RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
MY WORK ON THE INTERNET — VOLUME EIGHT
RUDOLF RASCH
THE THIRTY-TWO WORKS OF
FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN
THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5
(1747)
Please refer to this text in the following way:
Rudolf Rasch, The Thirty-Three Works of Francesco Geminiani (= My Work on the Internet, Volume Eight)
Work Fifteen: The Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 (1747)
http://www.let.uu.nl/~Rudolf.Rasch/personal/Geminiani/15-Violin-Sonatas-Opus-5-1747.pdf
For suggestions, additions, corrections and remarks: r.a.rasch@uu.nl
Version: 15 July 2015 © Rudolf Rasch, Utrecht/Houten, 2015
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15 July 2015
RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
WORK FIFTEEN
THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
CONTENTS
The Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 (1747) ........................................................................................................... 3
The Sonatas ....................................................................................................................................................... 4
The Arrangement ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Notation ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Engraving and Printing .................................................................................................................................... 10
The British Issue .............................................................................................................................................. 11
The Johnson Issue............................................................................................................................................ 14
The French Edition .......................................................................................................................................... 15
Arrangements .................................................................................................................................................. 16
Facsimile Edition ............................................................................................................................................. 16
Modern Editions .............................................................................................................................................. 17
Recordings ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
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WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
Geminiani’s Opus 5 has the curious property that it includes two Works, a set of violoncello sonatas (Work
Fourteen) and a set of violin sonatas (Work Fifteen). The simple explanation of the duplicate seems to be that
the violin sonatas are arrangements of the violin sonatas and apparently Geminiani preferred to emphasize
this relationship by maintaining the opus number of the cello sonatas for the violin sonatas. Remarkably
enough, the next Work, a set of six concertos, was published as Opus 7 (Work Sixteen), skipping the opus
number 6. That does not mean the opus number 6 was not used at all. The French Edition of the violin
sonatas calls them “Œuvre sixième”.
There is a different way to look at the opus number “5” of the Violin Sonatas, namely that they were not
meant to have an opus number. The First Issue, published in The Hague, has no opus number. The Second
Issue, published in London, does have the phrase “Opera V”, but this can be easily read as belonging to the
title of the Cello Sonatas because their title is quoted in full in the title first. The French Edition is a copy of
the Dutch Issue. Its engraver saw that an opus number was missing and inserted the logical “Œuvre VIe.”.
It should be noted that the Concertos from the Sonatas Opus 4 also do not have a true opus number. The
opus number is only mentioned in the subtitle, as the last words of the title page, where it is said that the
concertos are arrangements of the Violin Sonatas Opus 4. From this point of view the Violin Sonatas Opus 5
it is easy to understand that the Violin Sonatas “Opus 5” should be called “the Violin Sonatas from Opus 5”,
as short for “the Violin Sonatas from the Cello Sonatas Opus 5”. A difference between the cases of
Geminiani’s Opus 4 and Opus 5 is that in the former case the arrangements were clearly composed after the
publication of their examples and published four years after them, whereas in the latter case the composition
of the arrangements must have followed that of their examples must quicker and preceded thier publication,
since they were published together.
Where it not that Geminiani repeatedly stresses that the violoncello sonatas were composed first and then
transposed and transcribed as violin sonatas, no doubt it would have been generally believed that the violin
sonatas represented the original versions of the works, with the cello sonatas as later arrangements.
The first time the Violin Sonatas Opus 5 are mentioned in Geminiani’s biography is in the letter he wrote
from The Hague to the London organist Joseph Kelway on 10 January 1747, a letter quoted in full in relation
with the Cello Sonatas Opus 5. This letter closes with the following lines:
M’ero scordato di dirle che le medesime sonate di Violoncello le ò trasportate per il violino, è di
già sono intagliate, ed stampate.
I forgot to tell you that I have transcribed the same Cello Sonatas for the violin, and these have
already been engraved and printed.
In fact, the printing and publication history of the Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 shares many episodes with
their examples, the Cello Sonatas Opus 5. They were engraved by the same engraver, Richard Denson. As
the Cello Sonatas, the First Edition was a Dutch-British Edition, of which the First Issue was the Dutch
Issue, published in The Hague in March 1747, the Second the British Issue, published in London in May
1747. The Dutch Issue of the Violin Sonatas Opus 5 was advertised together with the Violoncello Sonatas by
the bookseller Daniel Langeweg in the Vlamingstraat in The Hague in the ’s-Gravenhaagsche Courant of 17
March 1747:
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WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
De SONATES pour Le Violon & pour le Violoncello, Nouveau Ouvrage de MONSR. GIMINIANI, zyn op heeden te bekomen by D. LANGEWEG, Boek- en Kaertverkoper in de Vlamingstraet in ’s Hage. De prys van ieder Werk is 6 Guldens.
