Galuppi’s secular vocal chamber music comprises at least around ten works, in varied vocal and instrumental combinations, and belongs mostly to his final creative period. These compositions are of great interest both on account of the intrinsic quality of their texts and through the artistic maturity of the composer. Galuppi’s cantata La scusa for alto/contralto and strings – based on a poetic text by Pietro Metastasio – has come down to us through an autograph manuscript, dated 1780, preserved in Venice, in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. There are also two other, non-autograph eighteenth-century manuscripts of this cantata, preserved in Münster (Santini-Bibliothek) and in Paris (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), respectively. The cantata comprises an introductory instrumental movement, two recitatives and two arias. While the first recitative is entirely unaccompanied (secco), the second one also provides for the use of the accompaniment. The arias, both very beautiful and highly representative of Galuppi’s compositional style, stand out for the beauty of their melodic line and the inventiveness of their orchestral accompaniment. In this edition – which includes score and separate parts – some passages where the composer forgot to write in the viola part have been reconstructed by the editors. A sample realization of the basso continuo is also provided.

“In summary, this is a nicely-produced edition of two unusual works. Between 15 and 20 minutes in length, they would make a most attractive and interesting addition to any programme of baroque or classical music. Tuneful and in tune with baroque practice, the edition allows for flexibility of interpretation according to the skill and knowledge of the performers and the choice of continuo instrumentation. Both cantatas come highly recommended as a useful addition to the musical repertoire of the pre-classical period.”

Read the review in The Consort 

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