Fitzwilliam Sonatas is the name first given by Thurston Dart to an arrangement he made, based on two recorder sonatas by George Frideric Handel, which he recast as a group of three sonatas. The term was applied by later editors to the original two sonatas as Handel wrote them, and was also expanded to encompass several other sonatas for various instruments included in the Handel autograph manuscripts held by the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The two sonatas used by Dart for his edition were probably written between 1724 and 1726, [1] but were not likely intended to be associated, either as a pair or together with the other four recorder sonatas by Handel. They were first associated in 1948, when Thurston Dart named them after the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge, where the autograph sources are kept. [2] [3] Said autographs were part of the bequest that founded the museum, made in 1816 by Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam [4] (not related to the Earls Fitzwilliam), who had bought them at auction following the death of J.C. Smith the Younger (1712–95), from the portion of his collection remaining after a major gift to King George III. [2]
In 1974 a new edition of three recorder sonatas under the same name was made by the German musicologist Klaus Hofmann. [5] This edition restored the D minor sonata to its original seven-movement form, and added as no. 3 the Sonata in G major, HWV 358, probably composed much earlier than the other two Fitzwilliam recorder sonatas, at some time between 1707 and 1710. [6] Even with correction of an evidently defective, very high passage at the end of the third movement, Hofmann admits that "Handel must have been counting on a superlative instrumental soloist", and suggests that "perhaps an instrument in g' ought also to be kept in mind" (as opposed to the usual alto recorder in f'). [7] The attribution of this sonata to the recorder is contested, however. Both David Lasocki and Terence Best assign it to the violin, [8] whereas Jean-Claude Veilhan endorses Hofmann's view, [9] and Winfried Michel acknowledges the possibility. [10]
Two further Handel sonatas found in the Fitzwilliam manuscripts have been published under the "Fitzwilliam" rubric: the Sonata for Violin and Continuo in G minor, HWV 364a, [11] and the Sonata for Oboe and Continuo in B-flat major, HWV 357. [12] In the autograph of the G minor violin sonata, Handel copied out the first bar a second time at the foot of the first page, with the solo part written an octave lower, in the alto clef and with the words "Per la Viola da Gamba". [13] A realization of this version was first published in an edition by Thurston Dart in 1950. [14]
The three sonatas in Dart's arrangement (the one illustrated in the accompanying sound files) are:
The movements of Handel's two original sonatas, as given in both Klaus Hofmann's [5] and David Lasocki and Walter Bergmann's [20] editions, are:
The Sonata in G major (HWV 358) does not even carry the title "Sonata" in the manuscript, let alone any specification of instrumentation, nor are there any tempo markings for its three movements. [21] The editions by Hofmann [5] and Best, [22] though disagreeing about the intended solo instrument (recorder or violin, respectively), do supply the same tempo markings:
The Violin sonata in G minor (HWV 364a) is marked simply "Violino Solo" in the Fitzwilliam autograph. [23] The movements as given in Terence Best's edition [24] are:
Handel re-used the first movement of Sonata 1, a courante, in the opera, Scipione (HWV 20, 1704). [15] [26] The second movement was re-used in his Organ Concerto in F major, Op. 4, No. 4 (HWV 292). [15] [27] The third movement was used in the Violin Sonata, Op. 1, No. 3 (HWV 361). [15] [28]
Modern scholars agree that the B♭ major sonata must have been written for the recorder, despite there being no mention of this on the autograph. [29] One of the reasons for this is that, "when Handel used the third movement again in his A major violin sonata, he changed the key to A major, which would seem to eliminate the possibility that the B♭ major version is for the violin." [30] In addition, the key and range were unsuitable for the oboe, according to one source, [29] though another writer claims that, although "the key would be suitable for the oboe, but less so for the flute," nevertheless "The range is too high for the oboe, and all of Handel's genuine flute and oboe sonatas go significantly below f′ (flute sonatas to d′, oboe sonatas to c′ or d′)". [31]
The second and third of Dart's sonatas were originally a single sonata (HWV 367a), and was broken into two parts by Thurston Dart in his edition of 1948. The sonata designated by Dart as No. 2 consists of movement 7 of this D minor sonata followed by an earlier version of movement 6 of the same work, concluding with an unrelated minuet by Handel, together with a double (variation) composed by Dart. [32] It has since been published in its original form. [33] This D-minor Sonata was later arranged by an unknown hand as a flute Sonata in B minor (HWV 367b), published by Walsh in about 1730 as op. 1, no. 9. [29]
The trio sonata is a genre, typically consisting of several movements, with two melody instruments and basso continuo. It originated in the early 17th century and was a favorite chamber ensemble combination in the Baroque era.