The price is the same as the Cello Sonatas, f 6, a high price for six sonatas for a solo instrument and
figured bass. The title page is in French; its wording is clearly derived from the title of the Violoncello
Sonatas. Various elements of the latter title were skipped, such as the opus number and the dedication to the
Prince of Ardore. The remark about the usefulness of the sonatas for accompanists was retained, but was
placed above the name of the composer instead of below it:
Cello Sonatas Opus 5
Violin Sonatas from Opus 5
SONATES
Pour le Violoncelle et Basse Continue
SONATES
Pour le Violon avec un Violoncelle ou Clavecin
Par Monsieur
GEMINIANI
dans lesquelles il a fait une étude particuliere
Pour l’utilitè de Ceux qui accompagnent.
lesquelles ne sont pas moins utiles a Ceux qui jouent
le Violon, qu’à Ceux que accompagnent
Par Monsieur
GEMINIANI
Ouvrage Cinquieme
Dediè
à Son Excellence Monseigneur le
Prince d’Ardore
Chevalier des Ordres du St. Esprit et de St Janvier,
Ambassadeur Extraordinaire de Sa Majestè Napolitaine
et Sicilienne à la Cour de France & & &
Gravees à la Haye
au depend de l’autheur
avec Privilege & & &
l’an MDCCXLVI
Gravées à la Haye
au depend de l’autheur
avec Privilege & & &
[l’an] MDCCXLVI
There is a curious detail in the last line of the title page: the word “l’an” was apparently forgotton in the
engraving so that it was supplied in handwriting on the title pages of both extant copies.
Two copies are known today and both of them have, following the title page, the text of the Dutch
privilege that Geminiani had obtained on 6 December 1746. One of the extant copies (NL-Lu, 545 B 28) is
the deposit copy for the privilege that had to be given to the library of the University of Leiden; it is still
there. The printing of the privilege is identical to that in the Dutch Issue of the Cello Sonatas.
THE SONATAS
The Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 are arrangements of the Cello Sonatas Opus 5 and in most respects they
remain rather close to the examples. That means that everything that has been said in the discussion of the
Cello Sonatas (WORK FOURTEEN) about form and style in general, also holds for the Violin Sonatas and does
not need to be repeated here. Only those aspects where the Violin Sonatas deviate or differ from the Cello
Sonatas will be discussed here, in the section that follows, under the heading THE ARRANGEMENT. Firstly,
attention will go to the transposition applied to change cello sonatas into violin sonatas. Then the changes in
the composition, nearly always relatively minor, will be discussed. The section on NOTATION will deal with
articulation, dynamics, ornamentation, figured bass, repeats, and so on.
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WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
THE ARRANGEMENT
At first sight it seems easy to arrange a set of cello sonatas as violin sonatas: both instruments have four
strings all a fifth apart and all one seems to have to do is to transpose the cello part upward by the interval of
a twelfth. This is, however, too easy a view and in fact even a wrong approach. A cello sonata is a two-part
sonata, for two cellos in a way, and the two cello parts must differ in range or register to give the first cello
its solo role and the second cello its accompanying role. Therefore the cello solo part treats the instrument as
a tenor instrument and stresses that by using the tenor clef abundantly and by mainly moving in the range
from d to a1. The cello continuo part continues to fulfil the traditional role of bass part, largely within the
confines of the range from G to c1, and is completely notated with a bass clef. By transposing the solo part
upwards by a twelfth the main range of the violin part becomes from a2 to e3, which is not impossible out
certainly of balance for a violin. The continuo cello would largely move between d and g1, equally
unsatisfactory; downward octave transposition could, however, solve at least part of the problems of range.
The tenor character of the cello part suggests a different transposition to reach the range of the violin,
basically a soprano instrument: the transposition by an octave. Then the violin part moves mainly between d1
and a2. This seems too low for the instrument: d3 was, in the early eighteenth century, the generally accepted
upper limit for normal use, higher notes are only used as a kind of special effect (with the exception of an
incidentel e3).
Between the two extremes of octave transposition (suggested by the role of the cello) and twelfth
transposition (suggested by the properties of the instruments) Geminiani appears to comply either with the
first option or to choose a compromise in between the two extremes.
Two of the cello sonatas retained their original key in the violin versions: Sonatas I (A major) and III (C
major). In doing so the continuo line could stay without any change, while the solo part was transposed an
octave upwards for the violin. The result is that the violin part hardly goes higher the a3. In Sonata I there is
one b2 because of a change in the composition. Sonata III was the only cello sonata with a solo part that
went up until c2 and the corresponding violin part goes up to c3. These ranges are considerably restricted in
comparison to those of the violin parts of the Sonatas Opus 4 and Le prime sonate. By this transposition the
violin plays its lower three strings (tuned g, d1, a1) where the cello played its upper three strings (tuned G, d,
a). Because of this, notes in cello part below G could not be transposed unaltered into the violin part. Indeed,
were they occurred in the cello part, they either disappear in the violin part or are transposed an octave
upward, by these procedures losing their special quality in the cello part as “deep notes”, most often below
the continuo line and at the end of melodic phrases.
Four of the sonatas use transposition intervals that are between the extremes of octave and twelfth
transposition. Two transpose the cello part upwards by a major tenth: Sonata II from D minor to F sharp
minor, Sonata IV from B flat major to D major. The violin part gets a more normal and accepted range until
c3-sharp. The continuo line goes up by a major third, which is hardly problematic. It is interesting to see
every now and then part of the continuo line notated with the tenor clef. Occasionally some low notes occur
in the continuo line by downward octave transposition.
