italics mine (cf. footnote 10). Aside from Torelli’s advices and parts, no exact clue is found about how many instruments were ideal to use per part in Jacchini’s Op.4 and Op.5.

Image 2: Torelli's performance practice advise of his Concerti Grossi Op.8, Bologna 1709.

It seems plausible that orchestral practices using more than one instrument per part were definitely linked to San Petronio’s performances, implying in many cases solo trumpets. Also appear to be that Torelli was one of the main musicians who actively promoted these instrumental practices. Jacchini’s San Petronio pieces were part of these performances, for he was participating in those as a cellist. It would be not too inaccurate to assume a connection of Op.4 and Op.5 to San Petronio aside of his musical debt to Torelli’s Concerti Op.6, even if the title implies da camera usages. Speculating further, Op.4 published in 1701 coincide surprisingly with the reopening of the Cappella Musicale. Did Jacchini contributed with newly fresh repertoire? More importantly, does the evidence and comparison with Torelli’s concerti match the idea of orchestral practices in Jacchini’s concerti? It likely seems a doable fact.

Footnotes:

1. MAUNDER, R., The scoring of baroque concertos, Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK, Boydell Press, 2004, pg.28.

2. Jacchini's use of an alto-viola as part of the orchestral scoring for his concertos follows the conventions of the early orchestral and solo concerto. Italian contemporary collections of concerti similar to Torelli’s Op.5 and Op.6 are Gregori’s Concerti Grossi Op.2 (published in 1698 in Lucca) featuring alto-viola parts, Artemio Motta’s Concerti Op.1 (published in 1701 in Modena) and Albinoni’s Sinfonie e Concerti Op.2 (published in 1700 in Venice) featuring both alto-viola and tenor-viola parts. Luigi Taglietti's Concerti a quattro, due violini, viola, violoncello obligato e basso continuo, e sinfonia a tre, Op.6, Amsterdam 1709 (probably a reprint) follows the structure in Torelli's Op.5.

3. MAUNDER, R., The scoring of baroque concertos, pg. 28. It is in that sense most likely that Jacchini propose his Concerti Op.4 without an alto-viola as an alternative.

4. SCHNOEBELEN, A., Performance Practices at San Petronio in the Baroque, Acta Musicologica, Vol. 41, Fasc. 1/2 (Jan. - Jun., 1969)

5. SCHNOEBELEN, A., Performance Practices at San Petronio in the Baroque, Acta Musicologica, Vol. 41, Fasc. 1/2 (Jan. - Jun., 1969), pp.44-45.

6. I-Bsp.MS.D.12.8

7. Concerto del Sigr Giuseffo Iachini à quattro Strome: 1694, I-Bsp.MS.D.12.3. The manuscript includes four parts: first and second violin, violoncello obligato, and violone. It is interesting to see no organ part, and no alto-viola part which (the alto-viola) is included in the publication. These parts may be missing from the manuscript.

8. Se ti compiaci suonare questi concerti non ti sia discaro moltiplicare tutti gl'Instrumenti, se vuoi scoprire la mia intenzione.TORELLI, G., Sinfonie à tre e Concerti à quattro […] op.5, Bologna 1692, Gioseffo Micheletti.

9. Ti averto, che se in qualche concerto troverai scritto solo, dovrà essere suonato da un solo Violino; Il Rimanente poi fa duplicare le parti etiamdio trè ò quattro per stromento, che così scoprirai la mia intenzione. TORELLI, G., Concerti Musicali […] op.6, Augsburg 1698, Lorenzo Kroniger & eredi del Teofilo Goebilio, per Gio: Christof Wagner.

10. TORELLI, G., Concerti Grossi con una Pastorale per il Santissimo Natale […], Op.8, Bologna 1709, Marino Silvani.