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Looking for some rep to play with two fabulous violinist friends of mine for an upcoming recital. We've had the idea of a triple violin concerto. And I checked IMSLP and found five pieces in the "for mandolin, 2 violins, and continuo" section. None of them particularly "grabbed" me on first glance, but I'll live with them for a bit. If you've can recommend anything, I'll be grateful!
If you're looking for mixed mandolin/violin repertoire, I am fond of this Sonata for mandolin, violin and basso by Carlo Arrigoni, which may work if you can adapt the basso part to be played by one of your violin friends. The PDF score is no longer at the source I had linked in my 2013 post, but it's here on the Cafe, as an attachment to an old post of mine (Link). Fun piece. Very theatrical.
Another piece originally scored for mandolin and two violins (plus basso) is the mandolin concerto in G Major by Johann Adolph Hasse (1699-1783).
Otherwise, maybe have a look at the second movement of Vivaldi's Concerto For 2 Violins in A minor, Op. 3 No. 8, RV 522 -- the orchestra plays in unison in that movement, so it reduces nicely to a trio. Also, Barbella's Sonata for two mandolins and basso may adapt well to your instrumentation and is a great fun piece.
Martin
Beginning with virtuosic flourish at 1:05, Artemandoline play Arrigoni's trio sonata for mandolino and violin with the neapolitan mandolin taking the violin part. I hope it amuses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce_L6YJ0fEM
The Hasse concerto is lovely and popularly recorded. Of course, in designating "mandolin" (or similar), Hasse, Arrigoni, Vivaldi, Hoffmann, etc. were referencing a lute-like instrument (as pictured on the viewers' left in the video above) tuned [g,] b, e', a', d", g". Still, their mandolin music is often interpreted on modern instruments with modern tuning.
I'm not certain where you'd go with continuo parts or middle voices, Paul, but many 18th-c. concerti for Neapolitan mandolin and strings could be taken with single violins playing respective parts from the score and may even be pretty satisfying if one of the violins realizes basic basso harmonies during solo passages: e.g., Barbella, Cantone (I really like the slow movement from this one), Caudioso, Cecere, Conforto, Giuliano/i, Lamberti, etc. . . . Or, as Martin alludes, trio sonatas with the additional violin fleshing out the harmony in higher-than-basso registers.
Also, flutists are nuts for playing together in the absence of others. Thus, there's a lot of flute-trio literature out there, some of which might be effectively realized by your proposed ensemble.
. . . Or realize your lifelong dream to compose! . . . ?
Thanks Eugene -- I really like that interpretation by Artemandoline, although I only came across it after recording my own quite different (and considerably less virtuosic) version of the Arrigoni trio sonata. It does confirm, though, what I said about this piece being very theatrical!Quote:
Originally Posted by Eugene
Martin
"... if you can adapt the basso part to be played by one of your violin friends."
"... and may even be pretty satisfying if one of the violins realizes basic basso harmonies during solo passages".
According to Paul Sparks, "An Introduction to the 18th Century Repertoire of the Neapolitan Mandolin" (Plucked String Inc, 1999), p. 16, the basso part in trios for two mandolins/violins and basso, such as Barbella, is meant to be played on a viola an octave higher than written. If one of the violinists is adept at reading from the bass clef, this would also work, except for passages on the C string of the viola, which would need to be transposed up.
It does indeed!Quote:
Originally Posted by Martin Jonas