Two sonatas, finally, have a transposition interval of an eleventh: Sonata V from F major to B major and
Sonata VI from A minor to D minor. Now the violin part has the generally accepted range up to d3. The
continuo parts have passages written with a tenor clef and occasionally have newly added low notes.
The variety in transposition intervals and the homogeneity of range of the Cello Sonatas versus the
diversity in range of the Vilin Sonatas confirm that the Cello Sonatas really were the original versions of the
sonatas and the Violin Sonatas the arranged versions, and not the other way around.
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WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
In general the violin versions of the Sonatas Opus 5 remain very close to their examples for violoncello.
The continuo line is left unchanged nearly throughout the sonatas, apart from the transposition applied.
Figuring may deviate here and there but everything is safely within the deviation that is usual, for example,
for repeated presentations or parallel passages. The violin part follows the transposed cello part most often
closely, but may show deviations from time to time. Per movement it is possible to distinguish three levels of
deviation from the original version:
(1) Movements with no or almost no deviation from the original version, which is left intact apart from an
occasion ornaments or articulation. This applies to the following movements: Sonata III/iii-iv. As an
example the beginning of the last movement of Sonata III:
(2) Movements with deviation in details, such as different ornamentation or articulation, different but related
musical figures, and so on. This is the most often occurring situation. The first bars of the first movement of
Sonata I already exemplify this procedure:
(3) Movements with substantial deviations. These may be of different kinds. Distinguished may be the
following categories:
(3a) Added diminutions in the violin part. This has been applied particularly in slow movements such as the
third movement of Sonata II, the first movements of Sonatas III, IV and VI. As an example the beginning of
the first movement of Sonata VI:
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(3b) Replacement of chords by other figures. Apparently Geminiani was of the opinion the chords had a
different effect in a violin part then in a cello part, more in particular that they produced much more
emphasis in a violin part than in a cello part so that they should be applied with at least some restraint. In any
case, passages with chords in the cello version often are changed in the violin version. Several chords that
close a movement are replaced by single notes.
The accompanying chords in the initial motive of the first movement of Sonata II are replaced by writtenout arpeggios that go down first, then up:
The chords in the third movement of Sonata I (bars 8-9) are also replaced by written-out arpeggios.
The chords that opened the third movement of Sonata IV were replaced by double stops:
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The arpeggio chords at the end of the first movement of Sonata IV were replaced by a flourish:
The arpeggio chords in the third movement of the same sonata were retained, be it that the wavy line for the
arpeggio was shortened somewhat so that the third chord seems to be played non-arpeggio.
But there are also passages with chords that were maintained in the violin version, be it that the exact
composition of the chords often has changed, because of the different relationship between the key of the
movement and the strings of the instruments.
(3c) The replacement of bars by other bars that are definitely different. This occurs from time to time, and
rarely with an understandable reason. But it may be reminded here that Geminiani was a constant reviser of
his own work. Examples of such changes are bars 26-27 of the second movement of Sonata III:
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WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
and bar 16 of the third movement of Sonata V:
(3d) Addition or deletions of bars. This is rare in the sonatas. The coda of the final Allegro of Sonata IV has
been extended from four to eight bars, basically by repeating the two groups of two bars in this coda:
the first movement of Sonata VI from five to six bars. The only deletion is the removal of bar 67 of the last
movement of Sonata V, a Generalpause with a fermata.
NOTATION
The notational properties of the Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 are largely the same as those of the Cello
Sonatas. As a matter of fact, the violin part is notated with a violin clef, which is a rather trivial statement.
Articulation includes slurs for legato and strokes for staccato. The slurred staccato with dots for the
repeated notes of the main motif of the second movement of Sonata VI has disappeared. An added
ornamental falling scale at the beginning of the thrid movement of Sonata II has staccato dots under a slur.
Dynamics is mostly copied from the Cello Sonatas. The piano-forte pairs in the second movement of
Sonata IV (bar 9) and in the fourth movement of the same sonata (bars 16-18) have been left out, as have
nearly all the piano and forte marks in the last movement of Sonata V.
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WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
Ornamentation, with appoggiaturas, trills, Beats, Turn’d Shakes and Swells, is copied from the Cello
Sonatas in many instances, but there are also changes and additions. The Swell is applied more ferquently
then in the Cello Sonatas. The trill in the bass line of bar 11 of the second movement of Sonata I has been
left out.
There is one fingering mark (“2”) in bar 9 of the second movement of Sonata I and there are a few of
them in the first bars of the first movement of Sonata II.
Fermatas have the same variety in function as in the Cello Sonatas: to mark the end of a movement; to
mark the ending of a seconda volta or da capo when this ending is notated in the same bar as the prima
volta; to put emphasis on simultaneous rests in the two parts; and to mark the notes where a cadenza can be
played. The “cadenza fermatas” at the end of the first movements of Sonatas I and IV have been left out. The
two verbal indications for cadenzas (which come on top of a fermata) have been retained with exactly the
same wordings: “Fanta. at lib.” for bar 36 of the second movement of Sonata IV and “Cada. al Solito” for bar
9 of the third movement of Sonata V.
