Ariosti, Attilio Collection of Lessons for the viol d'amore from "Six Sonatas for viola d'Amore, violin or viola" Vol. I - Sonatas n. 1 e 2 for viola and harpsichord (or piano) Revision and transcription by Renzo Sabatini Collection "Musiche Vocali e Strumentali Sacre e Profane Sec. XVII - XVIII - XIX" De Santis Editions DS 981 - 39 pag. - price 16.00 Euro - [See a page]

Notes

EXPLANATORY NOTES In 1728 a work was published, bearing the title: "6 Cantatas and a collection of Lessons for the Viold'Amore", by Attilio Ariosti. (Bologna 1666.1740 Spagna?). This work has been cited by musicai historians, including Hawkins, Eitner, Gerber, Gaspari, to mention a few of the most important. The six Lessons for Viola d'Amore were later republished for the original instrument, and transcriptions were also made for the violincello, violin and viola. In this way, the sonatas attained a certain renown, justly so, as they were of an authentit and genuine beauty, and the name of Ariosti today is associated only with these sonatas, although he was the author of a conspicious number of works comprising opera, ballet and cantatas, many of which now are unknown. The four copies existing and known today, mentioned by Eitner, are, according to him, without frontispiece, but mention of them is found in all the bibliographical sources, ancient and modern, for the viola d'Amore. The present revision was done with adherence to the manuscript in "Biblioteca Comunale of the conservatory of music, G. B. Martini ", in Bologna, which bears the Autographed inscription of Gaspari (Bologna, 1807-1881) . In a chapter entitled " To the Readers " Ariostl explains clearly the choice of the title, and the reason for the word lesson instead of Sonatas, and the proposed didactic scope. Namely, to present to the violinist desirous of learning the Viola d'Amore, a means by which he could famliarize himself with it gradually', by preliminary studies on the violin, tuning the violin in the same way as the Viola d' Amore. The term originally used by Ariosti, "scordatura" denotes the fact that the tuning is not theconventional one, namely, that of fifths, but follows patterns and intervals not in normal use, and every lessons embodies a diverse manner of tuning, according to the tonality. When the violinist has assimilated these patterns on the violin, he passes on to an exact repetition on the viola d'Amore, where, the first four strings correspond exactly to those of the violitn "scordato". The three or four other strings which are found on the viola d'Amore, (depending on whether the instrument is mounted wlth 6 or 7 strings) present no problem, as they are played empty or as part of chords only. ... (more)