Quantz: 6 Duetti (1759)

Description

Quantz’s Op.2 duos are more demanding and inventive than most of the other duos of the time.

Quantz’s Sei Duetti a due flauti traversi, Opera Seconda, were published in Berlin by Georg Winter in 1759. They are among the most ambitious duets of their time (because of the length of the fast movements, it was not practicable to produce an edition in score). Quantz obviously took them seriously, as he went to the trouble of adding a long preface, the English translation of which is included with this edition and the original German text appears in the second recorder part.

In this transcription for recorders we follow Quantz’s own suggestion in transposing the music up a minor third. Quantz’ own text, though printed in a very cramped manner, is actually very accurate, and has been followed almost literally. A minor detail is that where a slurred phrase includes a tied note, he does not provide a tie, as in Duetto IV, Affettuoso, bar 5.

Quantz is remarkably precise in his use of dynamics, occasionally changing from piano to forte.