The notation of prima and seconda volta bars is as in the Cello Sonatas, but there are fewer signa
concordantiæ: the refrains of the rondeau movements of Sonatas III and VI are written out instead of referred
to with help of signa concordantiæ. The second movement of Sonata IV, in Da Capo form, now does without
a signum concordantiæ for the repeat of the Da Capo section. The only instances left for a signum
concordantiæ are then the first period of the second movement of Sonata I, where a “∙$∙” sign is used, and
the second period of the second movement of Sonata III, where a “∙//∙” sign is used.
Figuring is largely as in the Cello Sonatas. The “mirrored naturals” are not found in the Violin Sonatas,
but the unusual figuring “0” in the first movement of Sonata III has been retained.
The textual quality is good, but there are a few mistakes. There is a wrong note in bar 29 of the second
movement of Sonata III: the first low quaver must be a, not b as is engraved. The four quavers of bar 44 of
the same movement lack their beam. The tempo marking, “Adagio”, for the final bars of the second
movement of Sonata VI has been left out.
ENGRAVING AND PRINTING
The Dutch-British Edition of the Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 was, as was that of the Cello Sonatas Opus 5,
engraved by Richard Denson, who identified himself at the last music page with the words “R: Denson,
sculp.”. The Violin Sonatas were engraved on the same small plates, of 25 x 19 cm, as the Cello Sonatas.
Since the movements of the Violin Sonatas either have the same lengths as those in the Cello Sonatas, or
differ by just a few bars in a few cases, the division of the music over the pages could be copied from the
Cello Sonatas. Therefore, everything that was said about the engraving of the Cello Sonatas also holds for
the Violin Sonatas. The only difference is that the Violin Sonatas occupy one page more than the Cello
Sonatas. The reason for this discrepancy is that the last movement of the Sonatas, which occupied in the
Cello Sonatas a single (left-hand) page in a rather dense engraving, was now spread over two facing pages,
in a much more “relaxed” engraving. To arrive at a better filling of the page the final repeat of the refrain of
the rondeau movement was written out. The preceding pages all show the same division of movements over
the pages, with one exception: the third movement of Sonata I was moved from page 4 to page 3. On p. 15
the the final repeat of the refrain of the rondeau movement was also written out: there was enough space on
pp. 14-15 for it.
One must assume that the Cello Sonatas were engraved first and the Violin Sonatas later. This not only
seems logical, it is also clear that the engraving of the Violin Sonatas profited from that of the Cello Sonatas:
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where, in the Cello Sonatas, some space is left unused at the bottom of a right-hand page, this is used
completely in the corresponding page of the Violin Sonatas.
Copies of the Dutch Issue of the Violin Sonatas consist of three different “parts”, which were printed at
three different occasions, exactly as the copies of the Dutch Issue of the Cello Sonatas. First there is the
single folio title page, which was printed on paper with vertical chain lines (28 mm apart) without
watermark. This must have been done in the summer of 1746, because the same paper was also used to print
folios of the “First Version” of the Cello Sonatas. Then follows the single folio with the text of the privilege
on its recto and verso sides. The paper has horizontal chain lines (also 28 mm apart) and a watermark that
was classed as STRASBOURG LILY 3: its downward extension has a 4 only, symmetry is between chain
lines. Theses folios were probably printed in December 1746: an earlier printing is not possible because the
privilege was granted on 6 December 1746 and a later printing is improbable because the same paper was
used for the printing of the copies of the British Issue which were printed before 10 January 1747, according
to Geminiani’s letter to Kelway of that day.
Finally there is the musical part of the Dutch Issue, printed on bifolios of paper with horizontal chain lines
and a BEND 3 watermark. The countermark is most often simply “IV”, but one of the two extant copies of
this issue has a countermark “I HONIG”, probably referring to Jan Jacobszoon Honig, paper maker in
Zaandijk. The copies of the Violin Sonatas with this paper, the Dutch Issue, were printed after those of the
British Issue, probably in February or March 1747.
The copies that were offered for sale by Daniel Langeweg on 17 March 1747 therefore consisted of a
musical part printed rather recently and a title page and a privilege folio printed on earlier occasions. The
privilege deposit copy was put together in this way too.
Actually, the description of the Dutch Issue is derived from the privilege deposit copy, which is still in the
University Library in Leiden (NL-Lu, 545 B 28). The copy is bound in leather, certainly on behalf of
Geminiani. On the title page there is a stamp “ACAD:LVGD” (Academia Lugduni). The copy is defective:
page 8 is missing (blank) and the bifolio with pp. 9-12 is bound inside out, so that the page order is 11, 12, 9,
10. There is a second extant copy of the Dutch Issue in the British Library (GB-Lbl, g.38.c.). This copy is
complete and has the pages 9-12 in the right order.
