“Il Trillo del Diavolo” is the evocative title of a sonata for violin and basso continuo by Giuseppe Tartini (1692 – 1770), composed no later than 1740 (the date is uncertain and we presume a long gestation period, possibly thirty years).
The object of this transcription is the 3rd movement of the sonata, which is the one that contains the passage characterized by fast trills and double strings, which is said to have been suggested to the composer in a dream by the Devil himself.
Being able to keep the musical sense of a piece so rich in ideas (many of which evidently inspired by the nature of the violin itself), in a transcription without bass for wind instrument, is a real challenge. Many elements of the original score can only be suggested with some specific means: chord harmony with the addition of ornamentations and arpeggiated diminutions; and double strings with the combination of acciaccaturas and trills.
The idea behind this challenge, taken up with a spirit of adventure and without presumption, was born as a tribute to the comic book character “Dylan Dog, the nightmare investigator”, conceived by the Italian writer Tiziano Sclavi, who often “diletta” to perform the solo clarinet version of the Trillo.
While intending to apply historically informed criteria to this modern clarinet arrangement, suggesting Baroque articulations, ornamentations and diminutions, this work has no philological intent but is rather a push to include new possibilities in the clarinet repertoire.
Stefano Rapetti