Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in D minor

Antonio Vivaldi - Concerto in D minor

1. Background information

   • Composer
     • Leading Italian composer of the Baroque period
     • Virtuoso violinist, would have been the soloist in many of the premieres of his works
     • Wrote church music and more than 40 operas
     • Best known for violin concertos 'The Four Seasons'
   • 'Fingerprints' of Baroque music
     • Harpsichord
     • Strict time
     • Counterpoint
     • Imitation
     • Two or more independent melodies
     • Ornaments on repeat, improvisation
     • Strong bassline
     • Simple structure
     • Monothematic
     • Major/minor
     • Strong rhythmic drive

2. Instrumentation

   • Overall
     • Standard trio sonata group (two violins and cello), string orchestra and continuo
     • There could be two harpsichords: one for concertino and one for ripieno
     • Continuo chords use standard Baroque shorthand figured bass - the numbers represent the intervals above the bass note that form chords
   • Specific features
     • Cello has virtuoso solo music, frequently breaking away from the continuo line
     • Two solo violins play unaccompanied at the beginning of the piece
     • Adagio marked spiccato
     • Ritornello-like instrumentation in the first movement - tutti passages where the soloists double the orchestra parts alternate with passages for soloists and continuo
     • Solo sections in second movement leave out cello
     • In the second and last movement, viola plays bassline

3. Structure

   • Introduction
     • Introductory section for two unaccompanied solo violins
       • During opening section, violin arpeggios are structured so that tonic D is always playing
       • Uses canon (close imitation) and tonic pedal
     • After violins, virtuoso solo cello and continuo play descending and ascending sequences
   • First movement
     • Section A - tutti, consists entirely of chords
     • Section B is in ritornello form and fugal in character
       • Subject and countersubject passed around different instruments
       • Perfect cadence in tonic key leads to episode for three soloists with continuo accompaniment
       • Music modulates to both A minor (tutti, V), back to D minor (I) and then G minor (IV)
       • Final tutti sees a long dominant pedal in the basses. Dynamics are used - rare for Baroque period - and piece ends with short tonic pedal and perfect cadence
   • Second movement
     • In ternary form
     • Uses slow siciliano rhythms
     • Section A
       • Begins with tutti passages with theme in the violins and violas a sixth below
       • Returns for 3.5 bars at end
     • Section B
       • Solo violin continues with theme; violins continuous quaver accompaniment and bass in violas
       • Unexpected chromatic harmonies, short modulation to remote key of F minor
   • Third movement
     • Begins in same way as intro (violins in imitation)
     • Chromatically descending bass features throughout
     • Continuous semiquavers
     • Solo and tutti section alternate

4. Tonality

   • Uses functional tonality
   • Mostly stays in tonic key, but modulates to subdominant and dominant at times
   • Occasional passages in more remote keys, such as F minor in second movement

5. Harmony

   • Uses mainly functional harmony
     • As does most pre-20th century music
     • Mainly primary chords in root position and first inversion
     • Stock progressions e.g cadences to support and define the key.
   • Seventh chords common - root, first inversion and diminished
   • Circle of fifths
     • Adagio movement moves in fifths downwards
   • FInal tutti passage in third movement uses suspension and chromaticism

6. Melody

   • Opening based on broken chords and descending scales
   • Most melody lines are decorations of scalic ideas
   • Sequences found everywhere

7. Texture

   • Begins with two part writing - in two part canon with a constant tonic D
   • Solo section of second movement is melody dominated homophony
   • Adagio section of second movement is example of homophonic and homorhythmic