THE BRITISH ISSUE
Just like the Cello Sonatas the Violin Sonatas were published in London a few weeks after their publication
in The Hague. The British Issue was advertised by Joseph Kelway in the Daily Advertiser of 5 May 1747 and
the General Advertiser of 11 and 23 May 1747:
New Musick. This Day are published, Price 12s. 6d. Six Solos for a Violoncello, with a Thorough
Bass for the Harpsichord. By Signor Francesco Geminiani. Opera V. The same Six Solos
transpos’d and adapted with proper Alterations for the Violin, by the Author. To be had of Mr.
Kebra [May 23: Kelway], at his House in King’s Row, Upper Grosvenor-Street.
The price is £ 0:12:6, which is just a little more than the British equivalent of the Dutch price: f 6 would
be £ 0:12:0 in sterling.
The British Issue has a new title page, in Italian, like the British Issues of the Cello Sonatas. Its wording
is closely related to that of title of Cello Sonatas:
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Cello Sonatas Opus 5
Violin Sonatas from Opus 5
VI
Sonate
LE VI
SONATE
di
Violoncello e Basso Continuo
DI
Violoncello e Basso Continuo
F. Geminiani
COMPOSTE DA
F. Geminiani
Opera V
Opera V
DA
Nella quali egli a procurato di renderle non
solo utile a quelli che bramano perfettionarsi
sopra il detto Stromento mà ancora per quelli
che accompagnano di Cembalo
Sono dallo stesso trasposte per il VIOLINO con
Cambiamenti proprij e necessarij
allo Stromento
LONDRA
Londra
Philips sculp.
MDCCXLVII.
On the title page of the Violin Sonatas the remark about the usefulness of the sonatas for accompanists
has disappeared; a remark about the transposition for violin has been added and this was necessary because
the title begins with a reference to the Cello Sonatas. The main titles of both volumes are largely the same
but there is one small difference that is, however, highly significant. The title of the Cello Sonatas lacks an
article, it reads simply “VI Sonate di Violoncello e Basso Coninuo”. The title of the Violin Sonatas adds the
definite article “Le” and this is essential because now the main title “Le VI Sonate di Violoncello e Basso
Coninuo” does not refer any more to the sonatas that follow but to the Cello Sonatas. These sonatas are now
“by the composer himself transposed for the violin with changes that are the appropriate and necessary for
the instrument” and it is this version that is found after the title page. 1
The reading we have given of the title page of the Violin Sonatas is in fact a rather sophisticated one and
in fact its essential details were missed by many already in the eighteenth century. One early owner or
perhaps seller crossed through the word “Violoncello” and wrote “Violino” above it (GB-Cu, MR
360.a.70.21.). John Johnson used the title page of the Violin Sonatas for his “issue” (rather a pseudo-issue)
of the Cello Sonatas. The Saint Andrews copy of the Cello Sonatas (British Issue) also has the title page of
the Violin Sonatas. In RISM copies of the Cello Sonatas with the title page of the Violin Sonatas are in two
cases classed as Violin Sonatas.
The title page of the Violin Sonatas lacks the “Philips sculp.” that the engraver has inserted in the
garlands of the place indication of the Cello Sonatas, but it has a year (“MDCCXLVII”) instead.
The engraving of the title page of the British Issue of the Violin Sonatas is in the same style as that of the
British Issues of the Cello Sonatas. The plates of these titles are a little higher and a little less wide than the
plates that Denson used for the music. Therefore it may rather safely be assumed that the title page of the
Violin Sonatas was also engraved by the Philips couple.
The music of the British Issue is completely identical to that of the Dutch Issue.
1
The use of the definite article is the same as in the title of Le prime sonate of 1716: the “prime sonate” are not the
sonatas in the publication itself, but the 1716 sonatas which now have been “newly reprinted and diligently corrected”
(“nuovamente ristampate e con diligenza corrette”).
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Extant copies of the British Issue appear to be composed of two parts. First there is the title page and the
privilege page. Both are printed on single folios of paper with vertical chain lines (28 mm apart) and a
watermark classified as STRASBOURG LILY 1C, symmetric “between chain lines” and with a downward
extension with the letters LVG, which stand for “Lubbertus van Gerrevinck”, a Dutch paper maker.
The music of the extant copies appears to belong to two different print runs. The copy in the British
Library (GB-Lbl, g.422.d.(1.)) has the music printed on paper with vertical chain lines without watermark, in
fact the same paper as the title pages of the Dutch Issues of both the Cello and the Violin Sonatas and the
“First Version” of the Cello Sonatas. The printing of all these items, and therefore also of the music of the
London copy of the British Issue of the Violin Sonatas, may be estimated as having been done in the summer
of 1746. The Cello Sonatas printed on this paper were only sold by Johnson and it seems that this also holds
for the London copy of the Violin Sonatas on this paper. This copy is the first item in a collective binding
with in total seven printed sets of violin sonatas:
The seven items were apparently bought together and subsequently bound by their first owner, William
Wilkinson, who wrote a little table with the prices of all seven items and the cost of binding:
(1) Geminiani, Le VI sonate di violoncello [...] Opera V [...]
