Alessandro Scarlatti
(1660-1725)
12 sinfonie di concerto grosso
SIDE 1
Sinfonia No. 1 in F Major for Two Flutes, Strings and Continuo
1. Allegro—Adagio —Allegro —Adagio—Allegro
Sinfonia No. 2 in D Major for Trumpet, Flute, Strings and Continuo
2. Spiritoso—Adagio —Allegro Adagio —Presto
Sinfonia No. 3 in D Minor for Flute, Strings and Continuo
3. Vivace —Adagio —Andante —Adagio—Allegro
SIDE 2
Sinfonia No. 4 in E Minor for Flute, Oboe, Strings and Continuo
1. Vivace —Adagio—Allegro—Adagio —Allegro
Sinfonia No. 5 in D Minor for Two Flutes, Strings and Continuo
2. Spiritoso, e staccato Adagio —Allegro—Adagio —Allegro assai
Sinfonia No. 6 in A Minor for Flute, Strings and Continuo
3. Vivace —Adagio—Allegro —Adagio —Allegro
SIDE 3
Sinfonia No. 7 in G Minor for Flute, Strings and Continuo
1. Moderato—Moderato (Allegro) —Grave—Allegro
Sinfonia No. 8 in G Major for Flute, Strings and Continuo
2. Allegretto —Adagio —Allegro —Adagio—Vivace
Sinfonia No. 9 in G Minor for Flute, Strings and Continuo
3. Vivace —Adagio —Moderato —Adagio —Allegretto —Menuett
SIDE 4
Sinfonia No. 10 in A Minor for Flute, Strings and Continuo
1. Vivace —Adagio—Allegro—Adagio —Allegretto
Sinfonia No. 11 in C Major for Flute, Strings and Continuo
2. Spirituoso—Lento—Allegro —Adagio—Allegro
Sinfonia No. 12 in C Minor for Flute, Strings and Continuo
3. Adagio—Andante giusto—Adagio—Andante moderato
William Bennett, Lenore Smith, Flutes
Bernard Soustrot, Trumpet
Hans Elhorst, Oboe
| Musici
SINFONIA NO. 8 ING
The opening Allegretto starts in canon between the first and second violins, with the
cadence familiar in 18th century string writing; the echo idea is kept up throughout the
movement and also plays a big part in the finale. The flute part is treated as a solo in
the two Adagios flanking the central Allegro, a fully worked-out fugue on a terse half-bar
motif. The closing Vivace is a lighthearted exploitation of dotted rhythm.
SINFONIA NO. 9 IN G MINOR
As in Sinfonia no. 7, the key of G minor seems to be the catalyst helping Scarlatti
produce a work of greater seriousness. The opening Vivace is very fully scored; the first
Adagio opens as a quartet for flute and upper strings, soon developed and enriched by
cello and continuo. The central Moderato is a fully worked-out double fugue followed
by a charming duet for flute and continuo (Adagio) and a gigue-like Allegretto. An addi-
tional Menuett completes this Sinfonia.
MHS STEREO 827429A
A DIGITAL RECORDING
Also Available on 2 Chrome Cassettes MHC 229429Z
SINFONIA NO. 10 IN A MINOR
Formally this Sinfonia closely follows the design of the first four movements of no. 9,
and the opening Vivace resembles the technique found in no. 5: tutti punctuating the
string line. Of the two Adagios, the first is an accompanied flute solo and the second
a quartet for flute and upper strings which develops into a fully orchestrated texture.
The final Allegretto (3/4) is binary in form.
SINFONIA NO. 11 IN C
The opening Spirituoso defines C major in no uncertain terms; after closing on the domi-
nant, there follows an E minor Lento with a concertante flute part and an interesting cello
line. The central Allegro in C major starts off as a fugue and becomes a development
section in a more modern sense halfway through. An Adagio (A minor) closes on G; the
final Allegro once again outlines the C tonality.
SINFONIA NO. 12 IN C MINOR
This Sinfonia opens with a stately 19-bar Adagio, generally very richly textured. Following
that, in C minor (Andante giusto), is a splendid fugue on a chromatic subject. A spacious
E-flat Adagio has a running eighth-note bass; this bass is soon taken over by the viola
and second violin in unison, giving a delightfully airy sound. The final Andante moderato
is a gigue-like binary movement with many juxtapositions of forte and piano.
