Instrumental Music - Vivaldi Concerto in D Minor

Question 1

When was Vivaldi’s concerto in D minor written?

Answer 1

1711

Question 2

Who was Vivaldi?

Answer 2

Vivaldi was a Late Venetian Baroque composer and a virtuoso violinist.

Question 3

Why did Vivaldi write the concerto in D minor?

Answer 3

Vivaldi was very interested in exploring the capabilities of the violin and wanted to move towards creating a solo concerto work.

His harmonic inspiration was L’Estro Armonico

Question 4

What was L’Estro Arminoco?

Answer 4

A set of 12 concertos published in 1711 with more unusual harmonic inspiration. Inspired Vivaldi to take more harmonic risks.

Question 5

How would you describe the overall melody of Vivaldi’s concerto?

Answer 5

• The melody is predominantly scalic and triadic with a mixture of conjunct and disjunct.
• There is a large use of sequences
• some solo melodic lines
• some limited chromaticism however mainly diatonic
• use of ornamentation
• lines are largely imitative and fugal
• some chromatic notes

Question 6

Examples of scalic passages in Vivaldi’s melody:

Answer 6

Opening of concerto based on broken chords/triadic patterns and descending scales. Also rising scales in Bassline of second movement

Question 7

Examples of sequencing in Vivaldi’s melody

Answer 7

Sequences used constantly in Vivaldi. Seen in first entry of cello solo in first mvt.

Question 8

Examples of ornamentation in Vivaldi’s melody

Answer 8

Many melodic lines are decorations of scalic ideas. Descending scales in first violin solo mvt 1 decorated with changing notes.

Question 8

Examples of leaps in Vivaldi’s melody

Answer 8

Melody made up of combination of conjunct and disjunct. Conjunct seen at start of fugue mvt 2. Disjunct follows this with leaps outlining circle of fifths.

Solo violin in third mvt mainly conjunct but includes some large leaps of 7ths and diminished 5ths

Question 9

Describe the overall use of texture in Vivaldi’s concerto for two violins?

Answer 9

Large variety of textures:

• 2 part canonic writing
• contrapuntal
• fugal moments
• melody dominated homophony
• homophony/homorhythm

Question 9

How does Vivaldi overall use harmony in his concerto for two violins?

Answer 9

Harmony is totally functional and shaped by cadences (like V I). A figured bass is used. Also use of some interesting progressions

Question 11

Describe Vivaldi’s overall use of tonality in the concerto?

Answer 11

• Tonality is functional
• Written in D minor + most of music remains in tonic key.
• Some modulations to closely related keys like G minor (subdominant) and A minor (dominant). Reinforced through pedals
• Occasional passages in remote keys = F minor in third mvt
• Tierce de Picardie

Question 12

What is the overall Rhythm, tempo and metre of Vivaldi’s concerto in D minor?

Answer 12

• Mixture of metres that does not change within movements.
• Tempo changes are rare.
• Moto perpetuo
• Syncopation
• Siciliano rhythms

Question 14

How is metre used in each specific movement of Vivaldi’s concerto?

Why was this important?

Answer 14

Mvt 1 - 3/4
Mvt 2 - C or 4/4
Mvt 3 - 12/8
Mvt 4 - C or 4/4 with upbeat

This was characteristic of Baroque music. The juxtaposition of different metres allowed for contrast.

Question 15

Examples of tonal harmony in Vivaldi’s concerto

Answer 15

• root pos. seventh chords are common
• occasional first inversion seventh chords
• some diminished seventh chords
• lots of suspensions/chains of suspensions
• chromaticism in Bassline
• dominant and tonic pedals
• music shaped by perfect cadences

Question 16

How is tempo used specifically in the violin concerto?

Why was this important?

Answer 16

3 of the 4 movements do not change tempo in them.

Mvt 2 - begins Adagio e spiccato and changes to Allegro

Characteristic of Vivaldi - showed his flair!!

Question 17

What is the overall structure of Vivaldi’s Concerto in D minor?

Answer 17

Mixture of structures:

• made you of many smaller sections
• Fugal structures that alternate between tutti and episode
• Ternary siciliano
• loose ritornello form

Question 18

Why was Vivaldi’s use of structure unconventional for the time?

Answer 18

It didn’t always fit the conventional structure. Vivaldi wrote 4 movements, not the usual 3.

Question 19

How many movements did Vivaldi write?

Answer 19

Vivaldi wrote 4 movements to the concerto.

Question 20

Structure of the First Movement of Vivaldi’s concerto

Answer 20

Introductory section for two unaccompanied violins in canon with tonic pedals. Leads to an ending with solo cello and continuo.

Question 21

Structure of Second Movement of Vivaldi’s concerto

Answer 21

Written in 2 sections:
Section 1 = tutti and only 3 bars. Consists entirely of chords.
Section 2 = fugal section with ideas passed around solo section

Question 22

Structure of the Third Movement of Vivaldi’s concerto

Answer 22

Slow movement in siciliano rhythm.

Begins with tutti passage with theme in first violins and the rest of the instruments playing a simple accompaniment. The first solo violin continues the theme. Ends with a short tutti repeat of beginning.

Question 23

Structure of Fourth Movement of Vivaldi’s concerto

Answer 23

Begins with solo violins in imitation. Buried tutti links this to an episode for the three solo instruments. Plays between solo and tutti until strong tutti closes the concerto.

Question 24

Describe how Fugal textures are seen in Vivaldi’s concerto?

Answer 24

Mvt 2 - written in fugue with melody being equally passed around orchestra. Melody perfectly retains its original intervals. Makes the most of short melodic fragments.

Question 25

How is Ternary Siciliano structure seen in Vivaldi?

Answer 25

Mvt 3 - has pastoral and Italian associations

Question 26

How is loose ritornello form seen in Vivaldi?

What does this creat?

Answer 26

Mvt 4 - developed throughout movement. Sections include sections from other movements.
(Eg. Section 1 similar to mvt 1 with 2 violin solo imitation)

Creates unity in the work between the movements and brings the concerto together.

Question 27

What is the overall instrumentation of Vivaldi’s concerto?

Answer 27

Written for a trio sonata group, a classic string orchestra and a basso continuo.

Question 33

What instruments made up the trio sonata group in the concerto?

Answer 33

Trio sonata group made up of standard:
Violin
Violin
Cello

Question 34

What instruments made up the Continuo in the concerto?

Answer 34

No fixed instrumentation for a continuo in baroque music.

However, always consisted of cello and a chordal instrument (ie. harpsichord or organ)

Question 35

What was the name of a composition such as Vivaldi’s and what did it consist of?

Answer 35

Concerto Grosso

Made up of a concertino (the solo group) and a ripieno (the main orchestral string group)

Question 36

Key features of the instrumentation of Vivaldi’s concerto:

```
The cello
2 points
~~~

Answer 36

Cello part has virtuoso solo music that frequently broke away from the main continuo line (eg. At the end of the first section)

Solo sections in the central third mvt leave out a cello solo completely. (Bassline played by a viola)

Question 37

Key features of instrumentation of Vivaldi’s concerto:

```
The violins
2 points
~~~

Answer 37

The violins begin unaccompanied (very unusual)

Third mvt, the first solo violin is the only instrument with a significant role.

Question 38

Key instrumentation of Vivaldi’s concerto:

The wider ensemble
3 points

Answer 38

• Adagio of mvt 2 is tutti
• Adagio is marked spiccato
• Mvt 2 tutti passages where soloists double orch parts and ritornello instrumentation