Bettina Hoffmann
Catalogue of Solo and Chamber Music for Viola da Gamba
Leclair, Jean Marie l'ainé
[6] Sonates à deux violons sans basse […] troisième œuvre; on peut jouer ces sonates à deux violes, op. III
Paris, auteur, Boivin, Le Clerc.
Successive editions: Paris, auteur, Vve Boivin, Le Clerc, Castagnery; Amsterdam, Gerhard Frederik Witvogel, Jean Covens fils; London, Walsh
CH-Zz, D-Mbs 4 Mus.pr. 66227, F-LYc, F-Pa, F-Pn, F-TLc, F-V (incomplete), GB-Er, GB-Lbl, NL-DHgm, US-NH, US-NYp, US-Wc
One Andante is found ms. in F-Pn Rés. Vmc ms. 85 with the title Le Clerc Duetti Sont. IV, for two treble viols.
Successive editions: A-Wn, F-Pc, F-Pn, F-V, GB-HAdolmetsch, Rus-Mrg, US-Wc; F-Pc; B-Bc, CDN-Tu, F-Pn, GB-Ckc, GB-Lbl, GB-Ooc, US-I, US-NYp
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b9063465m; http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC09297247
Successive edition: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b90830184
Broude Brothers; Fuzeau; Minkoff (Vmc ms. 85)
The sonatas have nothing to make them particularly suitable for the viola da gamba, be it the dessus or basse de viole; they are on the contrary very violinistic, with numerous chords and passages that would require extensive adaptions for a performance on both bass and soprano viola da gamba. The only candidate could be the 5- or even 4-string pardessus, but this instrument is not yet documented in 1730. One has the impression that the indication for viol of these sonatas is the result of purely commercial needs.
Not all successive editions include the alternative instrumentation for violes. Conversely, the edition Witvogel/Covens (Amsterdam, s. d.) bears the title Six sonates a deux violes sans basse, even if in the partbooks the instruments are called «Violino».
A/I: L 1311 ID 990037091
Successive editions: L 1312/LL 1312 ID 990037092, L 1313 ID 990037093, L 1314 ID 990037094, L 1315 ID 990037095, L 1316 ID 990037096.