trasposte per il violino
£ 0:10:6
(2) Felice Giardini, Sei sonate a violino solo e basso [...] Opera
prima (London: John Cox, [1751?], RISM G 1896)
0:10:6
(3) John George Freake, Six solos for a violin [...] Opera quarta
(London, [author], RISM F 1824)
0:6:0
(4) Carlo Francesco Chabran, Six solos for a violin (London: Peter
Welcker, [1763?], RISM C 1769)
0:6:0
(5) Carl Friedrich Baumgarten, Six solos for a violin (London: John
Johnson, [176*?], 2 RISM B 1387)
0:6:0
(6) Michael Christian Festing, Six solos for a violin and thorough
bass [...] Opera settima (London: John Johnson, 1754; RISM F 680)
0:6:0
(7) Michael Christian Festing, Eight solos for a violin and through
bass [...] Opera quarta (London: William Smith, 1736; RISM F 673)
0:8:0
Binding
0:5:0
£ 2.18
The items (1), (2), (6) and (7) are found in Johnson’s catalogue of 1764 for the prices mentioned here, which,
together with the publication dates of items (3) and (4), makes it probable that the items were bought around
that time, perhaps all of them in Johnson’s shop. What is important here is that the copy of Geminiani’s
Violin Sonatas in the binding was certainly not sold by Geminiani in the period from 1747 to 1751, but
rather by Johnson and then even in a later period of activity of the shop.
There is one interesting detail in this copy: it has a manuscript addition to bar 85 of the second movement
of Sonata VI (p. 23, last system): “Ado.” (Adagio, an omission in the engraving), certainly in Geminiani’s
hand.
2
The dating of this edition is highly problematic. The British Library catalogue gives 1768, the New Grove, Second
Edition, even “c. 1778”. It is true that his further works appeared around 1780 or later, but the Six solos for a violin
must have been published at some point in the 1760s, especially if they were published by John Johnson.
13
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RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
Three more extant copies of the British Issue, in Cambridge (GB-Cu, MR 360.a.70.21), Dresden (Musica
2201-R-13) and London (GB-Lam, 121849-1001), have the music printed on bifolios of paper with
horizontal chain lines and a watermark that was classed as STRASBOURG LILY 3, without extension. This
is the paper of the Dutch privilege and also of the music of the First British Issue of the Cello Sonatas. It was
assumed that this paper was used for printing all these items, including the music of these three copies of the
British Issue of the Violin Sonatas, in The Hague in December 1746.
THE JOHNSON ISSUE
In 1751 the Violin Sonatas were sold to John Johnson with all the other editions from 1739-1751 and
Johnson printed new copies with an adapted title page. The last line of the title page, with the year, was
removed and replaced by a line with his new and address:
Printed for John Johnson at the Harp & Crown in Cheapside.
This is different from what happened with the Cello Sonatas. For his issue of those works he used older,
corrected sheets, which he provided with the title page of the Violin Sonatas. For the Violin Sonatas new
copies printed.
Johnson’s catalogue of 1754 includes the Violin Sonatas Opus 5 for a price of £ 0:13:6, which is one shilling more
3
than Kelway’s price of 1747. The price does not seem to be a mistake: the Cello Sonatas Opus 5 were also listed for £
0:13:6.
Two copies are known of the Violin Sonatas with a Johnson imprint. Today they are in Dresden (D-Dlb,
Mus. 2201-R-5,3) and New York (US-NYp, Drexel 5142.2). They are printed on the same paper as most of
Johnson’s issues of Geminiani’s work, with horizontal chain lines and a STRASBOURG LILY 1E
watermark, with the large countermark with the abbreviation “IHS” and the name “I VILLEDARY”. The
New York copy has the signature of “S. S. Bank” with the year “1766”. This refers to Sarah Sophia Banks
(1744-1818) and she may well have been the first owner. Later the copy was part of the collection of Joseph Drexel
(1833-1888).
The later history of the edition mirrors that of the Cello Sonatas. The later catalogues of the Johnson firm,
those of 1764 and 1770, list the sonatas for the price of £ 0:10:6. 4 Robert Bremner purchased most of
Johnson’s stock and plates in the late 1770. In his Additional Catalogue (c. 1780) the Sonatas are listed for a
reduced price of £ 0:7:6. Strangely, in Bremner’s catalogue of 1782 the price is £ 0:10:6 again. 5 Thomas
Preston purchased Bremner’s catalogue in 1790, including the Geminiani editions. The concertos Opus 4 are
found in the Additional Catalogue of 1790 for Bremner’s 1782 price of £ 0:10:6. As far as is known these
later sellers did not produce new copies. 6
3
A Catalogue of Vocal and Instrumental Music, Printed for and Sold by John Johnson [1754].
A Catalogue of Vocal and Instrumental Music, 1764, Printed for and Sold by John Johnson. Similar title with the year
1770.
5
A Catalogue of Vocal and Instrumental Music, In Alphabetical Order, Printed for, and Sold by R. Bremner, [...]
March, 1782.
