Beschreibung
My thanks to the British Library which has safeguarded this important and interesting music for so long a time! The “Grand Solo in C Minor” is a title I have given this work. In it's original form it is known as the Quintet No. 13 – scored for solo double bass, violin, two violas, and basso. Among the collection of Drago's manuscripts at the British Library are piano accompaniments to many of his works that were composed by Simon Sechter and Cipriani Potter.This is an excellent representative of Dragonetti’s compositional skill. Dragonetti frequently employs popular tunes as well as melodic material from more serious works in the construction of his themes. In this quintet the opening theme of the Adagio was likely “borrowed” from the second movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 99. Dragonetti takes Haydn’s G major theme and casts it in C minor which gives it an expansive palette and sense of pathos. Thematic material of the Allegretto may also have been derived from a popular canzonetta of the day (“Ho perso l’ogaletto”). This movement has a gracious and amiable affect and is punctuated by numerous instances of parallel fourths and fifths, perhaps an inside joke directed by the composer at some officious pedagogue. It is important, in performing the music of Dragonetti to imagine what what he must have played like. How did he create such a stir? Daring phrasing, a huge dynamic range and some degree of improvisation during repeated material are necessary ingredients to bring this music to life. Enjoy!