Dittersdorf, Carl Ditters von - Divertimento in D major, K 131 - String Trio (Violin, Viola, and Cello) - edited by the Pasquier Trio - International Edition

A fun trio, but a problematic edition

This Divertimento is a fun and relatively easy Trio in three movements for an intermediate chamber group. However there are a few vexing problems with this particular edition that require a bit of patience from the players. The Viola and Cello each have their own part, however the Violin player gets a full SCORE with the violin part printed in a larger font. Scores are always handy but a dedicated violin part would be preferable, as the music is very difficult to read, particularly on the first page, and because it is a score, requires frequent page-turns. This is the most serious problem with the edition (see attached photo). I found it necessary to write out the first movement of the violin part separately in a form that was large enough for a violin player with average eyesight to read it. Rehearsal marks sometimes appear in the middle of a measure rather than at the beginning, making it difficult for players to "sync up." Finally, there are some errors in the edition, the most prominent of which is that the first movement, while in 2/4 time, is marked as 3/4 at the start of the movement in the Cello part. Dynamics are sparsely marked. However, once past these obstacles, the Divertimento can be a short but engaging addition to one's chamber music library.