> Il giorno 05 mar 2017, alle ore 10:44, Benjamin Ketcham <[log in to unmask]> ha scritto:
> 
> Greetings, esteemed members of HPSCHD-L.
> First, let me say, I'm not sure I'm using the correct term here: tessitura.  It sounds very impressive, but some sources seem to indicate it might mean something slightly different than what I am after.  I am hoping someone can point me to a simple chart or other source, indicating the full range of pitches necessary to play all of the keyboard works of J S Bach, especially; and hopefully also those of other significant composers from that era.  I think I've read that the range for Bach is GG..d''', but now that I'm looking, I'm having trouble confirming that.  Surely there must be a definitive source somewhere?
> 
> Thanks as always for any light that you can shed.
> --Benjamin

“Tessitura” is an italian word which indeed means something different than what you are looking, “range”, whose corresponding italian word is “estensione”. Tessitura stand for the pitches where more often the music is in. So we say that the tenor part for that Opera has an “estensione” (range) from G to c’ but its “tessitura” is about between B to a, only occasionally descending and ascending to the extremes of the range.

Dennis already responded about the range for Bach: with G-d’’’ you will have everything you need safe for a couple of works.

Scarlatti has a bunch of sonatas (I’d say 10-20) going from F to f’’’, another bunch going G to g’’’ and just one sonata going from F to g’’’ (sorry I don’t remember the K number right now).
Of course there are more sonatas reaching only one of the two extremes: for example you will need a high g’’’ for k380, but no low F or G.

If you want a complete chart work-for-work, i’m sorry I don’t know of (or if it exists).

(of course, a reshaping of the music line in order to avoid the occasional high note is possible…)
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