Recorder Sonata Op. 1 No. 3 — Adagio
- Play a Barsanti Adagio in D minor.
- Sustain a melancholic line with planned breath.
- Add one ornament at the final cadence.
About This Piece
Composer: Francesco Barsanti (1690–1772)
Difficulty: Early Intermediate
Notes Used: D, E, F, F#, G, A, B, C, D (high), E (high)
Time Signature: 3/4
Key: D Minor
Full Movement (Simplified)
The slow movement of Barsanti's D minor sonata — melancholic in the galant manner, less harmonically dense than Handel's.
Practice Tips
- Tempo: Quarter = 56–60.
- Breath: Mark a breath at the end of each 4-bar phrase. The slow tempo will not bail you out of a missed breath plan.
- Ornament: A trill on the penultimate note of the closing cadence. One only.
Practice Exercises
Historical Context
The third sonata of Barsanti's Op. 1 is in D minor — the recorder's most natural minor key. The Adagio is the slow movement of a four-movement sonata; like much galant slow music, it sits on a clear harmonic foundation without the dense suspensions of the high Baroque.
Performance Goal: Singing melancholy, not heavy lament. The line should breathe.
Next Steps
- Try Barsanti's Op. 1 No. 2 Allegro (fast contrast).
- Compare with the Loeillet of Ghent D minor sonatas in book 3.