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Vivaldi is one of the largest representatives of the Baroque era. Antonio Vivaldi

Creativity of the outstanding Italian composer and violinist A. Corelli had a huge impact on European instrumental music late XVII- the first half of the 18th century, he is rightfully considered the founder of the Italian violin school. Many of the major composers of the following era, including J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel, highly valued Corelli's instrumental compositions. He showed himself not only as a composer and a wonderful violinist, but also as a teacher (the Corelli school has a whole galaxy of brilliant masters) and a conductor (he was the leader of various instrumental ensembles). Creativity Corelli and his diverse activities have opened a new page in the history of music and musical genres.

Little is known about Corelli's early life. He received his first music lessons from a priest. After changing several teachers, Corelli finally ends up in Bologna. This city was the birthplace of a number of remarkable Italian composers, and the stay there had, apparently, a decisive influence on the future fate of the young musician. In Bologna, Corelli studies under the guidance of the famous teacher J. Benvenuti. The fact that already in his youth Corelli achieved outstanding success in the field of violin playing is evidenced by the fact that in 1670, at the age of 17, he was admitted to the famous Bologna Academy. In the 1670s Corelli moves to Rome. Here he plays in various orchestral and chamber ensembles, directs some ensembles, and becomes a church bandmaster. It is known from Corelli's letters that in 1679 he entered the service of Queen Christina of Sweden. As an orchestra musician, he is also involved in composition - composing sonatas for his patroness. Corelli's first work (12 church trio sonatas) appeared in 1681. In the mid-1680s. Corelli entered the service of the Roman Cardinal P. Ottoboni, where he remained until the end of his life. After 1708, he retired from public speaking and concentrated all his energies on creativity.

Corelli's compositions are relatively few in number: in 1685, following the first opus, his chamber trio sonatas op. 2, in 1689 - 12 church trio sonatas, op. 3, in 1694 - chamber trio sonatas op. 4, in 1700 - chamber trio sonatas op. 5. Finally, in 1714, after Corelli's death, his concerti grossi op. was published in Amsterdam. 6. These collections, as well as several individual plays, constitute the legacy of Corelli. His compositions are intended for bowed string instruments (violin, viola da gamba) with the harpsichord or organ as accompanying instruments.

Creativity Corelli includes 2 main genres: sonatas and concertos. It was in Corelli's work that the sonata genre was formed in the form in which it is characteristic of the preclassical era. Corelli's sonatas are divided into 2 groups: church and chamber. They differ both in terms of performing composition (an organ accompanies in a church sonata, a harpsichord in a chamber sonata), and in content (the church sonata is distinguished by its strictness and depth of content, the chamber one is close to the dance suite). The instrumental composition for which such sonatas were composed included 2 melodic voices (2 violins) and accompaniment (organ, harpsichord, viola da gamba). That is why they are called trio sonatas.

Corelli's concertos also became an outstanding phenomenon in this genre. The concerto grosso genre existed long before Corelli. He was one of the predecessors symphonic music. The idea of the genre was a kind of competition between a group of solo instruments (in Corelli's concertos this role is played by 2 violins and a cello) with an orchestra: the concerto was thus built as an alternation of solo and tutti. 12 Corelli concertos written in last years the composer's life, became one of the brightest pages in the instrumental music of the early 18th century. They are still perhaps the most popular work of Corelli.

One of major representatives baroque era A. Vivaldi went down in history musical culture as the creator of the genre of instrumental concerto, the founder of orchestral program music. Vivaldi's childhood is connected with Venice, where his father worked as a violinist in the Cathedral of St. Mark. The family had 6 children, of which Antonio was the eldest. There are almost no details about the composer's childhood years. It is only known that he studied playing the violin and harpsichord. On September 18, 1693, Vivaldi was tonsured a monk, and on March 23, 1703, he was ordained a priest. At the same time, the young man continued to live at home (presumably due to a serious illness), which gave him the opportunity not to leave music lessons. For the color of his hair, Vivaldi was nicknamed the "red monk." It is assumed that already in these years he was not too zealous about his duties as a clergyman. Many sources retell the story (perhaps unreliable, but revealing) about how one day during the service, the “red-haired monk” hastily left the altar to write down the theme of the fugue, which suddenly occurred to him. In any case, Vivaldi's relations with clerical circles continued to heat up, and soon he, citing his poor health, publicly refused to celebrate mass.

