Alice Sprinkle | Institute of Education, University College London (original) (raw)
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Papers by Alice Sprinkle
Journal of the American Viola Society, 2020
The third movement (Andante) from J.S. Bach’s (1685-1750) Sonata in G Major for Viola da Gamba a... more The third movement (Andante) from J.S. Bach’s (1685-1750) Sonata in G Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1027 has been a source of controversy among a handful of editors for decades. Many editions of the sonata have been published, all disregarding the unusual, uneven slurs shown in Bach’s own manuscript. This study compares and analyzes some of the most promising editions, some for modern viola, along with written opinions of their scholars. It also compares BWV 1027 to BWV 1039 – an earlier trio sonata for two flutes and continuo that uses the same music as BWV 1027, including the uneven slurs in the Andante. Editors choose more regular, predictable two- or four-note slurs likely because the slurs in the manuscript could be careless mistakes and because even slurs are more straightforward to the modern player. Even though most editors follow the manuscript, some more closely than others, it is evident that they all prefer to err on the side of caution and ignore Bach’s adventurous slurs.
Journal of the American Viola Society, 2020
The third movement (Andante) from J.S. Bach’s (1685-1750) Sonata in G Major for Viola da Gamba a... more The third movement (Andante) from J.S. Bach’s (1685-1750) Sonata in G Major for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord, BWV 1027 has been a source of controversy among a handful of editors for decades. Many editions of the sonata have been published, all disregarding the unusual, uneven slurs shown in Bach’s own manuscript. This study compares and analyzes some of the most promising editions, some for modern viola, along with written opinions of their scholars. It also compares BWV 1027 to BWV 1039 – an earlier trio sonata for two flutes and continuo that uses the same music as BWV 1027, including the uneven slurs in the Andante. Editors choose more regular, predictable two- or four-note slurs likely because the slurs in the manuscript could be careless mistakes and because even slurs are more straightforward to the modern player. Even though most editors follow the manuscript, some more closely than others, it is evident that they all prefer to err on the side of caution and ignore Bach’s adventurous slurs.