Musical contribution – May 2022

Allegro Tomaso Albinoni (1671-1751)

After offering you the first and second movements of the Concerto in F last year, it’s now time to complete this work with the third and final movement. I personally include this complete three-part composition regularly in concert programs, and it is always enthusiastically received by the audience.

This is no surprise, since Albinoni was already a much-loved composer and violinist during his lifetime. Partly due to this success, he composed 59 concertos and 99 sonatas in addition to his operas and other major works. Tomaso is said to have embraced his life with a cheerful and carefree attitude, and that spirit seems to be reflected in his lively composition.

For the first movement, we provided the following registration instructions:

A cheerful allegro written for two manuals to show off the interaction between tutti orchestra and solo instrument. The Great division can be registered quite solidly, while the other manual can benefit from a light touch. Some examples include 8’ + 4’ or 8’ + 2’ or 8’ + 4’ + 2’.

The same can be applied to the third movement, although slightly stronger across the board than in the first movement. This enables us to work towards a climax.

Every now and again I’ve also added a leading stop, but this is more of a personal choice than a hard and fast rule.

André van Vliet