Does Size Really Matter? Choosing Recorders for Vivaldi’s Chamber Concerti in Sharp Keys

The possibility that alto recorders in g′, or G-altos, co-existed alongside the standard F-alto size in the eighteenth century has been the subject of much debate among players, makers, and researchers alike. In 2007, Federico Maria Sardelli proposed that Antonio Vivaldi wrote his chamber concerti in sharp keys for G-alto, reserving those in flat keys for F-alto. However, his argument relies on modern recorder technique, with only a passing glance to historical sources on the subject. He also gives no consideration to the impact a different size of recorder has on timbre and expression.

In this project, I combine artistic and historical research approaches to study the concerti and examine Sardelli’s conclusions. An initial overview of recorder finger technique is followed by an examination of technical aspects that impact on comfort, playability, and timbre in relation to Vivaldi’s chamber concerti and other relevant works. The final section of the article focuses on Vivaldi’s handling of the recorder’s range, including how the highest and lowest extremities might have been executed. Throughout the article, the relationship between technique and expression is explored.

The findings show that it is highly unlikely that Vivaldi intended his chamber concerti in sharp keys for G-alto, preferring instead the distinctive timbres of the F-alto’s fingerings. Technique and expression were inextricably linked in much of this repertoire, proving that instrument choice is crucial to expressive outcomes as well as technical complexity.