Marco Ambrosini (Germany/Italy)

Marco Ambrosini studied violin and composition at  the Musical Institute "G.B.Pergolesi" in Ancona and at the Conservatory "G. Rossini" in Pesaro, Italy. His eminent tutor was Adrio Casagrande. Ambrosini discovered the nyckelharpa in the 80's, and immediately fell in love with its beautiful form and its marvellous sound. He started using this instrument in concerts in the 90's and very quickly shifted his attention from the violin to the nyckelharpa. He has perform as soloist and in several orchestras and ensembles for early and contemporary music, at various venues, from Vancouver to Moskow. He is also active as a composer and often writes for our instrument, especially for nyckelharpa ensembles. Ambrosini works as a teacher of early music and nyckelharpa at the "Academy of Burg Fürsteneck” (D) and at the "Scuola di Musica Popolare di Forlimpopoli” (I), both birthplaces of the European Nyckelharpa Training. Meanwhile he has published a book with daily exercises for advanced nyckelharpa players and several books with musical repertoire for nyckelharpa. See "Publications" www.marcoambrosini.eu/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Ambrosini

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Article in the CADENCE project

The search for a methodology in devising exercises suitable for different types of nyckelharpa, of repertoire and modes of execution

by Marco Ambrosini

 

Abstract:
This article is a short dissertation on the difficulties teachers can encounter in the compilation of exercises suitable for different types of nyckelharpas and tunings, especially in the educational reality of Continental Europe, where so called "Swedish” and "Continental” versions happily coexist, and on possible solutions to such hurdles.

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Sheet music

Saltarello – Video

Anonymous, Italy, 14th century (British Library Add. 29987)

Arrangement for nyckelharpa: Marco Ambrosini, 2010

 

Saltarello romagnolo

Transcription: Paolo Giacomoni

Arrangement for nyckelharpa: Marco Ambrosini, 2010

The main source for medieval instrumental music from Italy is an anonymous Tuscan manuscript at the British Library labelled "Add. 29987” which dates from the late 14th or early 15th century. The more renowned opus of the manuscript is the second Saltarello in the collection, which we use in our project as an example of early instrumental music, ideally connected to the last tune of our concert, the Saltarello Romagnolo, which is a popular folk dance of the region where the Scuola di Musica Popolare is based. The transcription of this folk-tune is made by Paolo Giacomoni, one of our first Italian nyckelharpa students and a great folk fiddler.

Download sheet music "Saltarello, 14th century" 
Download sheet music "Saltarello romagnolo"

 

Fantasia in sol minore – Video

 

by Marco Ambrosini

Marco Ambrosini’s Fantasia in sol minore was born originally as an educational tune made for nyckelharpa students interested in a short, condensed and funny introduction to some basics of baroque articulation and diminution techniques applied to the nyckelharpa. Based on a modular series of harmonically easy, stereotypical 16th and 17th century cadences, it offers to the player a big range of effective exercises for both left & right hand – and finally a high virtuoso sounding performance as an extra gift to the audience. The Fantasia is written especially for the exploration of the possibilities of a four-row nyckelharpa, but could be played easily (revised) also with three-row instruments with Continental or Swedish tunings.

Download sheet music "Fantasia in sol minore"

 

A Todeschina – Video

 

Marco Uccellini, 17th century, Forlimpopoli (Italy)

Arrangement for nyckelharpa: Marco Ambrosini, 2010

Marco Uccellini (*Forlimpopoli 1603 or 1610, +10 December 1680) was an Italian Baroque violinist and composer. He was one of a long line of Italian violinist-composers in the first half of the 17th century. His sonatas for violin and continuo contributed to the development of an idiomatic style of writing for the violin (including virtuosic runs, leaps, and forays into high positions), expanding the instrument’s technical possibilities and expressive range. Like other 17th-century Italian sonatas, Uccellini’s consists of short contrasting sections (frequently dances) that flow into each other. Uccellini mainly composed instrumental music, of which seven collections were published. A Todeschina is part of the Sinfonia Boscarecce, Op. 8, a collection of 37 small pieces for violin and basso continuo joined ad libitum by a second and third violin.

Download sheet music "A Todeschina"

 

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