6
1790. An Additional Catalogue of Vocal and Instrumental Music, Printed and Sold by Preston and Son, [...] London,
Late the Property of the Eminent Dealer, Mr. Robert Bremner.
4
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RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
THE FRENCH EDITION
Like the Cello Sonatas Opus 5 the Violin Sonatas from Opus 5 have a Second Edition, which is the French
Edition, published by Mme Boivin. Comparing the French Editions of the two works with one another, one
notices a number of differences. Whereas the title page of the French Edition of the Cello Sonatas is clearly
derived from that of the Dutch Issue, the title page of the French Edition of the Violin Sonatas seems related
rather to the British Issue, and then in a rather free way:
Violin Sonatas from Opus 5
British Issue
Violin Sonatas from Opus 5
French Edition
(1) LE VI
SONATE
di
Violoncello e Basso Continuo
SIX
SONATES
(4) Sono dallo stesso trasposte per il VIOLINO con
Cambiamenti proprij e necessarij
allo Stromento
TRANSPOSEÉS POUR LE VIOLON
Avec des agrement propres
Pour L’instrument
(2) COMPOSTE DA
F. Geminiani
MR. GEMINIANI
(3) Opera V
ŒUVRE VIE.
PAR
Gravée par Melle. Vandôme
Prix 9.lt.
(5) Londra
A PARIS
Chez
{ Madame Boivin, Mde. rüe St. Honoré à la Regle d’Or.
{ Monsieur le Clerc, Md. rüe du Roule à la Croix d’Or.
{ Mlle. Castagnerie, rüe des Prouvaires à la Musique Royalle.
AVEC PRIVILEGE DU ROI
(6) MDCCXLVII.
MDCCXLVI
The main title “Six sonates” does not mention the Cello Sonatas anymore. Also the order of mentioning
the various elements of the title has been changed. In the title of the British Issue the main title is followed
by the composer and the opus number; thereafter comes the mentioning of the transposition. In the title of the
French Edition this has been reversed. First are mentioned the transposition (it is not said from which
original version) and the addition of “agrément [sic] propres pour l’instrument”, a rather free translation of
the phrase “Cambiamenti proprij e necessarij allo Stromento” of the title of British Issue.
Composer and opus number follow the main and subtitle. The opus number is given as “6”, not the
duplicate “5” of the British Issue. Then follow, as on the title page of the French Edition of the Cello
Sonatas, the name of the engraver (“Melle. Vendôme”) and the price (“Prix 9.lt.”), two elements that are
absent in the Dutch and British titles. Next comes the imprint, with the place of publication (“A PARIS”) and
the names of three sellers, Mme Boivin, Mr Leclerc (rue du Roule) and Mlle Castagnery. Finally there is a
line with a reference to Mme Boivin’s royal privilege (“AVEC PRIVILEGE DU ROI”) and the year
(“MDCCXLVI”). From the mentioning of the name of the engraver onwards the title is identical to that of the
French Edition of the Cello Sonatas, apart from the third seller in the imprint.
Comparing the French title page with the Dutch and British ones, on wonders if Mlle Vendôme, the
engraver of the French title page, had any of the other title pages as example when she made the engraving.
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RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
The only recognizable phrases are “trasposte per il violino” (“transposeés pour le violon”) and “proprij [...]
allo stromento” (propres à l’instrument”), which seems to point to knowledge of the British title. But they
make little sense in the French title because they are hardly appropriate: it is not said from which version the
sonatas have been transposed and the remark about the agréments is incorrect, the ornaments in the violin
version being practically the same as in the cello version. The year “MDCCXLVI” seems to point to the
Dutch title, but it is equally well possible that this year was, with the entire last part of the title, simply
copied from the title of the French Edition of the Cello Sonatas. It rather looks as if Mlle Vendome had as
example for her engraving work a copy without a title page, or perhaps with an abbreviated title added in
handwriting.
There are more uncertainties around the French Edition of the Violin Sonatas. First of all: is it an
authorized edition? Geminiani’s privilege, found in the single extant copy of the French Edition of the Cello
Sonatas, is missing in all three extant copies of the Violin Sonatas. It is impossible to say if this means that
the edition is unauthorized or that Geminiani had simply taken the plate with him when the edition was
printed. Perhaps Geminiani had left a copy of the musical part of the Dutch Issue in Paris but was the French
Edition realized after his departure from the city.
Another difficult question is the date of publication. The year printed on the title page (1746) does not
seem reliable, because, if it were reliable, the edition would have appeared before the Dutch and British
Issues. Rather one must see the year as “imported” from the title page of the French Edition of the Cello
Sonatas, where it was taken in turn from the title page of the Dutch Issue of the Cello Sonatas.7
Unfortunately no advertisement of the edition is known. One is tempted to assume that the French Edition of
the Violin Sonatas appeared after the corresponding edition of the Cello Sonatas, but evidence for such an
assumption is lacking. The mentioning of the third seller, “Mlle Castagnery” or Marie-Anne Castagneri
(1722-1782), perhaps points to a later publication. 8 From the end of 1747 she is frequently mentioned as
seller of editions published by Mme Boivin and Leclerc L’ainé, for the first time seemingly in December
1747. 9 Assuming that the French Edition of the Violin Sonatas did not appear too long after the Cello
Sonatas, a publication in 1748 seems most probable for the moment.
