Capuzzi

[olivier]

Who was Capuzzi ?
In another thread his concerto in F (originally in D) has been mentioned as an interesting piece for auditioning.
Thanks

[Rob W]

Giuseppe Antonio Capuzzi
b. Breno, Brescia 1755
d. Bergano 1818

I don't know anything for sure, but my Yorke edition of the concerto (originally for violone more specifically) says the score was copied from the score in the British Museum. This suggests that maybe he was among the many Italians who moved to England to work during those years. It's possible that the piece was written there.

[octobass]

this is from the groves dictionary of music:


Capuzzi, Giuseppe Antonio .... Italian violinist and composer. He studied the violin with Narari, a pupil of Tartini, and composition with Bertoni. For some years after 1780, he was active in Venice as a performer in theatres and in St Mark's. In 1796 he visited London and produced a popular ballet, La villageoise enlevee, which was published the following year. In 1805 he settled in Bewrgamo, where he was first violinist at S Maria Maggiore, professor of violin at the Istituto Musicale, and leader of the orchestra at Teatro Riccardi. He was highly regarded both as a teacher and as a performer, and was equally proficient as a composer of theatrical and of chamber music.

... also go to your library and get this book ....

L. Finscher: Capuzzi, Giuseppe Antonio.

Good Luck.

Originally posted by olivier
Who was Capuzzi ?
In another thread his concerto in F (originally in D) has been mentioned as an interesting piece for auditioning.
Thanks

This piece is used by a lot of highschool students for their college audition.

Mark

[Pete G]

I just listened to Mark Morton's very nice recording of this concerto with accompanying piano on his new "Thresholds" CD. I wonder if the cadenza is available for purchase from Basso Profondo?

Have any of you ever heard this piece performed with orchestra? I suspect that there might be sections where the orchestra would bury the low-register bass solo, but I'd be interested to hear the opinions of those who have heard the piece performed.

[Shlomobaruch]

Not very likely. It isn't generally regarded as a serious piece, and when a bassist gets a chance to perform a concerto, it's doubtful this would be his/her first choice. but... I could get it back under my fingers in no time... maybe I should start hunting chamber orchestras...

[Rob W]

I never understand why the piece should be so maligned - yet it often seems to be. It has some nice bits of music in it really. It certainly can be an excellent first concerto for students to learn phrasing, etc. but I can't understand why it is so dismissed by 'more advanced' players. Just because the piece isn't off the end of the fingerboard, should it be considered to not be a 'serious' solo piece?

Compositionally it may not be as refined as Mozart, but you can't tell me the Koussevitsky concerto is a masterpiece of composition either. IMO, the Capuzzi is certainly better written than Koussevitsky. However, the Koussevitsky is regularly performed and the Capuzzi isn't.

[Shlomobaruch]

THANK YOU!!!

I can't stand the Koussevitsky, and I couldn't agree with you more. It's a bunch of ripped highlights from the Saint-Saens cello concerto thrown together into a horribly orchestrated mess. Aside from being a vehicle to pull off those Saint-Saens licks in public limelight, I can't think of any reason why it seems to have become *the* concerto of choice for so many soloists. Any time I hear the second movement I want to go postal on some woodwinds until I realize that it isn't their fault, it's just written that way. Honestly, it grates me so fierce I can't even hear the solo line... or is that the orchestration too?

You're right in that the Capuzzi is much better written, and is at least completely original. But I think, aside from the lack of nosebleed register playing, it's also considered rather... quaint. And again, think about it - if you get your chance to play with an orchestra, a rare opportunity you may never get again, would you really want to do the Capuzzi as opposed to the Dragonetti, or the Vanhal, or the Dittersdorf, or even the Bottesini? I'm not saying that *I* don't take it seriously. I like it - it's a perfectly fine little concerto, and I wasn't *entirely* joking when I was contemplating finding a group to perform it with. I could certainly play it, and if I could find a willing orchestra, why the hell not?

[Pete G]

There seem to be two routes to performing a concerto with a non-professional orchestra: either as a recognized star player (faculty of local conservatory, principal of nearby professional orchestra, etc.), or as winner of a school or orchestral concerto competition.

Soloists in the former category, I expect, would not consider playing the Capuzzi, because, as noted, it's not that much of a showpiece. However, I could easily see a soloist in the second category playing the Capuzzi. A bassist playing the Capuzzi well would sound better than someone butchering a Bruch violin concerto...

[sdjbass]

I played this in 8th grade as a concerto, i think i did the first mvmt. i sucked but i mean a concerto in 8th grade is a feat of its own, i remember it is a grade 4 by the Virginia music band orch thingy, but it was so under rated, it should be atleast a 5 if not a easy 6, but i liked it, it sounds cool, and is a good beginning concerto, but now all my orch. friends cringe when they hear the name capuzzi uttered. lol. their just jelous

[George F. Schmidtt]

If you're interested in a slightly more challenging version of the Capuzzi Concerto try the recently issued "John Mathews Edition" that Jeff Koczela put together. It takes it into a more comfortable range and is supposedly the version that those who heard Dragonett play. Not quite "nosebleed" territory but you'll get ample opportunity to work on your thumb positions.

[Nickman71]

Im in 8th grade, and im playing the Rondo (3rd Movment) from the Capuzzi concerto with my orchestra at school. I got the Boosey & Hawkes F major version, and my bass teacher got the orchestra accompaniment for me. I dont know the name of the publisher, but the music is on paper thats like the size of a person, and it looks like a two year old wrote it and everyone is the orchestra complains about it, but too bad for them! (its actually written for a symphony orchestra but my teacher wrote up the flute parts for violin) Well, all that matters is that it sounds good, which it did. I got goose bumps the first time we played it. When i found out VBODA rated it a 4, i got so mad! Its at least a 5! But my bass teacher was invited to go re-score pieces and she said she'd change it to a 5. Wether its for an advanced audition or, just so you can have a concerto under your belt, the Capuzzi concerto is a great one.

[dreamer69]

... also go to your library and get this book ....

L. Finscher: Capuzzi, Giuseppe Antonio.

Good Luck.

Where I can obtain this book?? I dont find it. Can you help me? Thank you very much.

[Kaden]

When i was in 8th grade i played The Capuzzi Concertol ( 1st and 2nd movements) for the Indiana state solo ensemble contest it was division 1 piece but it does lack notes in the "nosebleed" register but it is still a nice little concerto for auditioning with, it has served me well and it seems to roll over well with the judges.

You can get the book from lemur music, i dont know if it is the exact one you are looking for but they have quite a few different versions.

[RHayton]

Have any of you ever heard this piece performed with orchestra? I suspect that there might be sections where the orchestra would bury the low-register bass solo, but I'd be interested to hear the opinions of those who have heard the piece performed.


I've also got the Mark Morton recording--it's great. The only orchestral performance I've seen is a youth symphony with a 16 year old girl performing the first movement on youtube:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CjYaOES48FU

The orchestra and the soloist are really quite good.