Joan Ashley
More than 30 years of phenomenal success, scores of outstanding recordings, and an extensive list of
international awards and tributes have crowned | Musici with the aura of legend. The group was formed
in 1952 when 12 students from the Academy of Santa Cecilia, who had often played together for pleasure,
gave their first public concert. Their success was so complete and so immediate that by the end of that
same year they had toured not only Italy, but also Spain, Portugal, and France. In the next two years they
appeared in England, Holland, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and Hungary. Soon
overseas tours to the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, and Central and South America established
their fame worldwide. Their early European triumphs included appearances at festivals in Graz, Menton,
Copenhagen, Aix-en-Provence, Salzburg, and Edinburgh.
Although most clearly associated with baroque music, playing an important part in promoting a wider ap-
preciation of Vivaldi and the lesser-known Italian composers of that period, | Musici has a much wider reper-
toire: the ensemble has won equal praise for its performances of such composers as Bart6k, Britten, Barber,
and Frank Martin. In the field of recordings, | Musici has been more successful than any other group of
its kind. Its first Grand Prix du Disque was awarded in 1956 for Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, a recording which
has since gone platinum and has become a staple of classical record collections everywhere. The Christmas
Concerto (Grand Prix du Disque), Vivaldi’s La stravaganza, (Edison Award), and Vivaldi’s La cetra (German
Record Critic’s Prize) are but a few on the impressive list that followed. The orchestra has also recorded
with such renowned instrumentalists as Heinz Holliger, Severino Gazzelloni, and Don Smithers. In 1977
| Musici celebrated its Silver Jubilee, receiving tributes from the world of music, the international music
press, civic dignitaries, the Italian government, and the Vatican State. It was a measure of the universal
esteem in which the ensemble is held.
MORTON GREEN
MEMORIAL
RECORD LIBRARY
MHS STEREO 8274290
A DIGITAL RECORDING
Also Available on 2 Chrome Cassettes MHC 2294297
SINFONIA NO. 10 IN A MINOR
Formally this Sinfonia closely follows the design of the first four movements of no. 9,
and the opening Vivace resembles the technique found in no. 5: tutti punctuating the
String line. Of the two Adagios, the first is an accompanied flute solo and the second
a quartet for flute and upper strings which develops into a fully orchestrated texture.
The final Allegretto (3/4) is binary in form.
SINFONIA NO. 11 IN C
The opening Spirituoso defines C major in no uncertain terms; after closing on the domi-
nant, there follows an E minor Lento with a concertante flute part and an interesting cello
line. The central Allegro in C major starts off as a fugue and becomes a development
section in a more modern sense halfway through. An Adagio (A minor) closes on G; the
final Allegro once again outlines the C tonality.
SINFONIA NO. 12 IN C MINOR
This Sinfonia opens with a stately 19-bar Adagio, generally very richly textured. Following
that, in C minor (Andante giusto), is a splendid fugue on a chromatic subject. A spacious
E-flat Adagio has a running eighth-note bass; this bass is soon taken over by the viola
and second violin in unison, giving a delightfully airy sound. The final Andante moderato
is a gigue-like binary movement with many juxtapositions of forte and piano.
Joan Ashley
Timings:
Side 1: 6:18, 7:57, 6:58/21:09
Side 2: 7:56, 8:01, 7:12/23:15
Side 3: 6:32, 6:25, 8:14/21:17
Side 4: 7:38. 7:05. 10:09/24:58
mastering: BIN Kipper, Masterdisk Corp.
Cover Art: Alessandro Scarlatti
Jacket Design: Jayne Travis
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 86-743102
Licensed from Philips Classics Productions, an activity of Phonogram International B.V., Baarn, The Netherlands
® 1981 Phonogram International B.V.
© Musical Heritage Society, Inc., 1986
Manufactured in the U.S.A. by
‘Musical Heritage Society
1710 Highway 35, Ocean, New Jersey 07712
This record, manutactured with Teldec’s DMM
Technology (Direct Metal Mastering), sets new stan-
dards for a sound of superior purity, transparency,
and dynamics. No annoying echoes and surface noise
disturb the listening pleasure,
Alessandro Scarlatti, who was born in Sicily in 1660 and died in Naples in 1725, is
generally known as a composer of operas. Well-practiced in the art of writing orchestral
overtures and symphonies for these, he began, on June 1, 1715, to compose a set of
12 sinfonie for strings, continuo, and an assortment of wind instruments. In the autograph
manuscript (in the British Museum) he draws attention to the “concerto grosso” elements
in their construction, contrasting the solo and tutti timbres. Dr. Charles Burney refers
to Scarlatti as “recherché and learned” compared to some of his Italian colleagues; he
certainly uses the more old fashioned techniques of fugue and echo effects but with an
extraordinarily light touch, in a dexterous manner which emphasizes his importance in
the development of the early classical style.
