hurdy-gurdy and bagpipes, C and G. Movements in a minor key were transposed into a minor key corresponding to the hurdy-gurdy's keys. Chédeville changed the keys of the first concerto, 'La Primavera', E major -- c#minor -- E major into C major -- c minor -- C major. In all the concerti he replaced the minor key movements always with the minor version of the principal key on account of the tuning of the drone strings. In order to avoid retuning the drone between the individual movements (see page 57, page 68). All the movements of a concerto had to be in one major key or the minor version of it.
Vivaldi's instrumentation with solo violin, two violins, viola, violin and cello, contrabasses and organ or harpsichord was reduced by Chédeville to one hurdy-gurdy or musette which replaced the solo first violin, flute and violin (or two violins) and organ and violin cello as basso-continuo instruments. The coupling of organ and violin cello [?] was also used by Vivaldi, who likewise has the cello almost always in unison with the organ. In addition comes the general bass on the organ or harpsichord. In Chédeville's work the contra bass is missing and the three middle voices of Vivaldi are decreased to two which however does not cause any significant change, since the middle voices in the original concerti are often played in unison, or else the solo violin and the other violins play in unison.
Since the violin has a greater range than the hurdy-gurdy Chédeville could not always adopt the voice of the solo violin in his arrangements. In so far as the first violin was played in ensemble with the other instruments, he did not need to change anything since the range then did not exceed that of the hurdy-gurdy. In the solo passages however the limits of the hurdy-gurdy become apparent (ex. 31, ex. 32) as well as its inability to modulate well through the various keys on account of the drone. It is bound to a narrow harmonic range which is determined by the tonic and the dominant; chords of other keys can appear only in passing (ex. 33). Chédeville did not put any limits to the virtuosity of the hurdy-gurdy player. Thus the quick sixteenth and thirty-second runs are kept and even, in few places, added (ex. 34).
The Vivaldi concerti arranged for the hurdy-gurdy belong to the most demanding pieces which were played on the instrument. In the eyes of Chédeville's contemporaries the concerti lost in no way their charm by being performed on the hurdy-gurdy: "Si Vivaldi n'etoit pas mort, combien ne seroit-il flatté d'entendre la Vielle exécuter son primtems? L'accord perpétuel et harmonieux qui l'accompagne, sa Trompette et son Bourdon son plus que suffisans, pour déterminer en sa faveur les Partisans de la véritable harmonie" [translation JW: "If Vivaldi weren't dead, how flattered he would be to hear his 'Spring" played on the hurdy-gurdy. The perpetual and harmonious chord that accompanies it, its Trompette and its Drone are more than enough to win over the Champions of true harmony"][fn]. And in all other compositions, just the melody line was written for the hurdy-gurdy in the Vivaldi concerti, and this leads to the opinion that the drone strings were removed (see page 70 note 1). Therefore Ancelet's remarks are not just the testimony of an enthused contemporary, but at the same time proof that the drone were not removed even in a group of other instruments.
The use of the drone strings must then also be assumed for those compositions which Vivaldi himself wrote for the hurdy-gurdy. Around 1737 there appeared at the printer Boivin's in Paris for the first time six sonatas with the title:
"Il Pastor Fido, Sonates, pour la Musette, Vièle, Flûte, Hautbois, Violon, Avec la Basse Continüe. Del Sigr. Antonio Vivaldi, Opera XIIIa". [translation JW: "Il Pastor Fido (the faithful shepherd), Sonatas for Musette, Hurdy-gurdy, Flute, Oboe, Violin with Basso Continuo of Mr. Antonio Vivaldi, opus XIII"]. These sonatas, written in the keys of C major (3), G major (1), g minor (1), and A major (1), mostly have simple melodic lines (ex. 35, ex. 36), whic