Artistic Score Engraving

23/07/2024

Today we remember the passing of Italian , , , , and Benedetto Marcello (d otd 1739).
Marcello composed a variety of including music, oratorios, hundreds of solo cantatas, , , concertos and symphonies. He was a younger contemporary of Vivaldi in and his instrumental music has much in common with the Red Priest’s one.
As a composer, Marcello was best known in his lifetime and is now still best remembered for his Estro poetico-armonico (Venice, 1724–27), a musical setting for voices, basso continuo, and occasional solo instruments, of the first fifty Psalms, as paraphrased in Italian by his friend G. Giustiniani.

He wrote two main works for the , both extremely relevant from a standpoint, and both on for the next two days:
— Six Sonatas for Cello and Basso Continuo: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/ydxae/RememberingMarcello
— Six Sonatas a 3 for Two Cellos (or Gamba Viols) and Basso Continuo: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/bidoy/RememberingMarcello

Listen to how they sound here: https://youtu.be/ZPvSm8Ej5vA?si=XiZC-827tiMjG-zv
Join the mailing list for excerpts here: https://bit.ly/3ujFa4j
Thank you for your support and enjoy!

23/07/2024

to French and Adolphe-Charles Adam (b otd 1803).
He was well known as an and , but he is widely remembered for his “Minuit, chrétiens”—known in English as “Oh Holy Night” or also “Cantique de Noel”.

Here’s an of this poignant carol for and for & , adding also and parts as a bonus.
On now for the next 48h: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/wyRJc/HappyBirthdayAdam

Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy it!

23/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools — Episode 28
Romberg was one of the most successful and idiosyncratic artistic personalities of his time.

His generation considers to be the highest standard. Romberg’s reflect this conception, which gradually declines during Romberg's life, along with the ideals of the late and the flourishing .

In 1840, at the age of 73, he published his last work, the “ ", but the desired success did not materialise. A critic of the time said that “it would have been more useful to the world if he had published his school 20 earlier.”

Once considered a pioneer, he continued to walk the path where he had achieved his greatest successes, without adapting to changes. Still, his influence over German (especially Dotzauer and Ku**er) is crystal clear.

22/07/2024

of the Day - Episode 49
from “La Tempesta del Basso” for Double Bass Solo, by Michael J. Strauss.
A powerful mix of traditional and graphic notation!

21/07/2024

of the Day - Episode 41
Every has their own personal way of annotating .
One thing that changed for me during the years is the size of objects.
Looking back at just 2015 I find them minuscule and using too light a pencil, making them very hard to read.
Fast forward to the present day, here is an excerpt from my study-work on Dotzauer’s Pot-pourri for and , Op. 21, which was recently published.

What is your annotation style?
Would you like to share it?

to this piece here: https://youtu.be/EAsDrkVAE-Y
Find the here: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/zsdld

Enjoy!

20/07/2024

The Genesis of Schools — Episode 27
Key moments of Romberg’s life:
Romberg was born in Dinklage, near Oldenburg, in 1767. His musical talent is immediately evident and, aged 17, he and his cousin Andreas (violinist) are invited to for the Concert Spirituel.
A brief collaboration with the Münster ensues, followed by a full time job in the Court Orchestra (where played and ).
From 1794 he works in the National in and begins his concert tours.
There is also a brief parentheses as professor at Paris Conservatory, after which he comes back to Hamburg.
In 1805, he gets appointed as first solo in the Berlin Court Orchestra, place which he will hold until 1820. His concert tours are countless and with outstanding success.
He spends his retirement in Hamburg, with occasional concerts in Paris in private circles (1839).
He dies in 1841 in Hamburg.

19/07/2024

The Genesis of Schools — Episode 26
Let’s now move to Bernhard Romberg (1767—1841).
He was already an established cellist—actually, a true star—by the time Duport published his Essai and, therefore, always kept a good distance from it.
Romberg was the first German cellist able to maintain an undisputed international artistic rank. He was a welcome guest in Moscow and in Paris, he was celebrated from Spain to Sweden; in Milan (1820) he was even compared to Paganini.
In Germany, he serves as a model for an entire generation of cellists, influencing the formation of an independent German cello school.

