Enjoyment of Music, Essential Listening Edition, 3rd. Ed. Antonio Vivaldi and the Four Seasons

1. THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
EDITION
by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
THIRD EDITION
Lecture Slides

2. Chapter 23
Sounding Spring:
Vivaldi and the Baroque Concerto

3. The Baroque Orchestra
• Chamber orchestra-small, 10 to 30-40
players, for use in smaller venues
• All had basso continuo, upper strings,
woodwinds/brass/percussion variable
• Instrumentation varied from piece to piece
• Baroque trumpet-no valves, difficult to
play, aristocratic role in orchestra
• Composers used great deal of doubling and
rearranging

4. Baroque Instrumental Music:
General Characteristics
• Several major genres developed:
– The Baroque Concerto--a soloist plus an
accompaniment consisting of harpsichord and
small chamber orchestra (mostly strings)
– The Concerto Grosso--several soloists plus an
orchestra (called “tutti” or “ripieno”)

5. Concerto
• Sharp contrast between the timbre of the solo
instrument (or the small group of soloists) and
the larger ensemble/orchestra
• An example of the Baroque love of extremes
• Nearly every modern symphony concert
includes at least one concerto--they were
written in all periods after the Baroque era.
• Solo concerto
• Concerto grosso
- Concertina
- ripieno, or tutti

6. The Baroque Concerto
• Contrast and unity
• Latin concertare (“to contend with”)
• Opposition of different forces

7. The Concerto Plan
• Movements- piece that sounds complete & independent
on its own but part of larger composition
• Three movements--typical arrangement: fast movement,
slow movement, fast movement
• Middle movement often in contrasting key
1st Movement
Fast (allegro)
2nd Movement
Slow (Adagio,
Andante)
3rd Movement
Fast (allegro)

8. The Ritornello Principle
• Typically a recurring theme (called the
“ritornello”) is played by the whole orchestra (the
“tutti”).
• Soloists play more virtuostic transition passages in
which the key of piece changes (called
“modulation”).
• Tutti returns to play the ritornello theme in the
new key; this pattern of soloists and tutti repeats
several times.
• Last statement of ritornello theme is in the
original key.

9. Ritornello Form
Ritornello Form
Ritornello 1 Solo 1 Ritornello 2 Solo 2 Ritornello 3 repeat pattern
Tonic key New keys----------> Tonic key at end

10. Program Music
• An instrumental work that is in some way
associated with a story, event, or idea
• Can be indicated by
– Suggestive title
– A prose narrative
– A poem
• Listener can listen with program in mind or
without it--listener’s choice.

11. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
• Born in Venice, a virtuoso violinist
• Most important accomplishments: innovations in
concerto form, orchestration, and violin technique
• Prolific composer of concertos, sonatas, operas,
cantatas, chamber pieces, and sacred vocal music
• Most famous works: hundreds of concertos,
including The Four Seasons--4 violin concertos
(one depicting each season)

12. Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741)
• Called the “Red Priest”
• 1703-1740-Director of
music at Ospedale della
Pieta-orphanage for young
women
• Moved to Vienna and
worked in Charles VI’s
court
• Gave concerts in Europe,
produced opera, lived
w/French soprano
• A master of melody and
novelties in the basic
forms of his day

13. Antonio Vivaldi
Other Compositions
• Almost 350 solo concertos (most for
violin) and 45 double concertos (about
half for 2 violins)
• Concerto for Mandolin in C Major
– Movement I

14. • Group of four violin concertos
• Each concerto accompanied by a poem
• Music depicts specific lines of the poem
–No. 1: Spring (La primavera)
–No. 2: Summer (L’estate)
–No. 3: Autumn (L’autunno)
–No. 4: Winter (L’inverno)
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
(Le quattro stagioni) (Listening Guide)

15. Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons “Spring”
• Concerto--an instrumental work for a soloist
(or group of soloists) and a larger ensemble
• “Spring”--for solo violin, an orchestra of string
instruments, and basso continuo
• “Spring”--the first of 4 concertos
• Consists of 3 movements--fast-slow-fast.
• This selection is the first movement.

16. Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
(Le quattro stagioni) (Listening Guide)
Spring (La primavera)
Solo violin, string orchestra, continuo
Three movements:
I. Evokes animals and nature
Ritornello form
II. Largo in triple meter
Imagery forms a sleeping goatherd’s poem
Ostinato “dog bark” in violas
III. Rustic dance, drone of bagpipes

17. La Primavera, Movement 1
• Movement I

19. Other Examples of Baroque
Concerti Grossi
• Arcangelo Corelli
– All his concertos were for 2 violins and basso
continuo plus orchestra
• George Frideric Handel
– Concerto Grosso in B-Flat Major--for 2 recorders,
2 oboes, 2 bassoons, violin, and strings

20. Johann Pachelbel
• Nuremburg, Germany
• Taught Bach’s teacher
• Canon in D
– Composed 1689,
rediscovered
– Used quite often today
– Ground bass of 8 notes, all
equal length
– Melodic variation played
over bass 27 times
– 3 instrumental parts,
following each other after 8
beats in imitation
– Originally for 3 violins &
continuo

21. Kanon in D
• Kanon in D

22. by
Kristine Forney
Andrew Dell’Antonio
Joseph Machlis
Lecture Slides
THIRD EDITION
THE ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC
ESSENTIAL LISTENING EDITION
http://wwnorton.com/web/enjoyess2