Context of the work and Vivaldi
- Late Baroque work
- Concerto grosso: a work for a group of soloists (Concertino) in this case 2 violins and a cello who are supported by a group of string players (ripieno) and harpsichord/ organ continuo
- Vivaldi was an Italian (Venetian) composer
- The work was published in Amsterdam 1711 as one of 12 concertos that form L’estro Armonico
- The exact date of composition cannot be established and it might have been much earlier than the date of publication
Describe the Sonority and performance forces on the work
- Three solo strings with a larger accompanying group including continuo- a ‘cembalo’ (harpsichord) and a violone (equivalent of a double bass)
- The strings are bowed throughout
- Resonant exploitation of open strings at the start of the work
- Contrast of forces plays an essential part throughout
- The central part of the slow (third) movement (Largo e spitccato) is for upper strings only: the bass instruments and continuo rest at this point
Give typical Baroque features of this work
Figured Bass - Figures indicate the intervals above the bass. The indication ‘Tasto solo’ (see movement 2, bar 58)
means that only the bass line, without chords is to be played at this point
- Dynamics are ‘terraced’ - bold, abrupt contrasts between loud and soft. There are no crescendo or diminuendo marks: mid-volume dynamics, such as mp and mf, are avoided
- Italian indications are performance instructions, e.g spiccato (detached bow strokes)
Describe the Tempo, metre and rhythm
Tempo:
Four main sections: Allegro -> brief ‘Adagio e spiccato’ leading to Allegro -> Largo e spitccato - Allegro
Metre:
- First movement (Allegro) is in 3/4
- The second movement (Adagio e spicatto; Allegro) is in common time
- The third movement (Largo e spiccato) is in compound quadruple (12/8) time
- The fourth movement - Allegro - returns to common time
Rhythm:
- Movements I,II, and IV are characterised by typically Baroque ‘motor’ rhythms, i.e. hard-driven patterns helped along by the harpsichord continuo
- Movement I opens with continuous quavers, leading to running semiquavers
- The short adagio section at the start of movement II is rhythmically simple with four even quavers followed by a mimim with pause
- Movement III draws on rocking Siciliano rhythms
Describe the Melody
- Broken chord patterns in opening bars of the first movement
- Scales (descending at II, bar 13 and inverted to rise at II, bar 37)
- Sequences are frequent, e.g. II, bars 25-26
- Leaps, e.g. 5ths at II, bars 25-26
- Chromaticism e.g. IV bars 4-6
- Ornaments are confined to the occasional trill
Describe the Harmony
- Functional, with strong drive to cadences, root position chords, first inversions and 7ths
- Frequent circle of 5ths (e.g II bars 33-35)
- Suspensions, e.g. 4-3 at II, bar 50
- Unusual false relation occurs at II, bar 3
- Neapolitan 6th chords e.g. bar 2, III
- Diminished 7th, III bar 5
- Dominant pedal at II, bears 58-69
Describe the Tonality
- Vivaldi uses a tonal scheme based on functional harmonies, defined by cadences
- Therefore it allows modulations
- The tonic key of all 3 movements is D major
- Vivaldi modulates to mainly related keys:
1. A minor (II, bar 32)
2. G minor (II, bar 48)
3. F major (II, bar 52) - Unusually, Vivaldi moves to unrelated key of F minor in III, bars 7-8
- Other devices he uses are Circle of 5th progressions (e.g II, bars 33-35)
- Dominant pedal
- Tierce de Picardie (II, bar 70), which leads to a conclusion in the tonic minor which is unusual
Describe the Texture
- Movement 1 opens with a two part canon at the distance of a crotchet beat.
- The Adagio at the start of movement II is homophonic
- The Allegro from bar 4 of movement II is fugal
- Movement III is mel-dom-hom, with lower strings and continuo omitted in the central section
- Movement IV is contrapuntal at the opening, but the other passages are more homophonic.
Describe the structure of Movement 1
- bars 1-31
Describe the structure of Movement 2
- Introductory adagio (bars 1-3) leading to Allegro (4-73)
- fugal textures in bar 4 but not a complete fugue:
~ Subject - the theme announced in the bass in the tonic at bar 4
~Answer - the second entry of the theme, now in the dominant (bar 8 viola)
~ Countersubject - the ‘countermelody’ to the answer in the bass at bar 8
~ Countersubject 2 - an additional counterpoint to both subject and counter-subject (bass, bar 12)
Describe the structure of Movement 3
- Ternary form (A-B-A)
Describe the structure of Movement 4
- Loose ritornello form
- The recurring ritornello theme embraces both solo and tutti sections, and is identifiable by reference to motifs at bars 1,7 and 11
- Ritornello form:
Bar 1 - Ritronello 14 - Episode 19 - Ritronello 30 - Episode 53 - Ritronello (Shortened) 59 - Episode 68 - Ritornello (final motif)