The musical part of the French Edition of the Violin Sonatas is a faithful copy of that of the Dutch-British
Edition.
ARRANGEMENTS
Several movement of the Violin Sonatas, notably from Sonatas I, III and IV, were arranged by Geminiani for
harpsichord and included in The Second Collection of Pieces for the Harpsichord, Geminiani’s last Work
(WORK THIRTY-THREE), published in 1762, perhaps even posthumously. These arrangements will be
discussed as part of The Second Collection.
FACSIMILE EDITION
Against the for facsimile editions of the Cello Sonatas Opus 5 there is only one of the Violin Sonatas Opus 5,
that published by King’s Music (Huntingdon, United Kingdom). It reproduces the Cambridge copy of the
British Issue.
7
Most French editions of those years do not have a year on the title page.
See abour Mlle Castagneri Devriès & Lesure 1979, p. 47.
9
As apparent in the Mercure de France, December 1747, Tome II, p. 119.
8
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RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
MODERN EDITIONS
There are a few modern editions of Geminiani’s Violin Sonatas Opus 5. A complete edition in the Utrext
tradition was edited by Walter Kolneder for Edition Peters: Sechs Sonaten für Violine und Basso continuo
(Geminianis Bearbeitung der Sechs Sonaten für Violoncello und Basso continuo, op. 5), Nach dem Erstdruck
für Violine und Cembalo (Klavier) mit Violoncello ad lib. hrsg. von Walter Kolneder (1965).
The Violin Sonatas Opus 5 are included in Volume V of the new Opera Omnia Francesco Geminiani, the
first volume to appear, in 2010. 10 It is a critical edition, without continuo realization, edited by Christopher
Hogwood. Introductory texts include a General Preface, a Chronology, an Introduction, Plates and a Table of
Ornaments; at the end there are a Critical Commentary and an Appendix with “Facsimiles and Translations
of Privileges”. All three privileges in question (British, French and Dutch) are reproduced and explained.
The edition is exemplary. A practical edition, with continuo realizations by Valeria Tarsetti, was published in
two volume, each with three sonatas. 11
RECORDINGS
Against the eight complete recordings in CD of the Cello Sonatas Opus 5 there is only one recording of the
Violin Sonatas Opus 5, for which the following data can be given:
Title
Lable
Year
Musicians
Recorded
Contains
Text
Cover
Francesco Geminiani, Violin Sonatas Op. 5.
CPO 777 225-2.
2007.
Anton Steck (violin, Alessandro Gagliano, Naples 1701), Christian Rieger (harpsichord), Markus
Möllenbeck (cello).
WDR, Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal, 5-7 January 2005.
Sonatas IV, I, III, II, Sonata for Violin Solo in B flat Major, Sonatas V-VI.
Text by Markus Möllenbeck in German, English and French (translations by ar.pege-translations).
Photography by Konrad Biehl.
CONCLUSION
Considering the number of extant copies of the early editions, eight of the Cello Sonatas Opus 5 and twelve
of the Violin Sonatas Opus 5, the latter works have fare a little better in the eighteenth century than the
former. This in contrast to the reception of the works in modern times: the Cello Sonatas have reeceived
much more attention by performers and scholars than the Violin Sonatas. Two factors may have been at issue
in this reversal. First there are relatively few sonats for violoncello and figured bass so that those few easily
attrack the attention of performers, whereas there in an abundant supply of sonatas for violin and figured
bass. And secondly, Geminiani may have presented the violin sonatas too much as arrangements from cello
sonatas, thereby reducing them to some kind of second-rank composition. However, without knowledge of
10
Francesco Geminiani, 6 Sonatas Op. 5 for Violoncello and Basso Continuo, H. 103-108, 6 Sonatas Op. 5 for Violin
and Basso Continuo, H. 109-114, Edited by Christopher Hogwood (Bologna: Ut Orpheus, 2010 = Opera Omnia
Francesco Geminiani 5).
11
Francesco Geminiani, 6 Sonatas Op. 5 for Violin and Basso Continuo, H. 109-114, Vol. 1: Sonatas I-III, Edited by
Christopher Hogwood, Continuo Realisation by Valeria Tarsetti (Bologna: Ut Orpheus, PEG 3, 2013). Francesco
Geminiani, 6 Sonatas Op. 5 for Violin and Basso Continuo, H. 109-114, Vol. 2: Sonatas (IV-VI), Edited by Christopher
Hogwood, Continuo Realisation by Valeria Tarsetti (Bologna: Ut Orpheus, PEG 4, 2013).
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RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
the primacy of the cello sonatas no one would have presumed that the Violin Sonatas could be arrangements:
they are fully idiomatic and, what is more important, of very high musical quality.
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RUDOLF RASCH: THE THIRTY-THREE WORKS OF FRANCESCO GEMINIANI
WORK FIFTEEN: THE VIOLIN SONATAS FROM OPUS 5 (1747)
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