Concerto Pour Alto

SKU: BT.SLB-02032701

230 X 305 inches. French-English-Italian.

Henri Casadesus was passionate about early instruments, as we know from a number of photographs showing him with viola d’amore, the subject of a manual he wrote entitled Tecnique de la viole d’amour. The Concerto en Ut mineur was first published in 1947 by Mica Salabert. The first edition gives the so-called “original” part for solo violocello together with the score which, according to the preface, has been adapted for viola or cello or violin by Casadesus. However, stylistic analysis of the piece, together with some musicological research carried out after the appearance of the first edition reveals that the “original” version for violoncello, on which the adaptation was supposed to be based, cannot be attributed to Johann Christian Bach, but is rather a work imitating his style written two centuries later. In spite of this, Concerto en Ut mineur encountered considerable success and continues to be studied and performed by both violinists and violoncellists today.

Henri Gustave Casadesus nourrissait une profonde passion pour les instruments anciens, qu’illustrent notamment plusieurs photographies qui le représentent avec la viole d’amour, un instrument pour lequel il écrivit le traité Technique de la viole d’amour. Le Concerto en ut mineur fut publié pour la première fois en 1947 par Mica Salabert. Dans la première édition imprimée du Concerto en ut mineur, la partie du violoncelle soliste était qualifiée d’« originale » tandis que la partition, d’après la préface citée, est la version d’Henri Casadesus, réadaptée pour alto, violon ou violoncelle. Toutefois, d’après l’analyse du style de la pièce et des recherches musicologiques successives jamais contestées du reste par la famille Casadesus il apparaît que la version « originale » pour violoncelle, de laquelle découlerait l’adaptation, n’est pas attribuable non plus Johann Christian Bach, mais aurait été composée selon sa manière deux siècles après. En dépit de cela, ce concerto a connu une bonne fortune et est encore étudié et interprété aujourd’hui par les altistes et les violoncellistes.

SKU: HL.48181191

UPC: 888680787806. 9.0x12.0x0.104 inches.

The concerto is composed in B-flat Major; the solo part is for Trumpet in C. Finished in 1948, the Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra was composed by the French composer, conductor and the 1927 winner of the Grand Prix de Rome, Henri Tomasi (1901-1971), and lasts approximately 14 minutes. Dedicated to the trumpeter Ludovic Vaillant, soloist at the National Orchestra, the Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra was premiered in Paris in 1949. The first part, which lasts 7 minutes, Allegro and Cadenza, begins with a trumpet cadenza and a quiet snare drum background. The Nocturne follows as the second part of this Concerto, and the Finale, the shortest part of the concerto, ends up with a cheerful cartoon-music theme. Henri Tomasi also composed a variety of concerti for alto saxophone and for trombone, as well as some ballades.