Sonata in D minor (Speer)

Etching from the series Figure con instrumenti musicali e boscarecci by Giovanni Battista Bracelli showing Baroque musicians playing a trombone and a serpent cornett

The Sonata in D minor is a sonata for brass quintet (2 cornetts, 3 trombones and continuo) by the Baroque composer Georg Daniel Speer (1636 – 1709)

Background

Speer was born in current day Wroclaw, Poland (formerly Breslau) and died in Göppingen, Germany. As a composer, he wrote sonatas for trombones (formerly known as sackbuts) and cornetti with basso continuo. However, Speer is most widely known for his Sonata No. 29 from Die Bänkelsängerlieder for brass quintet. He was more well-known for his music theory during his lifetime. However, there is no official document attesting to his activities before 1664.[1] Speer was also a prolific writer with three or four autobiographical novels that shed light on the music scene of his era. Aside from the autobiographies, Speer wrote a musical treatise that is considered very useful in understanding Middle Baroque music (the time period in which he composed). During the Middle Baroque period trombones (sackbuts) gained popularity in part thanks to composers like Speer, who wrote music specifically for trombones – most notably his trombone sonatas.

Music

Instrumentation and general composition

Speer’s trombone sonatas are all written using the same basic instrumentation – 2 or 3 cornetti, 3 or 4 trombones, and continuo. In these sonatas the trombones play the main subject or theme while the cornetti provide a counter-melody and the continuo plays in harmony. The melody line trades between all 4 trombones in different ranges; generally the alto trombone would play the first iteration of the theme, then the theme would move down to the second alto/tenor trombone, then the tenor trombone takes over, and finally the bass trombone or contrabass trombone would play the final iteration of the theme and the 4 trombones will either end in unison or in harmony on the tonic chord. This specific sonata is written for six voices: 2 cornetti, 3 trombones, and basso continuo. Indicative of the time period, the first trombone part (originally written for the sackbut) is written in treble clef and would be played by an alto sackbut which is in the pitch of D or E (modern day Eb), and played on modern alto trombones today which are in the pitch of Eb. The tenor and bass voice would be played by a tenor and a bass sackbut, which would both be played on tenor trombones today.

Performance practice

Speer's sonatas were originally written for 3 to 4 trombones, with cornetti, and continuo. Over the years the cornetti became phased out resulting in a quartet of trombones and a single continuo. This has kept the performance of the piece fairly common in trombone repertoire today. Also, without the cornetti, the setting is easier to maintain with the trombones forming an arch toward the audience, always with the first and fourth trombones on the outside and the middle two voices on the inside.

Influence on music

Speer's extensive writings on trombone performance practice coupled with his trombone specific compositions helped push the trombone into the late-baroque era of music and cementing it as a worthwhile instrument to write for.

References

  1. ↑ Warszawski, Jean-Marc. "Speer Daniel." Daniel Speer (1636-1717). N.p., 25 Aug. 2013. Web. 28 Sept. 2015

External links

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