Concerto No. 1 for Flute (or Oboe) and Piano

From the Publisher

The elder and lesser known brother of Giovanni Battista Sammartini spent the last twenty-eight years of his life in England as oboist to the Royal Academy of Music, an opera company under Handel and Buononcini, and later as Maestro di cappella to Frederick, the Prince of Wales. The exact date of his arrival in uncertain - Burney claims 1723 and Hawkins 1729; Quantz, the flutist and teacher of Frederick the Great claims to have heard Sammartini in Milan in 1726, so perhaps Hawkins is correct.

Giuseppe Sammartini's output is large, yet at this writing it is still difficult to tell the works of the two brothers apart, partially because of the irresponsibility of some 18th-century publishers who released works of Giuseppe under the name of his younger brother, for the simple reason that Giovanni Battista was more popular. With fair certainty, one can state that Giuseppe's published works consist of six trio sonatas for two flutes and continuo (1727), six concertos for oboe (1738, twelve sonatas for two violins and continuo (1740), six harpsichord concertos and six concerti grossi, Opus 11, published posthumously. The present concerto was found in printed parts in the library of the Gemeenter Museum in the Hague in a collection of concertos by Alberti Albinoni, etc. This work is numbered first in the collection; hence the numbering refers to the edition, and not necessarily to the order of composition.

Although originally written as an oboe concerto, performance of the work with the flute taking the oboe part is equally suitable and in keeping with the 18th century practice.

The work was originally scored for Oboe (or Flute), Strings and Cembalo and is available in this version from G. Schirmer, Inc.

Movements

1. Adagio - Allegro
2. Adagio
3. Allegro

Item Details

Instrumentation

• Part 1: Flute or Oboe
• Part 2: Piano