18/07/2024

NEW EDITION — Deep Dive Article
J J F Dotzauer - Pot-pourri for and , Op. 21
Video: https://youtu.be/EAsDrkVAE-Y
Music: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/zsdld
Mailing list (free excerpt): https://bit.ly/3ujFa4j

http://artisticscoreengraving.com/2024/07/18/dotzauer-project-episode-11/

announcing the “Pot-Pourri” for cello and guitar, Op. 21 This article is an expanded version of the Editorial Notes that can be found in the published edition, available at this link. A promotional…

17/07/2024

Today we remember the passing of Carlo Alfredo Piatti (d otd 1901)
The most influential Italian of the XIX century by far, he is mostly remembered for his Twelve Caprices for Solo , Op. 25, dedicated to Bernhard Cossmann. Despite the fame and glory he achieved in life, he never forgot his humble beginnings, and kept a low profile to his last days.
Piatti was a very prolific besides being a most-accomplished , with over one hundred independent works.
The project started to unearth these long- and unfairly-forgotten gems back in 2022.

Let’s remember him with this on all our Piatti’s publications (18-19/7).
Get started here (https://tinyurl.com/mu4nkhbx), scroll down until you find the “Piatti Opera Omnia” section, or use the search box at the left to find Piatti’s works, and use the “RememberingPiatti” at checkout for a 15% !

Please also listen to the renditions of these pieces on my channel (https://bit.ly/3hFntn8).

I hope you will enjoy these pieces and thank you for your support!
Ah! … and don’t forget to share your experience with Piatti’s pieces in the comments!

17/07/2024

EDITION OF THE WEEK - SECOND YEAR!
To celebrate the first week of the second year of the "Edition of the Week" initiative, every week will see not one but TWO editions being offered on sale!
Here it is!

Enrique Granados - Intermezzo from "Goyescas" - for by Michele Galvagno

This will be on (-24%) 7/17-23!
You can use the following link to automatically get the discount: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/QgYTs/GRANADOS23
Here's how it sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baEIomHP3_s
Thank you for your support!

17/07/2024

EDITION OF THE WEEK
Jean-Baptiste Bréval - Sonata in G major, Op. 12/5 - arranged for and by Diran Alexanian.
created in collaboration with Maestro Yuriy Leonovich.

Listen to how it sounds here: https://youtu.be/uBMteCnged4
Enjoy this week’s (-24%) (7/17-23): https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/ddhkl/BR-ALEX-24

Thank you for your support and have a great day!

16/07/2024

The Genesis of — Episode 25
These were the most important achievements of Duport’s Essai:
1. Equal use of all four fingers. The separation of left-hand fingers by a half-tone is established; the extension of the hand—distance of a whole tone between 1st and 2nd finger—becomes another indispensable element. Alexanian, a century later, will call this the “second disposition of the left hand”.
2. More frequent use of the thumb, especially when (a) it is placed on the keyboard in advance, or (b) it is used in the middle of the string for a natural harmonic

Duport’s work was, therefore, the starting point and ideal to confront to for the creative efforts of the masters of the German school. Without it, their work may not be fully understood.

15/07/2024

of the Day - Episode 48
from “Songs of Vision”, four songs on texts by Emily Dickinson for and , composed by Martin Smith and
Enjoy!

14/07/2024

of the Day - Episode 40
Cue-sized passages such as the cadenza shown here need to have all their notation brought down to cue-size (usually around ⅔ and ¾ of the regular size).
In this case, the “ad lib.”, the fermata, and the dynamics need to be reduced.
Note spacing is also affected with the small bass which needs to be brought a bit to the right.

