It was a chance visit to a second hand bookshop in Nottingham that set me on the trail of Rossini's now well-known Duetto for cello and double bass. But the story begins earlier than that. In the 1960s I was studying the double bass at the Royal College of Music with Adrian Beers who was at that time principal of the English Chamber Orchestra on the front desk of the Philharmonia Orchestra and a member of the Melos Ensemble of London (then one of the leading ensembles of the world). I was working on the 'Dragonetti Concerto' as most young players do and I wanted to find out a bit about it. My teacher said he thought the autograph manuscript might be in the British Library which was all the encouragement I needed to secure a pass to the Reading Room so I could go and see for myself. There sure enough I found a large collection of Dragonetti's autograph manuscripts together with other bound volumes relating to his life. The papers had been lovingly collated and annotated by Vincent Novello one of Dragonetti's closest friends then deposited in the library before his departure to Italy in 1848 two years after Dragonetti's death. One of the volumes included a lot of letters about various engagements and music festivals copies of orders for strings Dragonetti wanted from Italy details about paintings he wanted to buy and numerous invitations to private functions. The manuscript of the 'Dragonetti Concerto' of course wasn't among the papers we now know it to have been written by Edouard Nanny a century or so later. One name that came up regularly in the documents was that of Sir George Smart. Smart had been a violinist in Salomon's orchestra and had played for Haydn at his London concerts in the 1790s. As a child he had learnt much about music from his father who had in turn been present at many of Handel's rehearsals when he was preparing some of his major works for the first time. Smart was also a fine keyboard player becoming organist of the Chapel Royal in 1822. As a conductor

Instrumentation : cello and basso continuo Date of Publications : 05/04/2000 Number of Pages : 20 Arranger : Darmstadt, Gerhart Series : Cello Library

Ed. by/ A cura di Cesare Fertonani-The series Eighteenth Century Italian Music includes compositions of special historical and musical significance. Each edition is based on the original sources to off er performers works that satisfy clear critical and musicological criteria.This anthology includes ten sonatas carefully selected from among those written by ten of the most important eighteenthcentury Italian composers of cello music: Luigi Boccherini Sonata VI G. 4 - Antonio Caldara Sonata ottava -Francesco Geminiani Sonata op. V n. 2 H. 104 - Carlo Graziani Sonata op. II n. 3 - Salvatore Lanzetti Sonata op. I n. 5 - Benedetto Marcello Sonata op. I n. 1 - Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Sinfonia avioloncello solo - Giovanni Benedetto Platti Sonata quarta - Nicola Porpora Sinfonia a violoncello solo - Antonio Vivaldi Sinfonia a violoncello solo RV 39

Edition specially prepared for the ABRSM & TRINITY GUILDHALL exam syllabuses-Vivaldi was familiar with the technique and idiomatic qualities of the cello and writing for the cello seems to have drawn from Vivaldi a special empathy: there is a degree of seriousness and expressive depth which is encountered much less consistently in his violin music. Perhaps it has something to do with the cello's low register since similar qualities inform his writing for bassoon.This Urtext edition edited by Bettina Hoffmann provides you with a clear and accurate realisation of the composer’s original intentions with thoroughly detailed editorial markings and suggestions. The solo cello part is also included on a separate insert.

Domenico Della Bella was active as a chorus master and most likely as a cellist as well in Treviso toward 1700. Besides music for church use his compositions also include some instrumental pieces. This sonata is an example of early authentic Cello literature. With its charming melodies this concise work is guaranteed to delight cellists and their audiences today as much as in the composer's own time.

Un grand nombre d'oeuvres de l'Italien Giovanni musicien Cirri Battista (1724-1808) de Forli ont été imprimés au cours de sa vie. Le virtuose du violoncelle occupé composé de cours en particulier pour 'son' instrument, les deux concertos et sonates, mais aussi un certain nombre de pièces de musique de chambre dans des instrumentations d'autres, en dehors de travaux occasionnels pour orchestre ou pour des occasions sacrés. La Sonate en sol majeur publié ici est parfaitement adapté pour des leçons d'initiation, d'être un accrocheur, belle pièce à consonance et enrichissante pour les jeunes violoncellistes qui est amusant à jouer (et à écouter). La partie de basse d'accompagnement a été volontairement organisé comme une partie de piano facile de sorte qu'il peut aussi être joué par les élèves. / Violoncelle Et Basse Continue / 18 pages / niveau : Facile / Partition