Geminiani: 12 Sonatas for Violin and Figured Bass, H. 1-12, Op. 1

Description

Given that appendices have since been included in other volumes, it now seems appropriate to compile an appendix for Volume 1A in the form of a separate publication - Volume 1C of the series. Even with a whole volume available, however, it is impossible to include all known arrangements. Such a publication would be of disproportionate size: it would require about 600 pages, due largely to the two complete or near-complete sets of concerto arrangements. The present volume thus includes only selections from these sets of concerto arrangements and also only a selection from Edward Finch's complete set of arrangements in the form of transverse-flute sonatas. The smaller sets of arrangements—either as solo sonatas or as trio sonatas—are included in their entirety. The available arrangements fall into three distinct categories: solo sonatas, trio sonatas, and concertos. There are fourteen arrangements by Edward Finch for transverse flute with figured bass; they are found in the so-called Armstrong-Finch manuscript and comprise a full set of twelve plus two duplicate versions. Four of these arrangements are included in the present volume. Three more arrangements for transverse flute or recorder with figured bass are found in anthologies of sonatas for these instruments published in the 1720s; they are all of them edited here. Geminiani's Sonatas VII-XII were transformed into trio sonatas by Francesco Barsanti and published in this format in 1727. These arrangements are included here in complete form as well. A near-complete set of concerto arrangements—Sonata XI is missing—was composed by Charles Avison and a complete set by Gerhard Christoph Raupach, both sets composed probably in the 1730s. From each of these two sets, two examples were selected for inclusion in the present volume. They are supplemented by single concerto arrangements by William Hayes (after Sonata IV) and Johan Helmich Roman (after Sonata VI), composed at all probability in the 1730s as well. None of these concerto arrangements was published in the eighteenth century.