Antonio Vivaldi's popular Double Trumpet Concerto in C
major, RV 537, is remarkable in that the work itself is
among Vivaldi's best-known creations and yet we know
practically nothing about it. The source of this
concerto is a single manuscript located in the Renzo
Giordano Collection at the National Library of Turin, a
large gathering of manuscripts believed to preserve
what is left of the ones Vivaldi himself accumulated
during his lifetime. This served as the source used by
Gian Francesco Mal...(+)
Antonio Vivaldi's popular Double Trumpet Concerto in C
major, RV 537, is remarkable in that the work itself is
among Vivaldi's best-known creations and yet we know
practically nothing about it. The source of this
concerto is a single manuscript located in the Renzo
Giordano Collection at the National Library of Turin, a
large gathering of manuscripts believed to preserve
what is left of the ones Vivaldi himself accumulated
during his lifetime. This served as the source used by
Gian Francesco Malipiero, who first edited this
concerto for publication in 1950. The second movement
also appears in Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in C major,
RV 110, another undated manuscript found in the same
collection.
The material is appropriately flashy and fanfare-like
in the outer movements, both of which are marked
Allegro and propelled by vigorous rhythmic support from
the strings. The trumpets usually play together in the
solo passages and add some interesting color to the
strings when playing along in the tutti. In the first
movement the strings take a turn toward the minor mode,
which the trumpets turn back to the major. The central
Largo is basically serves as a short bridge between the
two outer movements; the soloists are not heard, and
the strings tread through a series of nonmelodic
repeated chords. The third movement dashes forward
vigorously and emphatically in triple meter. When the
strings turn to the minor mode this time the trumpets
respond in kind.
This is Vivaldi's only concerto featuring trumpets; the
Double Concerto in D major, RV 781 (formerly RV 563),
was believed at one time to be a second Vivaldi two
trumpet concerto, but more recent scholarly
investigation has revealed that it is a double oboe
concerto.
Although originally written for Trumpets and Small
Orchestra, I created this arrangement for Trumpet Duet
& Woodwind Quartet (Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet &
Bassoon).
PARTITION