From “Sonata in G major, Op. 12 No. 5” by Jean-Baptiste Bréval, arranged for and by Diran Alexanian.
Listen to it here: https://youtu.be/uBMteCnged4
Find the score here: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/ddhkl

Enjoy!

13/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools — Episode 24
Here’s what Duport has to say on the topic of double stops:
“I had a hard time compiling the chapter on double stops, for two reasons: the first because no one had covered this topic before even with it being fundamental for the good player; the second because often I used double stops as a check method, because they cannot be played without a fixed fi*****ng system."

12/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools — Episode 23
While in Berlin, Jean-Louis Duport writes his masterpiece, the “l’Essai sur le Doigté du Violoncelle et sur la conduite de l’Archet” or “Instruction on the Fi*****ng and Bowing of the Violoncello)”, published around 1805.
This book contains several innovations on base technique and, in part, also in the leading of the bow.
To develop a complete and plausible fi*****ng system, Duport starts from double stops which, until the mid-XVIII century, had only been used in simple combinations.

11/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools — Episode 22
But how did we get there?
Let’s go in order. Following the initial idea of trying differentiating cello technique from violin’s by Michel Corrette, we need to thank Duport for really pushing things forward.
But who was Jean-Louis Duport?
He was born in Paris, in 1749, and studied dance, violin, and, finally, the cello, studying with his brother Jean-Pierre who had himself been a student of Martin Berteau, the assumed father of the French Cello School—also Bréval studied with him.
In 1789, he took refuge from the revolution in Berlin where his brother Jean-Pierre was already in the service of Frederick II of Prussia “The Great” as a musician of the Royal Chapel.
He would also serve Frederick William II, cellist and dedicatee of Beethoven's first two sonatas (op. 5 n° 1 & 2). In 1796 in Berlin Duport would play these two sonatas with the composer at the piano.
He would return to France only with Napoleon (1806) and to Paris later in 1813 where he would be appointed professor of the Conservatory & First Cello of the Imperial Chapel.

10/07/2024

EDITION OF THE WEEK
Justus Johann Friedrich Dotzauer - Six Songs, Op. 18 - for voice and guitar
Dotzauer dedicated three works to the guitar, an instrument particularly in vogue at the beginning of the XIX century. The first one was this collection of Six Songs (Sechs Lieder) for the Voice with Guitar accompaniment.
The guitar part is not particularly challenging, making it ideal even for non-professional playing.
The texts come from several prominent poets of the time, namely Friedrich von Schiller, Karl Friedrich Müchler, Johann Stephen Schütze, and Christian Schreiber.
This edition is the first modern publication of these pieces, and exceptionally offers a separate guitar part.
The outstanding contribution of Dr. Bernd Krause of the Büro für Geschichtswissenschaften made this edition possible.
Rich editorial notes and a comprehensive section analysing the texts complete this unique publication.

Listen to how it sounds here: https://youtu.be/h9NowheZvqo
Enjoy this week’s sale (-24%) (7/10-16): https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/gcinsl/D18-24

Thank you for your support and have a great day!

10/07/2024

Enter for a chance to win a copy of this collection of cello duets by Dotzauer & more!

🎉🎶 We're thrilled to announce a giveaway! Enter to win a PDF copy of Dotzauer’s "Twelve Original Pieces for Two Cellos, Op. 58," meticulously edited by Michele Galvagno, and a Cello Museum T-shirt. Don’t miss out—enter now! Entry form at the end of the interview ➡️ https://cellomuseum.org/an-interview-with-michele-galvagno-cellist-and-master-of-the-art-of-music-engraving/ 🎁 Artistic Score Engraving

10/07/2024

Thank you Cello Museum!

Meet master music engraver and cellist, Michele Galvagno and get insights into the world of music notation, teaching, and more.

09/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello — Episode 21
If you looked at the graph in the previous episode, you can see how the abundance of schools in France and the lack thereof in Germany created a tension, a longing for a clear direction.
As in all arts, also in cello and are deeply interconnected. While practice comes before understanding, the theoretical elaboration should follow suite.
Without a theoretical work the evolution would have halted since theory is the foundation of music education as it ensures a continuity of development.
Up to 1830, German cello schools appear without a direction while, already in 1850, the tide has completed turned.