The year 1730 in music involved some significant events.
Johann Christian Schickhardt was a German composer and woodwind player.
The Flute sonata in E minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for flute and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 1b, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii,6; and HHA iv/3,10.
The Flute sonata in B minor is a work for flute and basso continuo, however the sonata was originally composed by George Frideric Handel as a Recorder sonata in D minor . Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii, 32; and HHA iv/3,42.
The Sonata in D minor was composed, circa 1709–15, by George Frideric Handel for recorder and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 9a. Another catalogue of Handel's music refers to the work as HHA iv/18,19,45.
The Flute sonata in A minor is thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, for flute and basso continuo. The date of composition of the work is unknown, but it was first published in 1730. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xlviii, 130; and HHA iv/3,57.
The Flute sonata in E minor is thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, for flute and basso continuo. The date of composition of the work is unknown, but it was first published in 1730. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xlviii, 134; and HHA iv/3,63.
The Flute sonata in B minor is thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel, for flute and basso continuo. The date of composition of the work is unknown, but it was first published in 1730. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xlviii, 137; and HHA iv/3,68.
It is impossible to say how many flute sonatas were composed by George Frideric Handel, but the correct number is somewhere between none and eight. There are many reasons for the confusion: some of the sonatas were originally written for other instruments, some have uncertain authenticity, some contain borrowings from other Handel works, and some were published without Handel's knowledge. At least six of the sonatas are known to contain music written by Handel, although he may not have intended some of them to have been played by the flute.
The Sonata in G minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for recorder and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 2, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii,9; and HHA iv/3,16.
The Sonata in A minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for recorder and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 4, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii, 15; and HHA iv/3,21.
The Sonata in C major, for recorder and basso continuo, was composed by George Frideric Handel. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 7, and was first published in or shortly after 1726—in a collection of twelve sonatas titled Sonates pour un Traversiere un Violon ou Hautbois Con Basso Continuo Composées par G. F. Handel—purportedly in Amsterdam by Jeanne Roger, but now shown to have been a forgery by the London publisher John Walsh. Walsh republished this sonata in 1731 or 1732 under his own imprint in a similar collection, containing ten of the earlier sonatas and two new ones, with the new title Solos for a German Flute a Hoboy or Violin With a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord or Bass Violin Compos'd by Mr. Handel. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii, 15; and HHA iv/3,33.
Solos for a German Flute a Hoboy or Violin with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord or Bass Violin Compos'd by Mr. Handel was published by John Walsh in 1732. It contains a set of twelve sonatas, for various instruments, composed by George Frideric Handel. The 63 page publication includes the sonatas that are generally known as Handel's Opus 1.
The Violin sonata in G minor is a work for violin and basso continuo that was originally thought to have been composed by George Frideric Handel. Modern scholars however believe it doubtful that the work was composed by Handel, and have labelled it as "spurious". The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 10, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii,37; and HHA iv/4,28.
The Sonata in F major was composed by George Frideric Handel for recorder and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 11, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii, 40; and HHA iv/3,52.
The Violin sonata in G minor was composed by George Frideric Handel for violin and basso continuo. The work is also referred to as Opus 1 No. 6, and was first published in 1732 by Walsh. Other catalogues of Handel's music have referred to the work as HG xxvii,22; and HHA iv/18,6. Also published in HG xlviii,118.
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