Diciotto partite per chitarra dagli originali per colascione by Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello;Ruggero ChiesaReview by: Thomas GaabNotes, Second Series, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Mar., 1983), pp. 691-692Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/940166 .

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Music Reviews

Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello. Diciotto partite per chitarra dagli or- iginali per colascione. Trascrizione in notazione moderna di Ruggero Chiesa. Milano: Suvini Zerboni (Boosey), 1981. [Preface in It., Eng., Fr., Ger., facsims., 69 p., transcriptions, 112 p., $61.00]

Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello was born in Bologna in 1690 and at age twenty-five was brought to Munich from Venice by the Electoral Princess to serve as a violinist. A year later he was appointed musique direc- teur, maitre des concerts de la chambre for the Duchy of Wiirttemberg in Stuttgart. He stayed at this post until 1751 when he was succeeded by the violinist Ignaz Holtz- bauer. He died there around the year 1757.

It is not surprising that the bulk of Bres- cianello's compositions were chamber works centering around his own instrument, the violin. The only works published during his lifetime were the twelve Concerti e Sin- fonie for violin with a small accompanying ensemble, though he also wrote four vocal works, namely, the opera La Tisbe, a sol- emn mass, and two cantatas. It is not known what experience Brescianello had with the colascione, a kind of lute, but it is possible that at one time he was in the employ of a dignitary who played the in- strument.

Two types of colascione (or gallichone) were in use in Germany and Italy during the eighteenth century. Both resembled long-necked lutes; one type was strung with only two or three courses while the other had five or six. Its popularity was very limited, and the repertoire for it was correspondingly small. Examples of works which have survived are a Trio for two co- lasciones and cello, and a Partita for colas- cione, two violins, and bass by Placidus von Camerloher; Sechs Partitas, a Partita for two colasciones, flute, and bass viol, and Sechs Sonaten for two colasciones by Johann Paul Schiffelholtz; and Drei Serenaden, Polonaise und Zwolf Menuette by Duke Clement of Bavaria. Telemann also used colascione as a member of the orchestra in two of his concertos.

The present edition was originally writ- ten for six-course colascione and comes from a manuscript in French tablature now housed at the Sachische Landesbi- bliothek of Dresden. The date of its com- position is unknown. The manuscript does

not indicate titles for any of the eighteen groups of pieces (each is simply preceeded by "Gallichone solo Del Sig:r Brescianello"), but the editor's decision to use the term partita seems appropriate.

In the Dresden manuscript Brescianello specifies three tunings with the sixth course being the only variant. Courses five through one are tuned G-c-f-a-d' while the sixth is pitched at D, D#, or F according to the in- struction for each Partita. Since the colas- cione is tuned here in the same intervals as the modern guitar but pitched one whole step lower, the guitarist may perform from Chiesa's transcription (which has been transposed up a step) and still preserve all of Brescianello's intentions as notated through the tablature (for example, place- ment of notes in a particular position on the fingerboard, use of open strings, and use of slurs). Of course, scordatura must sometimes be used for the sixth string by raising it from E to F or G.

A noteworthy inclusion to this edition is a facsimile of the entire manuscript. Though it has been reduced in size to four sheets per page, its legibility is quite good, and it is certainly clear enough to compare it to the transcription at almost any point. The critical notes are helpful in their ex- planation of Brescianello's ornament sym- bols which are few in number and rather easy to deal with. Fingerings and dynamics have been left to the discretion of the per- former, though an occasional string indi- cation is given. Performing editions of the sixth, seventh, and sixteenth Partitas have also been published separately by Suvini Zerboni. These have been provided with complete right and left hand fingerings, but they omit the manuscript facsimile.

The Partitas vary in length from three to seven movements and are made up of brief pieces chiefly in binary form as well as short dance compositions. Their tech- nical difficulty ranges from easy to mod- erate. Predominantly Baroque in charac- ter, they often resemble the style of Corelli concerti grossi but, at times, exhibit char- acteristics of the style galant.

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MLA Notes, March 1983 MLA Notes, March 1983

Though at first glance the price of this edition seems a bit expensive, it is actually quite reasonable in light of the amount of music provided. The paper is heavy and the soft binding is of high quality.

As recently as ten or fifteen years ago there was a depressingly small number of dependable editions of guitar music. Rug- gero Chiesa has done much to remedy that situation. His reputation for providing

Though at first glance the price of this edition seems a bit expensive, it is actually quite reasonable in light of the amount of music provided. The paper is heavy and the soft binding is of high quality.

As recently as ten or fifteen years ago there was a depressingly small number of dependable editions of guitar music. Rug- gero Chiesa has done much to remedy that situation. His reputation for providing

stylistically accurate scholarly and perform- ing editions is well-deserved. Brescianello's Diciotto partite is a fine example of his thor- ough approach to editorial procedures, and it is sure to be a welcome addition to most guitarists' libraries.

THOMAS GAAB California State University,

Dominguez Hills

stylistically accurate scholarly and perform- ing editions is well-deserved. Brescianello's Diciotto partite is a fine example of his thor- ough approach to editorial procedures, and it is sure to be a welcome addition to most guitarists' libraries.

