56 measures
Adagio in 3/4—32
Movement VIII: Allegro in 4/4—5 measures
Movement IX: Presto in 4/4—9 measures
Among writers of sonatas who varied less the number of movements we may notice Nicolaus Kempi (Sonatas and ‘Symphonies’ for 1-3 violins, 1-5 instruments, 1644, 1647, 1669), who employed the four movements of the modern cyclical sonata form, thus:
I. A pathetic movement (in the style of the Pavane).
II. An Allegro movement (imitative).
III. Gaillarde or Courante.
IV. Similar to the first movement (with figurative elements).
Although Kempi’s compositions show some improvement in fluency, they are otherwise of little interest.
Of far more eminence is Giovanni Legrenzi, the first composer of chamber music who abandoned entirely the term canzone. He is rightly called a ‘master of first rank,’ and his harmonies, chromatics (in the Sonata La Cornava, 1655), and modulations are noteworthy. In his trio sonatas (La Rosetta, 1671) and in his Sonata a 5: La Fugazza, he demonstrated that a few instruments could be made to express musical ideas of genuine value.
Among the minor sonata writers of this period we may mention Mazzolini (Sonate per camera a 3, containing preludes and dances), Mazzaferrata (Sonate a due violini: con un basetto viola, 1674, all in four movements), Bononcini (Sonate da chiesa and ‘Symphonie’ for two to eight instruments 1666, 1678), Tonini, C. A. Marini, Grossi, Taglietti, Rugieri, Vinacesi, Zanata, Charelli, and Gighi.
Practically all the compositions we have noticed possess for us little interest apart from their significance in the evolution of chamber music. To a modern ear their appeal is very slight. Historically, however, they are of importance, constituting as it were the substructure upon which the edifice of chamber music has been reared. Between them and the music which has a genuine artistic appeal and an emotional content lies a sort of transition stage in which the most notable names are Giovanni Battista Vitali, Antonio Veracini, and Giovanni Bassani.
III
Vitali is the dance composer par excellence of the seventeenth century. His Correnti e balletti da camera a 2 violini col suo basso continuo (1666) have melodic value and clarity of structure and form. In his Balletti correnti, e capricci per camera for two violins and bass (1683), in his Sonate da camera for two violins and bass (1667), and in sonatas for two to five instruments (1669) we find inspiration, expression, and a dignified style. Vitali’s sonatas consist of three movements. The first and the last are in fast 4/4 time, and in fugal style; the middle, in 3/4 or 3/2 time, is more tranquil in character. Sometimes a short largo precedes the first movement, sometimes a largo is inserted before or after the middle movement. The two allegros are thematically connected. In one sonata Vitali uses the same theme through all three movements with a dexterity that suggests the influence of his teacher, Cazzati.
Antonio Veracini (1690) was not a fertile composer, and he is important rather for his personal influence than for the volume of his work. His Sonate a 3, Sonate da chiesa a violino e violoncello and Sonate da camera a 2, possess nobility and individuality of style, with a certain melodic originality. His forms are clear, his contrapuntal combinations not unattractive, and all his details with a few exceptions show careful workmanship. His adagios are especially fine.[60]