SINFONIA NO. 1 IN F
The 24-bar opening Allegro demonstrates the concerto-grosso quality in two short sec-
tions for solo violin accompanied by flutes purling along in thirds. A D minor Adagio follows,
the bass line falling chromatically through the octave during the course of the movement's
15 bars. The heart of each sinfonia is a longer fugal movement, in this case an Allegro,
in which there is a very nice interplay between tutti and solo elements (highlighting the
viola, violins, and cello in turn) within the formal bounds of a fugue. The short Adagio
is for flutes and cello; the cello part is richly satisfying, as so often is the case with Scarlatti,
who frequently accompanied the cello virtuoso Francischello and became increasingly
aware of the potential of the instrument. This nine-bar modulating bridge carries the music
from D minor into F major in the Allegro finale, which possesses a characteristic dotted
rhythm.
SINFONIA NO. 2 IN D
Orchestration details in these sinfonie, such as the rhythmic interplay between violins
and woodwind at the start of the opening movement of no. 2, Spiritoso, suggest that
they were written for the concert hall rather than “to drown out the din of a courtly public
arriving late for the theater” (Raymond Meylan). The first movement is lightly scored
with scalar patterns for the strings and the woodwind pointing up the harmonic changes.
The desired timbre for the trumpet may be assessed from Scarlatti’s own estimate that
the sound of one trumpet was equivalent to that of four fiddles. The trumpet is silent
in the short connecting Adagio; the central Allegro is again a fusion of fugal and concerto-
grosso elements with a hint of dotted rhythm at the close, reminiscent of the French overture
style. The second Adagio is 22 bars of an insistent dotted rhythm played by a quartet
consisting of a flute, two violins, and a viola. The final Presto is a strong and clearly
defined binary movement with concertante sections for the cello.
SINFONIA NO. 3 IN D MINOR
The 19-bar opening Vivace makes much play of sixteenth notes in thirds. The Adagio
is a flute solo with cello accompaniment (the harpsichord is silent) in lyrical dotted-rhythm
counterpoint; violins and viola soon take up the pattern, and for the rest of this short
movement it is shared among all parts except the second violin, in extremely light-textured
writing. The central movement is an Andante in church-sonata style with much voice-
leading, using a motif made up of a bar of repeated notes followed by an upward leap
of at first a seventh and later a variety of intervals. A 12-bar Adagio in flowing eighth-
note counterpoint is characterized by a distinctive cello entry: sixteenth-note octaves.
The binary Allegro bears the same distinctive rhythm as the finale of Sinfonia no. 1.
SINFONIA NO. 4 IN E MINOR
The opening Vivace establishes a good partnership between flute and oboe against
the strings. This gives way to a G major Adagio. The fugal Allegro, using two contrasting
motifs, contains an episodic duet for flute and cello. These two instruments begin the
ensuing Adagio and are gradually joined by the other instruments for a seven-bar tutti
before the final Allegro, a gigue in 12/8.
SINFONIA NO. 5 IN D MINOR
The opening of this movement, Spiritoso, e staccato, starts off fresh with string lines
punctuated by a tutti comment. The established pattern continues through an Adagio,
which links the first movement to the central fugal Allegro. The second Adagio is per-
formed without continuo and leads to the final Allegro assai.
SINFONIA NO. 6 IN A MINOR
Although less distinguished, the opening Vivace continues the pattern of the splendid
cello line: a gradual descent of more than an octave before the cadential bars. There
is a flute and cello duet in the Adagio; the fugal Allegro, as so often is the case with
Scarlatti, starts off as a full-blown fugue, then gets caught up and ends in a lengthy
episode. The Adagio connects the middle movement to the fugal Allegro finale, which
enjoys a fate similar to that of the first Allegro.
SINFONIA NO. 7 IN G MINOR
The style of this work varies. The opening Moderato is much more fully scored than
any movement in the preceding pieces. The customary linking Adagio section is absent,
and the fugue (Moderato) has a longer and more chromatic subject than is usual and
is more fully worked out. The Grave has a much richer overall texture; the final Allegro
has the typical brilliance of a Venetian finale.
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