Fabio Biondi, Davide Amodio, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano - Vivaldi: Concerti per archi (2004)

Tracklist

01. Concerto for Strings in G Minor, RV 154
02. Violin Concerto in B-Flat Major, RV 367
03. Concerto grosso in G Minor, Op. 3 No. 2, RV 578
04. Concerto for Strings in D Major, RV 124
05. Violin Concerto in G Major, RV 302
06. Concerto for 2 Violins in A Minor, Op. 3 No. 8, RV 522

Vivaldi's instrumental output is immense: at present, research has identified no fewer than 478 works bearing the title 'concerto', of which 329 are concertos for solo instruments accompanied by string orchestra and continuo, and the number of violin concertos alone is 220. Incomplete as these figures may be, they give an idea of how difficult it is to attempt even a superficial analysis of the 'concerto' form in Vivaldi's output.

The variety of structures used in these works is proportionate to their number; and although some progress has been made in recognizing and classifying the Venetian master's compositional styles, we often find that these 'rules' have actually been overridden in this or that composition. We must also bear in mind that the development of Vivaldi's style is closely linked to the definition and consolidation of a form that has its roots in works by a slightly earlier generation of composers such as Torelli and Albinoni.

In the course of Vivaldi's career as a composer we actually see considerable changes in both form (structure) and musical invention. Vivaldi's music was greatly admired by his contemporaries; the large number of imitators of his style that flourished during his lifetime is testament to his popularity, as is the esteem in which the Venetian master was held by a musician such as Quantz, who described his concertos as outstanding examples of the form.

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