Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741) was an Italian
Baroque musical composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher,
and priest. Born in Venice, the capital of the Venetian
Republic, he is regarded as one of the greatest Baroque
composers, and his influence during his lifetime was
widespread across Europe. He composed many instrumental
concertos, for the violin and a variety of other
instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more
than forty operas. His best-known work is a series of
violin concerto...(+)
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741) was an Italian
Baroque musical composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher,
and priest. Born in Venice, the capital of the Venetian
Republic, he is regarded as one of the greatest Baroque
composers, and his influence during his lifetime was
widespread across Europe. He composed many instrumental
concertos, for the violin and a variety of other
instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more
than forty operas. His best-known work is a series of
violin concertos known as the Four Seasons.
Vivaldi wrote three concertos for two oboes and
strings, in addition to the more than 20 he produced
for solo oboe and strings. Around 1715 he composed a
number of oboe concertos and it is likely that this D
minor effort, the second of the three for two oboes,
dates to that time or to the following decade. In any
event, it is cast in three movements and, like most of
the solo and double oboe concertos, lasts about eight
or nine minutes.
The first movement begins with a Largo introduction,
played by strings and continuo. The mood is stately and
somber, though the tempo sounds a bit livelier than the
Largo marking would normally suggest. The oboes then
enter with a lively Allegro theme, ushering in a sense
of joy and playfulness. Spirited exchanges between the
soloists and strings fill out the remainder of the
movement, with the orchestra echoing most of the oboe
pair's chipper music.
The second movement is marked Largo, the oboes not
playing in unison here, as one answers the other in
delivering the lovely main theme and subsidiary
material. Only the solo cello and continuo contribute
accompaniment in this dreamy two-minute panel. The
Allegro molto finale begins with a lively introduction
by the strings and continuo, but the pulse suddenly
slackens and the music comes to a halt after a dour
trill. The lively tempo resumes, however, and the oboes
enter, reinforcing the sense of joy and busyness, and
bringing along some interesting contrapuntal exchanges.
The remainder of the movement, but for a later repeat
of the slowdown, is lively and high-spirited.
SHEET MUSIC