Sei Sonate A Quattro

The Sei Sonate a Quattro are, if not Rossini’s very first attempt at composition, then definitely one of his earliest works, having been composed in 1804.Composed for two violins, cello and double bass while staying with his friend and patron Agostino Triossi, the curious combination of this quartet makes this a unique, extremely well crafted piece, with a few fresh new ideas from a young composer.The sonatas were performed for the first time while Rossini was staying on the Triossi estate near Ravenna, known as the Conventello, with Rossini himself playing the second violin.

This critical edition - by Matteo Giuggioli, a scholar of 18th and 19th century instrumental music - is based on the manuscript copy of the separate parts with annotations in Rossini’s own hand, now kept at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.The book also contains facsimiles of the instrumental parts adapted for the classic quartet (2 violins, viola, cello) which Ricordi produced in 1828 in order to guarantee the widest possible circulation of this work.