Fernando Sor: The Complete Italian Arietts,
Italian Duets, and the Three Canons

for one, two or three voices and piano, complete in two books

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Consider getting the clothbound.

Read the complete introduction

More about Fernando Sor (1778-1839)

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María Encina Cortizo has written an article "Arietas y duetos italianos de Fernando Sor" about these songs, in Estudios sobre Fernando Sor, Madrid, 2003, in which she pointed out the beauty, high quality, and demanding technique of these works:

"Altamente expresivo es el lenguaje . . . verdaderas arias de concierto, de gran exigencia vocal . . . Algunas arias subyugan por su belleza melódica . . . brillante lenguaje vocal . . . plenamente romántico . . . de gran brillantez y dificultad vocal . . . gran madurez compositiva".

A review of the new CD says: "La exigencia vocal de estas composiciones es muy notable por lo que probablemente era un cantante de primer orden, . . . En cambio, exige al intérprete un nivel de concentración absoluto. Nada está escrito al azar. Prácticamente todo lo posible está ya escrito y el intérprete debe concentrarse con colar alguna breve cadencia por los escasos resquicios. . . . Como ingredientes compositivos a tener en cuenta hay que destacar la sutilidad armónica y una inagotable imaginación melódica y rítmica. La atmósfera del texto encuentra siempre una traducción ideal tanto en la línea vocal como en su vestimenta pianística, la sonoridad de la voz y el piano se complementan. Aprovecha magistralmente todos los recursos sonoros de piano, tal vez por influencia de sus amigos Cramer, Hummel, Field o Kalkbrenner."

It really is time that singers, especially Spanish ones, performed this music in order to show its important place in the history of Spanish music.

This present edition is the first time that this music has been published in a modern edition. It has been awaited for over twenty years, during which time many people have asked for this music.  It is the complete edition of all Sor's known arietts etc. in Italian, 42 works in all, which he composed while he lived in London, between 1815 and 1823. They are all for voice(s) with piano accompaniment (for guitar, see below). They are presented here in facsimiles of the original editions, which are all very clear to read, with an extensive introduction which will tell you a lot about these songs, and bibliography.

All the texts of the songs are in Italian, and all the songs are for voice(s) and piano.

"Es la primera vez que estas bellas e importantes composiciones se publican en moderna edición en nuestros días" (Música y Educación, March 2003)

"Alguien se preguntará qué hace un volúmen de partituras para piano y voz en una revista de guitarra. Pero es que Sor es siempre Sor ... de alto interés." (Acordes (Spanish magazine), 2003).

"...the new volumes of Sor's Italian Arietts. They are so beautifully produced and edited and a work of art in themselves." (Graham Wade, November 2002)

NEW February 2004: a CD available from Tecla containing eight of the arietts. (With some mp3s).

The music has been divided up into two books for the convenience of performers: Book 1, containing Three Italian Arietts, Sets 1 to 7; and Book 2, containing Three Italian Arietts, Sets 8 to 10; Three Italian Duets, Sets 1 and 2; and the Three Canons.

VERSIONS WITH GUITAR.  Some of the arietts are available with the original piano accompaniments arranged for guitar by Rob MacKillop, here as downloadable files.

These guitar arrangements have been made available here because it is known that Sor himself sometimes performed some of the accompaniments on the guitar (and himself sometimes sang the voice part), and some of them work well on the guitar.  I asked Rob MacKillop to arrange some of the piano accompaniments for guitar, and he has done so.  He writes: "I think they [the first set of arietts] are wonderful songs".  These guitar arrangements are the ones which are now directly downloadable here. Have a look! They include "Oh cara" from the First Set of Arietts, which turns out to be a wonderful song where the accompaniment fits extremely well onto the guitar. 

The complete contents list
Alphabetical list
The complete introduction
See sample arietts as pdfs (beginnings only): "Lagrime mie d'affanno" page 1, "Lagrime mie d'affanno" page 2, "Io mormoro in vano" page 1, "Io mormoro in vano" page 2.

The edition is complete in two books and is available either paperbound or in a handsome cloth binding.  It also includes the complete Italian words and English prose translations of all the songs, and full-length reviews from journals of the time.

"Thanks for sending me the beautiful edition of the Sor Arietts, they've been on my piano music stand ever since. Although I have photocopies of most of them there have been several fascinating discoveries. I particularly like the 1st Canon Piacer d' amore with its lovely and touching introductory harmonies. I didn't expect these songs to be true canons but, although there may not be much rhythmic independence, the imitation in all three voices is complete. I can readily understand why Piacer d' amore was published in an English version as late as 1907.  I see from your web site that there are recordings of the songs planned. I hope that these will be done with piano accompaniment and not guitar or fortepiano! Although good results can be achieved on the guitar it really only suits the more simple accompaniments. The otherwise excellent recording of Sor arietts made by Montserrat Figueras and José Miguel Moreno is a case in point where, in Perduta l' anima, the affecting and powerful piano writing in the coda section makes little impression. Having said this, I performed some of the Arietts many years ago in a transcription for two guitars and voice that I made." (Roger Quin, January 2003)

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