Concerti Armonici: Concertino No. 5 in B-flat (spuriously attributed to Ricciotti): String Orchestra, Score and Parts

This concertino offers string orchestras a genuinely rewarding Baroque work that avoids the overplayed repertoire without sacrificing musical substance. The score's elegant simplicity and transparent orchestration make it accessible for intermediate ensembles while maintaining enough harmonic and contrapuntal interest to engage advanced players and audiences alike.

Wassenaer's writing sparkles with the grace and proportioned elegance typical of early 18th-century galant style, yet it retains the harmonic language and structural clarity of the Baroque. The work breathes easily across its movements, offering moments of genuine melodic beauty alongside passages of spirited rhythmic drive.

String orchestras performing at intermediate to advanced levels who want to expand beyond the standard Baroque concerto repertoire. Ensembles seeking programming that sounds fresh to audiences while remaining musically substantial will find this work serves well both in educational contexts and public performance.

• Shape phrases with the harpsichord as your anchor; the continuo provides harmonic clarity that lets the violin sections breathe freely without losing direction.
• Balance the first and second violin sections carefully so that both lines remain audible; Wassenaer's writing often carries melodic content across both parts simultaneously.
• Maintain clarity in the viola and cello lines, which frequently move in complementary rhythmic patterns; resist the urge to blend them into a generic accompaniment texture.
• Take full advantage of the score's rests and rhythmic punctuation to articulate formal sections; the structure is clear and benefits from precise ensemble awareness at cadence points.

Program this concertino alongside works by Vivaldi or Corelli to demonstrate the range of Baroque concerto writing, or pair it with works by contemporaries unfamiliar to your audience as a way to broaden their knowledge of the period. It works equally well as a concert opener or centerpiece, and its moderate length makes it suitable for educational performances where you want to showcase your ensemble's technical and musical growth without overstretching rehearsal time.

• Baroque articulation and phrasing conventions
• Maintaining rhythmic precision within flowing melodic lines
• Balance between violin I, violin II, and inner parts in concerto-grosso textures
• Coordination with continuo instruments (harpsichord)
• Recognition and execution of period-appropriate ornament style