![]() ![]() Each concerto is associated with a sonnet, possibly by Vivaldi, describing the scenes depicted in the music. They were a revolution in musical conception: in them Vivaldi represented flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each specifically characterized), barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, crying shepherds, storms, drunken dancers, silent nights, hunting parties from both the hunters' and the prey's point of view, frozen landscapes, ice-skating children, and warming winter fires. The inspiration for the concertos was probably the countryside around Mantua. Though three of the concerti are wholly original, the first, "Spring", borrows motifs from a Sinfonia in the first act of Vivaldi's contemporaneous opera Il Giustino. It all fits tightly together, with snippets of the theme launching brilliant passages from the soloists, until the close - which will leave many of us hungry for more.During this period Vivaldi wrote the Four Seasons, four violin concertos that give musical expression to the seasons of the year. In the Presto finale, orchestra and soloists work together closely to give us a movement based on a multi-part ritornello theme. The “bookends” consist merely of a brief bass line, which becomes a repeated cycle over which the soloists spin out free variations. Like bookends, the full orchestra’s statements at the beginning and end enclose the soloists’ vocal-inspired melodiousness. The Larghetto, too, is quintessentially Vivaldi. In the solo parts, Vivaldi gives us just the right balance between beauty and virtuosic display. ![]() Add to that the catchiness of the themes, and you have the recipe that has fascinated listeners from J.S. Vivaldi’s fast movements are famous for dash and verve, and the opening Allegro of this work is no exception. Bach knew them, and he transcribed six of them for organ or keyboard, one of which is this A-minor Concerto for two violins, strings, and basso continuo. ![]() Certainly, these 12 concertos for one, two, three, or four violins became widely known during their first years of publication. 3,” writes Michael Talbot, biographer of Antonio Vivaldi. “In 1711, Etienne Roger, the Amsterdam publisher, brought out what was to become the most influential music publication of the first half of the 18th century: Vivaldi’s L’estro armonico, Op. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |