Filling In the Gaps: Bartolomeo Campagnoli

Have you ever wondered what happened to the legacy of solo violin music after Bach's collection of 6 Sonatas and Partitas? It is probable that Bach's works were not performed frequently for over a century after the composer's death in 1750, although they may still have been in general circulation during that time. Other violin repertoire that has survived after Bach's era are largely concertos, like those of Haydn, Mozart, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, and to some extent Viotti and Spohr. Beyond that, we have all the great Romantic era violin concertos (i.e. Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Mendelssohn, etc.), but until the 20th century, there was very little unaccompanied violin music composed that became canon. Paganini with his 24 caprices is the most obvious example, composed between 1802 and 1817. Ysaÿe is the next notable example with his 6 Sonatas for Solo Violin written in 1923. But what developments took place between these tent pole collections? An enormous amount of music was written for unaccompanied violin, far more than what is performed in the modern era. So where do they fit in, and how do we potentially incorporate this music into modern performance, especially when it comes to pedagogy?

One example we can point to is the music of Bartolomeo Campagnoli. Campagnoli (1751-1827) was a prolific composer of solo violin and viola music, most famously his 41 etude-caprices for viola. Much of his music goes unnoticed today, and few recordings of it exist. During his career as a violinist, he developed a reputation for being a talented but old-fashioned kind of musician. Ironically, based on portraits of the violinist, he had a fairly unique technique, particularly in his bow-hand, in that he maintained what we would consider today to be a Franco-Belgian hold, popularized in the 20th century by Ivan Galamian. Franco-Belgian bow holds indicate that the index finger should rest against the bow closer to the first knuckle. This differs from the most famous historical violinist figure, Paganini, who had what we would call a Russian grip on the bow, holding it closer to the 2nd or 3rd knuckle on the index finger.

That being the case, Campagnoli's music - whilst having been composed after the concertos of Haydn and Mozart - is of a transitional style between the Baroque and Classical periods, but also feels natural for the modern player; even more natural than that of Bach or Paganini (admittedly less demanding as well). His Opus 10, a set of 6 Fugues for Solo Violin, was composed in 1803 just three years before Beethoven's revolutionary Violin Concerto of 1806. Yet, rather than being a push forward like Beethoven's Concerto, these fugues uniquely combine Baroque-era compositional techniques and stylistic expectations with Classical-era sequencing, harmonic structures, and in many ways playability. They make more sense than the Bach Fugues under the fingers and obviously prioritize the ability to play gracefully and cleanly over complex layers of counterpoint or technical innovation.

Unfortunately, there is only one full recording of Campagnoli's Op. 10, from Italian violinist Davide Amodio. He plays on what sound like gut strings tuned down to around A=430, which is appropriate for the era but may not attract younger players to the music, for whom I think this music is incredibly appropriate. In fact, I believe that any of these fugues could easily fill in the technical gap that is often found just before beginning to study solo Bach. This leap is a common challenge for students, and the Campagnoli fugues may offer a fine precursor both musically and technically.

Over the last 4 months, I endeavored to put out live, casual versions of these works to be used as a resource of discovery and accessibility (see below). Ideally, these will soon be accompanied by a study edition of the score, as that is also a non-existent resource. The parts available on IMSLP are difficult to read and include a number of wrong or questionable note choices that a study score could fully explain or offer alternatives. There are also certain stylistic expectations made by the composer that many modern players, especially students, may not be familiar with the execution of or necessity for. For example, when it is appropriate to sustain certain counterpoint notes versus others; when ornamentations should be implemented; etc.

More than just being a useful pedagogical tool, though, I have found these pieces to be quite beautiful and worthwhile. They vary in all ways, each one showcasing the violin in wonderful specificity without becoming overly repetitive. There is a strong case to be made for them becoming a standard part of the violin repertoire, both as a pre-amble to Bach but also as a stylistic tentpole from which violinists can contextualize their repertoire.

-P