Concerti per violoncello, Vol. III

Abstract

The assertion which accuses musical history of not affording Boceherini deserved appreciation, indeed of ingnoring htm, has become almost commonplace. Furthermore, the reasons for this regrettable omis¬sion are seldom investigated. In view of the very positive reception emanating from the availability of the recently discovered works by the man from Lucca, a salvarion of BoccherinTs honour through the quality of his composing would seem a natural consequence. In the last analysis however this would probably be of no great use to a re-appraisal of the composer. We must ask ourselves therefore wha: exactly is Boccherini's place in history, and how historical literature has portrayed him. The history of Italian instrumental music in the second half of the 18 th century, that is after Vivaldi, cannot be treated as a purely internal entity because many leading Italian musicians were widely dis¬persed all over Europe: Domenicc Scarlatti (1685 -1757) and Boceherini (1743 -1805) in Spain, Gemi-niani (circa 1680 -1762) who, like Boceherini was from Lucca, and Clementi (1752 - 1832) in England, Locatelli (1695 -1764) in Amsterdam and Viotti (1755 - 1832} in Paris and London. Tartini (1692 -1770) and Giovanni Battista Sammartini (1700 -1755), domiciled respectively in Padua an Milan must be considered exceptions in the social-historical context. The fact that the 23-year-old cello virtuoso Boceherini abandoned his orchestral position in his native city of Lucca to settle in London and in Paris is symptomatic of Italian instrumental musicians of that time, who, one could say, were involved in a wave of emigration. Italy did not really possess an independently developed concert tradition, as was the case in Paris and London. Symphonies, sona¬tas and virtuoso concertos were performed mainly in church during mass, as for example when Boceherini made his appearances in the churches of Lucca. In Paris. London and Amsterdam (but not in Italy) a composer could have his work published by virtue of the fact that there were publishing centres available The historical and social conditions which led to this disssipation of talent had. in its turn, an effect on the history ofcompositoa The instrumental compo¬sition of Italian musicians of that era can scarcely be described as an example of continuity. Instead, they give the impression of a development lacking in uni¬formity. It is therfore no surprise that a vertain Sam-martini afforded Gluck so much appreciation, but thought so little of Boccherini's contribution to modern symphonic. Because he grew up in Italy, he was familiar with its musical tradition. This is shown by certain musi¬cal styles, with which the young Boceherini chiefly concerned himself. His cello sonatas, in particular, demonstrate that they are deeply steeped in the baroque tradition of Corellis and Vivaldis, even though he set completely new standards of playing techniques. At the same time he developed valuable individual methods and movement structures by means of a combination of the standard elements which were available to him. He moved, for example into the realm of violin duet, string quartette and then string quintette. He includes a very strong ele¬ment of the concerto in his symphonies, and a cha¬racteristic of his cello concertos is the successful blending of virtuoso instrumental technique and can-table harmony based on the three-movement form handed down by Vivaldi, Tartini and Nardini.