Cimarosa, Domenico (1749-1801)

The four sonatas in this volume are a tantalising introduction to Artaria Editions' forthcoming publication of the complete keyboard sonatas of Domenico Cimarosa. (Sonata R20, R30, R25 and R27) The present edition attempts to present as accurately as possible the composer's intentions as transmitted in the Florentine MS with the exception of the grouping of the works into multi-movement cycles. Cimarosa's scant markings have been preserved throughout and, on occasion, applied to parallel passages. As in the original, the editor has placed the onus of responsibility for interpretation back on the performer although he has made occasional tempo suggestions where they are missing from the source. Obvious wrong notes have been corrected without comment; editorial emendations with no authority from the source are placed within brackets. Nick Rossi Sadly Nick Rossi died before this edition went to press. In the course of its preparation we discussed many issues relating to the genesis of the sonatas and the risk the editor takes in presenting the works to the public with so little help in the matter of interpretation. I have tried to incorporate all of Nick's final thoughts on the sonatas in the edition that follows. Allan Badley