THOMAS GAAB California State University,

Dominguez Hills

Adriano Banchieri. Festino (Bologna, 1608). Edited by Eugene Enrico (Accademia Filarmonica I). Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma, 1981. [Notes, texts, facsims., 22 p., transcription/score, 113 p., $15.95]

Adriano Banchieri. Festino (Bologna, 1608). Edited by Eugene Enrico (Accademia Filarmonica I). Norman, Okla.: University of Oklahoma, 1981. [Notes, texts, facsims., 22 p., transcription/score, 113 p., $15.95]

Adriano Banchieri's Festino, published in Venice in 1608, is one of the many delight- ful madrigal-comedies he composed during the period 1598-1630 and is possibly the most familiar of his works. Along with Or- azio Vecchi's L'Amfiparnasso of 1594, it has become an almost obligatory part of the

collegium repertoire in colleges and uni- versities, with recorded performances as well. The reasons for the popularity of the Festino are many, for, first of all, it is com-

paratively easy to work up for perfor- mance and, secondly, it offers all sorts of musical contrasts within its twenty num- bers. All kinds of sentiments are repre- sented, from innocent love to outright slander; and all kinds of forms, from the

madrigal and canzonetta to the villanella and others, can be found. The collegium has a chance to sing sweetly or, as in the "Contraponto bestiale," imitate dogs, cats and the like. It is great fun for all con- cerned, a sure-fire closing work for a con- cert, guaranteed to please any audience.

Eugene Enrico's new edition, the first in a new series published by the University of Oklahoma under the general title, Accade- mia Filarmonica, is designed to be a Critical Edition for Performance. It is Enrico's

feeling that the musical forces to be em-

ployed should include (in addition to the

singers) a large instrumental ensemble, that is "a consort of 5 bowed string instru- ments, a contrasting consort of 5 lutes (or recorders), a consort of 5 sackbuts, harp- sichord and percussion (2 players)." The score as printed here gives only the vocal

parts and the continuo realization; parts are available from the publisher. In addi- tion, Enrico suggests that the work be

Adriano Banchieri's Festino, published in Venice in 1608, is one of the many delight- ful madrigal-comedies he composed during the period 1598-1630 and is possibly the most familiar of his works. Along with Or- azio Vecchi's L'Amfiparnasso of 1594, it has become an almost obligatory part of the

collegium repertoire in colleges and uni- versities, with recorded performances as well. The reasons for the popularity of the Festino are many, for, first of all, it is com-

paratively easy to work up for perfor- mance and, secondly, it offers all sorts of musical contrasts within its twenty num- bers. All kinds of sentiments are repre- sented, from innocent love to outright slander; and all kinds of forms, from the

madrigal and canzonetta to the villanella and others, can be found. The collegium has a chance to sing sweetly or, as in the "Contraponto bestiale," imitate dogs, cats and the like. It is great fun for all con- cerned, a sure-fire closing work for a con- cert, guaranteed to please any audience.

Eugene Enrico's new edition, the first in a new series published by the University of Oklahoma under the general title, Accade- mia Filarmonica, is designed to be a Critical Edition for Performance. It is Enrico's

feeling that the musical forces to be em-

ployed should include (in addition to the

singers) a large instrumental ensemble, that is "a consort of 5 bowed string instru- ments, a contrasting consort of 5 lutes (or recorders), a consort of 5 sackbuts, harp- sichord and percussion (2 players)." The score as printed here gives only the vocal

parts and the continuo realization; parts are available from the publisher. In addi- tion, Enrico suggests that the work be

staged with dancers in several numbers, as well as with mimes in some to underline the implications of the texts. The end ef- fect desired is one that "will enable musi- cians to perform Festino in a way that is faithful to history and pleasant to experi- ence."

Enrico supports his style of performance by a paragraph of sentences that nearly all include the phrase, ". . . might have

. ." He thus builds up a set of hypotheses which the user may or may not wish to fol- low, but which are necessary to understand why the editor has given Festino the staging and orchestration it has received. The in- troduction, outside of this special pleading, includes well-taken remarks on back- ground, instruments of the time, a trans- lation of all the material, staging direc- tions, and a set of critical notes. The music then follows, given with a singable trans- lation, making it possible to present the work either in its original language or in understandable English. The edition as a whole is obviously a record of the manner in which the Oklahoma Collegium Musi- cum has performed the work, a manner which can be copied by other groups al- most literally. By allowing for such specif- ics, Enrico has given a true "performing" edition.

There are some problems in considering how successfully the matter of achieving a "critical" edition has been accomplished. There are two pages of critical notes which are, at first glance, most impressive. Closer examination shows that most of them are unnecessary, for they merely catalogue words of the original print that were ab- breviated by the use of a line over a vowel,

staged with dancers in several numbers, as well as with mimes in some to underline the implications of the texts. The end ef- fect desired is one that "will enable musi- cians to perform Festino in a way that is faithful to history and pleasant to experi- ence."

Enrico supports his style of performance by a paragraph of sentences that nearly all include the phrase, ". . . might have

. ." He thus builds up a set of hypotheses which the user may or may not wish to fol- low, but which are necessary to understand why the editor has given Festino the staging and orchestration it has received. The in- troduction, outside of this special pleading, includes well-taken remarks on back- ground, instruments of the time, a trans- lation of all the material, staging direc- tions, and a set of critical notes. The music then follows, given with a singable trans- lation, making it possible to present the work either in its original language or in understandable English. The edition as a whole is obviously a record of the manner in which the Oklahoma Collegium Musi- cum has performed the work, a manner which can be copied by other groups al- most literally. By allowing for such specif- ics, Enrico has given a true "performing" edition.

There are some problems in considering how successfully the matter of achieving a "critical" edition has been accomplished. There are two pages of critical notes which are, at first glance, most impressive. Closer examination shows that most of them are unnecessary, for they merely catalogue words of the original print that were ab- breviated by the use of a line over a vowel,

692 692

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