08/07/2024

of the Day - Episode 47
from “Early in the Morning”, version for a ca****la , by Martin Smith.
The handling of multi-voice passage and lyrics in is a true blessing!

07/07/2024

of the Day - Episode 39
While the clef change is technically positioned in its correct place, there is too much space between itself and the upstem of the following C, and too little space from the downstem of the previous G. Notice that, had the fourth beat been, say, one octave higher, and thus downstem, the position would have been good as is.
Later in the system, dynamics should be centred exactly between the upper and lower obstacles, not absolutely in the middle of the two staves.

From “Sonata in G major, Op. 12 No. 5” by Jean-Baptiste Bréval, arranged for and by Diran Alexanian.
Listen to it here: https://youtu.be/uBMteCnged4
Find the score here: https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/ddhkl

Enjoy!

07/07/2024

I had the honour to be interviewed by the Cello Museum.
Please find the full article here: https://cellomuseum.org/an-interview-with-michele-galvagno-cellist-and-master-of-the-art-of-music-engraving/

There is also a giveaway of one of my scores!
Thank you!

The Cello Museum is an online compendium of the cello, including articles, cello news, and digital cello exhibitions. The Cello Museum is for everyone who loves the cello.

06/07/2024

L'Amore Trionferà
La Musica dell'Opera Zarqa Al-Yamama
Buona lettura!

Bentornati! [La volta scorsa]( abbiamo analizzato a fondo come la storia sia diventata un libretto e come il libretto si sia trasformato in un’opera. Abbiamo incontrato i protagonisti della s…

05/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools — Episode 20
Following this brief introduction on the protagonists of our journey, I would like to show you a timeline of their lives, hoping it will be evident how, in a few decades, an incredible concentration of pedagogical geniuses dedicated their lives to bringing the cello forward.
They would push its technique where no one had brought it before!

The thin white line passing through their lives signals the moment when Duport published his Essai. In a way or another, they all felt strongly about it, and it heavily influenced their ideas.

04/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools — Episode 19
The Cello School written by Friedrich August Ku**er in 1839 focuses on the logical progression of the pedagogical sections, pairing them with a progressive difficulty of the exercises.
Each exercise, therefore, refers to a specific chapter in the theoretical part, something that his teacher Dotzauer had failed to do.
We can try to explain this with the fact that Ku**er was a regular cello teacher in the Hochschule in Dresden, earning precious experience that allow him to write such a useful school.
He was clearly aware of what his students needed.

03/07/2024

EDITION OF THE WEEK
Gaetano - Largo - for and .
One of the few pieces focussing on the cello by the great master from Bergamo, the Largo for cello and piano never went beyond stage during Donizetti’s life.
At least four modern editions were made before this one, each one of them claiming to be faithful to the autograph.
This aims to solve all discussions with a comprehensive Critical Notes section including a comparison between all the available sources. If anything, it should prove an entertaining read!
The score is supplied with two cello parts, one unannotated and one containing my personal performance suggestions.

to how it sounds here: https://youtu.be/U4WmISIeCZA
this week’s (-24%) (7/3-9): https://artisticscoreng.gumroad.com/l/tuxkq/DLargo49

Thank you for your support and have a great day!

02/07/2024

The Genesis of Cello Schools - Episode 18
The man shown in last week’s picture is Friedrich August Ku**er (1797—1879).
Possibly the most famous of Dotzauer’s student, he masterfully picked-up his master’s legacy, enriching and expanding his pedagogical contribution.
He played in the Dresden Hofkapelle for 50 years, first as an oboist (!), then as cellist. In the last 14 years he took the place of Solo cello from the retiring Dotzauer.
His Cello School, published in 1839, quickly gained popularity for its simplicity and clarity.
More on this in the next episode.