Early Violin

A published edition of my re-creation of Estwick's trio sonata as discussed in my article in Early Music Performer, 31 (2012), 4-15.

A version transposed up a minor third is separately available for those wishing to perform the sonata on three recorders.

Reviewed by Oliver Smith in Recorder Magazine, Autumn 2013:

This is an intriguing edition of Sampson Estwick’s Trio Sonata in C minor recently re-created by Alan Howard. Little is known about the English composer Sampson Estwick (1656/7-1739) except that he was a career clergyman and noted singer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The only piece of his music that has survived [sic: in fact other works survive; see the EMP article listed elsewhere on my profile] is a single part preserved in the sole surviving volume of a set at theBritish Library (Add. MS 63627) dated 1686. Alan Howard has cleverly used this orphaned first violin part in A minor to re-create a plausible second part and bass part. In line with seventeenth-century English practice, Howard has transposed this re-creation for recorders up a minor third to the key of C minor. So this sonata can be flexibly played on two treble and one bass recorder or two recorders and harpsichord with optional thoroughbass.
  Howard seems to have been inspired in this re-creation of Estwick’s sonata by contemporary London-based composers such as Henry Purcell, John Blow, Giovanni Battista Draghi and Nicola Matteis. The Trio Sonata is in the Italianate style and Howard’s re-creation contains Purcellian characteristics with a similar melancholic English harmonic quirkiness with false relations and continuous tempo changes. Estwick’s sonata is a continuous movement which begins with a Grave that suddenly jolts into a rhythmical and chromatic Vivace. Then there is a tearful and emotional Adagio, briefly returning to the Grave for a mid-movement pause. The sonata then continues with a lyrical PocoLargo, launching into a lively and rhythmic Allegro before ending the sonata on an eccentrically English and disjointed Adagio to conclude this fantastically fabulous piece.
  Overall, Alan Howard has re-created a brilliant trio sonata which sounds ‘authentic’ from Purcell’s London. It would be intriguing to compare to the original trio sonata if Estwick’s other parts were to suddenly re-appear. However, Howard should be confident that his masterful re-creation should not be too dissimilar and I look forward to more fine scholarly modern editions and re-constructions by him. [Oliver Smith; for original see link provided]