Concerto in G major for Descant Recorder and Piano, RV443, Op44/11

From the Publisher

'Why did Vivaldi not write directly in the 'original pitch'?  In the 18th century, the treble recorder in f' (Flauto, Common Flute) was the only type of recorder always written for in actual, sounding pitch.  Recorders in Bb, c or d (overblown), popular mainly in England as 'small flutes' or 'flautini', were usually played with the fingerings of the 'normal' instrument, the treble recorder.  Copyists and music engravers thus often wrote the accompanying parts in the actual pitch, while the flute part was transposed in order to allow the soloist to keep to his familiar treble recorder reading and fingering technique.   So from the outset Vivaldi wrote the Flautino parts of the three concerti as was easiest to read for a player of 'small flutes': in treble recorder fingerings.  He could leave the transposition a fourth lower to the copyists of the accompanying parts.

It is beyond doubt that 'Flautino' does not mean a Piccolo (Sopranino Recorder), and the usual practice of playing the part an octave lower on the treble recorder is ruled out after transposition to the original key. 'Little flutes' in d or b flat tuning are also out of the question for reasons of range and comfort, so that the soprano recorder in c'' is the only acceptable type of recorder for these concerti'

Originally written in C major but transposed down a fourth using Vivaldi's instructions for the music to be played on a descant recorder.

Item Details

Instrumentation

• Part 1: Descant Recorder
• Part 2: Piano