Bettina Hoffmann
Catalogue of Solo and Chamber Music for Viola da Gamba
author
Bernabei, Giuseppe Antonio
1649 ? - 1732
work information
Sonate à due Violini, e Viola da Gamba, di Gioseppe Antonio Bernabei.
print
place (and editor)
Venezia, Sala
date
n. d.
scoring
2 vl + vb (+ bc?)
where
source
lost
further information
notes
Information from the Sala catalogue, 1715
It is possible that in these sonatas the viola da gamba merely played the role of basso continuo, but - since the work is lost and known only through this mention in the publisher's catalogue - we cannot exclude that a solo part was reserved for it. In this case, it is possible that there was a further part for the basso continuo, which - as was the usual practice - is not mentioned in the title.
It is worth remembering that Bernabei had been living in Munich since 1677 and therefore, although written by an Italian and printed in Venice, these sonatas are part of the German tradition of the sonata for two violins and viola da gamba.
It is possible that in these sonatas the viola da gamba merely played the role of basso continuo, but - since the work is lost and known only through this mention in the publisher's catalogue - we cannot exclude that a solo part was reserved for it. In this case, it is possible that there was a further part for the basso continuo, which - as was the usual practice - is not mentioned in the title.
It is worth remembering that Bernabei had been living in Munich since 1677 and therefore, although written by an Italian and printed in Venice, these sonatas are part of the German tradition of the sonata for two violins and viola da gamba.
