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Who was the thief: Bach or Tartini?
I had the great pleasure to discover Giuseppe Tartini today. After my jaw hit the floor listening to "Devil's Trill Sonata", I exhausted the YouTube videos that were allocated to this composer and was quite surprised to hear a familiar refrain from J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 wafting out in a couple variations toward the end of Giuseppe's Violin Sonata In G-Minor 'Didone Abbandonata' Op.1, part II. Check it out for yourself - around the 4.43 minute mark:
I know composers often reference other works in their own, but it's rather fun when you run across them. These two composers were writing music during the same time period so I'm not sure who has the original, but I'm guessing Bach. Of course my brain could just be tricking me too, since I don't have any music to verify the observation. Any other guesses or insights on this?
Oh, and this is an astonishing performance by a 13 year old. We'll likely be hearing her name again.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ricky on -
The particular harmonic progression starting at 4:43, whose ground-bass proceeds as F, G, A, B-flat, F, G, A, D, is a common formula in the Baroque period. And you're right: if I remember correctly it does appear in the second movement of the third Brandenburg concerto, in the minor-version development of the main theme --- even with a very similar violin figuration. No doubt other instances could be found in the literature. It's quite possible neither directly copied the other, but rather an indication of a common vocabulary.
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Torello on -
Thanks for that insight, Ricky. Here's a link to the Brandenburg, and the section is around the 1:50 mark on the the II and III and it is echoed on various occasions between the instruments, but always stays locked in form. Tartini, on the other hand, twists the progression around into interesting new variations. Bach's seems so mechanical after hearing Tartini's version.
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Permalink Reply by Ralph Heims on -
The Brandenburg Concerti dedication manuscript is dated March 24, 1721, during Bach's Köthen period (1717 - 1723). Tartini gives 1713 as the time of his dream, in which he heard the devil play a sonata on the violin more beautiful than the composer could re-capture upon awakening (from Lalande's Voyage d'un Francois en Italie). However, it is sometimes assumed that the Brandenburg #3 may actually have been composed during Bach's Weimar period (1708 - 1717) since it is reminiscent of the Italian concerto which fascinated Bach during that period. So I guess you pays your money, and you takes your choice!
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Permalink Reply by Tim Bosworth on -
If you like mysteries, there's one under the same title by the associate concertmaster of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. A very fine violinist whose prose I wish measured up to his playing, but it is interesting. You can probably google "The Devi's Trill" and get to it on Amazon.com.
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Permalink Reply by Tim Bosworth on
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Bach stole all kinds of stuff. Vivaldi was a favorite target. It was not verboten to adapt other people's stuff. Vivaldi probably stole stuff too. Bach even stole from himself. So did Handel. In our day. Stravinsky and Bernstein also stole stuff. I'm sure the list would go on.
© 2013 Created by Sharon Torello.
