Allegri Symphonia

ANCIENT GROOVE MUSIC

GREGORIO ALLEGRI (1582 – 1652) Symphonia pro chelybus omnibus numeris absolutissima

Edited by BEN BYRAM–WIGFIELD

for 2 violins, viola and violoncello

www.ancientgroove.co.uk EDITORIAL NOTES

Source: Athanasius Kircher, Musurgia Universalis require chorded continuo in addition to the written (Rome: Corbellatti, 1650) Tom. 1 (lib. vi) pp. 487–494. parts, and which were frequently performed by more than one player on the same line. Alongside Gregorio Allegri (1582 - 1652) is mos famous for his this pracice, some music for trios and quartets was sacred choral music, particularly his Miserere mei written without the need for a continuo. Allegri’s setting for two choirs. However, his insrumental quartet falls into this category, and is one of the music is aforded considerable praise in Athanasius earlies examples of music explicitly scored for this Kircher’s publication of 1650. funcional group of sring insruments. It is from Kircher titles the work as ‘Symphonia pro chelybus consorts of this kind that the formal ‘true’ sring omnibus numeris absolutissima’ — Sinfonia for quartet would arise in the latter part of the 18th srings, mos perfec in all its parts. He introduces century, notably in works by Joseph Haydn. it as a work ‘in which the symphonic art is manifes so exacly that nothing seems able to be added, or Te music is presented in original note values taken away.’ and at original pitch, though the barring is twice Kircher describes (with an illusration) the bass as frequent as the source, which also displays some insrument as a violone, a bass of the viol family. irregularity. Editorial intervention has been kept As the names sugges, a violone is slightly larger to the minimum: cautionary accidentals are in than the modern violoncello, the bass of the violin brackets; suggesed tempi and metric relationships family. (Tough terminology and specifcation of have been ofered (though they should be considered insruments is often imprecise in this period.) nothing more than suggesions). Scholars today hesitate before describing this Original clefs are G2, G2, C2, C4 (though the frs work as a ‘sring quartet’, as that label has too great sysem of Kircher’s score has an erroneous C4 clef an association with the syle and srucure of the for the viola; the position of the notes suggess C2, late 18th century. Te 16th century had seen the which is used for the res of the work.) emergence of a large body of music for viol consorts, mosly repurposed from vocal music, and thus Te following alterations to the music have been requiring a variety of insruments that matched the made: range of the vocal lines. Te 17th and 18th centuries 22, V2: frs note is G in source; changed to E. would produce considerable music for a variety 33, V2: las note in B in source; changed to C. of insrumental ensembles, mos of which would 38, V1: las note is G in source; changed to A.

Instrumental parts are available on request.

Ben Byram-Wigfeld London, 2018 ANCIENT GROOVE MUSIC Symphonia pro chelybus Edited by GREGORIO ALLEGRI Ben Byram-Wigﬁeld (1582 - 1652) I Violin I Violin II Viola Cello

( = 120) Violin I Violin II Viola Cello

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