Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo) Cover Image

Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo): String Orchestra, Ensemble Works, Conductor Score (EDWIN F KALMUS)

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Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo) Cover Image
Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo): String Orchestra, Ensemble Works, Conductor Score (EDWIN F KALMUS)

Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo): String Orchestra, Ensemble Works, Conductor Score (EDWIN F KALMUS)

By William Boyce, ed./arr. by Sydney Robjohns

Item: 36-A101301
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Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo): String Orchestra, Ensemble Works, Conductor Score & Parts (EDWIN F KALMUS)

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Description
William Boyce (1711-1779) composed his Sonata No. 10 in E minor as part of the collection Twelve Sonatas for Two Violins with a Bass for the Violoncello or Harpsichord, published in London in 1747, a landmark set that helped establish him as one of the leading figures of eighteenth-century English music. Rooted in the elegant trio-sonata tradition inherited from Corelli and Handel, the work reflects the graceful melodic style and balanced formal design characteristic of the Georgian era. In the twentieth century, English musician and arranger Sydney Robjohns (1917-1993) reworked the sonata as a Suite for Strings, adapting the chamber original for string orchestra while preserving its Baroque vitality and contrapuntal clarity. The arrangement became popular with school, amateur, and chamber string orchestras during the mid-twentieth-century revival of interest in earlier English music. Today, Suite for Strings (after Sonata No. 10 for 2 Violins and Continuo) occupies a valued place in educational and community-orchestra repertoire, offering performers and audiences an accessible introduction to Boyce's music while demonstrating how twentieth-century arrangers helped bring Baroque works to modern ensembles. A count of 8-8-5-5-5 strings are included in the set. Reprint edition.

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
ISBN10: 8-904201-95-0
ISBN13: 979-8-904201-95-1
UPC: 604634107533
SKU: 36-A101301
Instrumentation: String Orchestra (8.8.5.5.5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: William Boyce

William Boyce stands among the most important English composers of the Georgian era, holding the post of Master of the King's Music and leaving behind a catalog that spans sacred music, stage works, and instrumental pieces. His twelve sonatas for two violins and continuo, published in 1747, represent the height of his chamber music craft and secured his reputation as a leading figure in London's musical life. Rooted in the Italian trio-sonata tradition but infused with English melodic sensibility, these works helped sustain interest in sophisticated instrumental music during a period when English composers often found themselves overshadowed by continental imports.

Why we love this

Robjohns's orchestration opens Boyce's elegant original to a wider range of performers without sacrificing the contrapuntal texture and formal clarity that make the work musically rewarding. The standard 8.8.5.5.5 configuration means most school string programs can mount this without special casting or divisi nightmares. You get an unfamiliar repertoire piece that sounds refined and purposeful on stage, which helps when you're tired of the same recycled Baroque arrangements.

What to expect

The music unfolds with the measured grace of a minuet at court, combining Baroque formality with a distinctly English melodic warmth. Contrapuntal lines weave through passages of affecting simplicity, then yield to moments of surprising harmonic depth that remind you why Boyce mattered to his contemporaries.

Who it's for

String orchestras ranging from intermediate school ensembles to community and semi-professional groups seeking repertoire beyond the most familiar Baroque transcriptions. Directors looking to program something substantive that students won't find in three other places before Christmas.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the two violin lines as equal voices in dialogue; resist the urge to let the first violins dominate. The piece's sophistication depends on hearing both conversations clearly.
  • Keep the harmonic foundation steady in the lower strings. The violas and cellos are doing real musical work, not just filling in chords.
  • Shape phrases with gentle forward motion rather than heavy attacks. Georgian elegance lives in the phrasing, not the bow pressure.
  • Use any recorded accompaniment primarily as a tempo reference; your own ensemble's rhythmic personality will feel fresher than slavishly matching a recording.

How to use it

Pair this with other Georgian-era English works for a concert exploring a musical period often overlooked in standard curricula, or place it early in a program as a graceful introduction before moving to weightier material. The modest scale and elegant character also make it ideal for chamber performance, spring concerts, or occasions calling for understated sophistication.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing independent melodic lines in a contrapuntal texture
  • Sustaining lyrical phrasing across longer phrases without losing direction
  • Reading Baroque harmonic language and understanding functional harmony through performance
  • Coordinating ensemble attack and release with precision
  • Recognizing and executing stylistic bow articulation appropriate to the Georgian era

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