“The oboe’s a horn made of wood. I’d play you a tune if I could, But
the reeds are a pain, And the fingering’s insane. It’s the ill wind that no one
blows good.” - Ogden Nash
Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (1 February 1673 in Venice – 19 June 1747) was an Italian nobleman and musician. A contemporary of Tomaso Albinoni, Marcello was the son of a senator in Venice. As such, he enjoyed a comfortable life that gave him the scope to pursue his interest in music. He held concerts in his hometown and also composed and published several sets of concertos, including six concertos under the title of “La Cetra” (The Lyre), as well as cantatas, arias, canzonets, and violin sonatas.
Marcello, being a slightly older contemporary of Antonio Vivaldi, often composed under the pseudonym Eterio Stinfalico, his name as a member of the celebrated Arcadian Academy (Pontificia Accademia degli Arcadi). He died in Padua in 1747. Alessandro’s brother was Benedetto Marcello, also a composer, who illegally married his singing student Rosanna Scalfi in 1728. After his death she was unable to inherit his estate, and in 1742 she filed suit against Alessandro Marcello, seeking financial support.
Although his works are infrequently performed today, Marcello is regarded as a very competent composer. His “La Cetra” concertos are “unusual for their wind solo parts, concision and use of counterpoint within a broadly Vivaldian style”, according to Grove, placing them as a last outpost of the classic Venetian Baroque concerto. The Concerto for Oboe and Strings in D minor op. 1 is perhaps his best-known work. Its worth was affirmed by Johann Sebastian Bach who transcribed it for harpsichord (BWV 974). A number of editions have been published, including an edition in C minor credited to Benedetto Marcello, Alessandro’s brother.
Here are several of his concertos (including the famous Concerto Oboe and Strings in D minor op. 1, first off), as well as some cantatas. They are performed by Sylvia Pozzer, Roberto Balconi, Paolo Grazzi, with the Venice Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Andrea Marcon.
Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (1 February 1673 in Venice – 19 June 1747) was an Italian nobleman and musician. A contemporary of Tomaso Albinoni, Marcello was the son of a senator in Venice. As such, he enjoyed a comfortable life that gave him the scope to pursue his interest in music. He held concerts in his hometown and also composed and published several sets of concertos, including six concertos under the title of “La Cetra” (The Lyre), as well as cantatas, arias, canzonets, and violin sonatas.
Marcello, being a slightly older contemporary of Antonio Vivaldi, often composed under the pseudonym Eterio Stinfalico, his name as a member of the celebrated Arcadian Academy (Pontificia Accademia degli Arcadi). He died in Padua in 1747. Alessandro’s brother was Benedetto Marcello, also a composer, who illegally married his singing student Rosanna Scalfi in 1728. After his death she was unable to inherit his estate, and in 1742 she filed suit against Alessandro Marcello, seeking financial support.
Although his works are infrequently performed today, Marcello is regarded as a very competent composer. His “La Cetra” concertos are “unusual for their wind solo parts, concision and use of counterpoint within a broadly Vivaldian style”, according to Grove, placing them as a last outpost of the classic Venetian Baroque concerto. The Concerto for Oboe and Strings in D minor op. 1 is perhaps his best-known work. Its worth was affirmed by Johann Sebastian Bach who transcribed it for harpsichord (BWV 974). A number of editions have been published, including an edition in C minor credited to Benedetto Marcello, Alessandro’s brother.
Here are several of his concertos (including the famous Concerto Oboe and Strings in D minor op. 1, first off), as well as some cantatas. They are performed by Sylvia Pozzer, Roberto Balconi, Paolo Grazzi, with the Venice Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Andrea Marcon.
1. Concerto Per Oboe, Archi
E Continuo In Re Minore: I. Andante Spiccato
2. Concerto Per Oboe, Archi
E Continuo In Re Minore: II. Adagio
3. Concerto Per Oboe, Archi
E Continuo In Re Minore: III. Presto
4. Concerto Decimo Con
L'Eco, B Dur: I Andante
5. Concerto Decimo Con
L'Eco, B Dur: II. Larghetto
6. Concerto Decimo Con
L'Eco, B Dur: III. Spiritoso
7. Concerto XVI In Fa
Maggiore, Per Due Oboi, Archi E Continuo: I. Allegro
8. Concerto XVI In Fa
Maggiore, Per Due Oboi, Archi E Continuo: II. Larghetto
9. Concerto XVI In Fa
Maggiore, Per Due Oboi, Archi E Continuo: III. Andante Ma Non Presto
10. La Lontananza: Aria:
Lontananza Crudel
11. La Lontananza: Recitativo:
Poiche Chi Troppo Tempo
12. La Lontananza: Aria: Chi
Troppo Tempo
13. Concerto XIV In La
Maggiore, Per Due Oboi, Archi E Continuo: I. Andante Spiritoso-Adagio
14. Concerto XIV In La
Maggiore, Per Due Oboi, Archi E Continuo: II. Allegro
15. Concerto XIV In La
Maggiore, Per Due Oboi, Archi E Continuo: III. Presto
16. Irene Sdegnata: Ouverture:
Allegro
17. Irene Sdegnata: Lento
Spiritoso
18. Irene Sdegnata: Adagio
19. Irene Sdegnata:
Recitativo: Contra L'Empio Fileno - Andante
20. Irene Sdegnata: Aria:
Ingrato. Spietato - Moderato
21. Irene Sdegnata:
Recitativo: Va Tiranno - Andante
22. Irene Sdegnata: Aria: Si,
Va Pur - Allegro
Thank you for this one. It's hard to believe I use to play this. We would never have been allowed to use all that extravagant ornamentation in my day...the melody line gets lost in it. Otherwise nice tone. Actually I always found reed making much more difficult than the playing. Buying reeds commercially was useless. In my opinion it was the worst thing about being an oboist...sort of like asking a pianist to restring a piano.Anyway that is all lifetimes ago for me now.The Richard Strauss concerto was the ultimate hurdle for an oboist...once you could play that you could rest on your laurels....I rested on my laurels for so long they got squashed and the oboe has never left its case and is still sitting unopened on the top shelf of a bookcase:)
ReplyDeleteWonderful music, thanks!
ReplyDeleteReally beautiful
ReplyDelete