In September 1703, Vivaldi began working as a teacher (maestro di violino) in the Venetian charitable orphanage "Pio Ospedale delia Pieta". His duties included learning to play the violin and viola d'amore, as well as overseeing the preservation of string instruments and buying new violins. The "services" at the "Pieta" (they can rightly be called concerts) were in the center of attention of the enlightened Venetian public. For reasons of economy, in 1709 Vivaldi was fired, but in 1711-16. reinstated in the same position, and from May 1716 he was already the concertmaster of the Pieta orchestra. Even before the new appointment, Vivaldi established himself not only as a teacher, but also as a composer (mainly the author of sacred music). In parallel with his work at Pieta, Vivaldi is looking for opportunities to publish his secular writings. 12 trio sonatas op. 1 were published in 1706; in 1711 the most famous collection of violin concertos "Harmonic Inspiration" op. 3; in 1714 - another collection called "Extravagance" op. 4. Vivaldi's violin concertos very soon became widely known in Western Europe and especially in Germany. Great interest in them was shown by I. Quantz, I. Mattheson, the Great J. S. Bach "for pleasure and instruction" personally arranged 9 violin concertos by Vivaldi for clavier and organ. In the same years, Vivaldi wrote his first operas Otto (1713), Orlando (1714), Nero (1715). In 1718-20. he lives in Mantua, where he mainly writes operas for the carnival season, as well as instrumental compositions for the Mantua ducal court. In 1725, one of the composer's most famous opuses came out of print, bearing the subtitle "The Experience of Harmony and Invention" (op. 8). Like the previous ones, the collection is made up of violin concertos (there are 12 of them here). The first 4 concerts of this opus are named by the composer, respectively, "Spring", "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter". In modern performing practice, they are often combined into the cycle "Seasons" (there is no such heading in the original). Apparently, Vivaldi was not satisfied with the income from the publication of his concertos, and in 1733 he told a certain English traveler E. Holdsworth about his intention to abandon further publications, since, unlike printed manuscripts, handwritten copies were more expensive. In fact, since then, no new original opuses by Vivaldi have appeared.

Late 20s - 30s. often referred to as "years of travel" (preferred to Vienna and Prague). In August 1735, Vivaldi returned to the post of bandmaster of the Pieta orchestra, but the governing committee did not like his subordinate's passion for travel, and in 1738 the composer was fired. At the same time, Vivaldi continued to work hard in the genre of opera (one of his librettists was the famous C. Goldoni), while he preferred to personally participate in the production. However opera performances Vivaldi special success they didn’t, especially after the composer was deprived of the opportunity to act as director of his operas at the Ferrara theater due to the cardinal’s ban on entering the city (the composer was charged with a love affair with Anna Giraud, his former student, and the refusal of the “red monk” to celebrate mass ). As a result, the opera premiere in Ferrara failed.

In 1740, shortly before his death, Vivaldi went on his last trip to Vienna. The reasons for his sudden departure are unclear. He died in the house of the widow of a Viennese saddler by the name of Waller and was beggarly buried. Soon after his death, the name of the outstanding master was forgotten. Almost 200 years later, in the 20s. 20th century the Italian musicologist A. Gentili discovered a unique collection of the composer's manuscripts (300 concertos, 19 operas, spiritual and secular vocal compositions). From this time begins a genuine revival of the former glory of Vivaldi. The music publishing house "Ricordi" in 1947 began to publish the complete works of the composer, and the firm "Philips" recently began to implement an equally grandiose plan - the publication of "all" Vivaldi on record. In our country, Vivaldi is one of the most frequently performed and most beloved composers. The creative heritage of Vivaldi is great. According to the authoritative thematic-systematic catalog of Peter Ryom (international designation - RV), it covers more than 700 titles. The main place in the work of Vivaldi was occupied by an instrumental concerto (a total of about 500 preserved). The composer's favorite instrument was the violin (about 230 concertos). In addition, he wrote concertos for two, three and four violins and orchestra and basso continue, concertos for viola d'amour, cello, mandolin, longitudinal and transverse flutes, oboe, bassoon. More than 60 concertos for string orchestra and basso continue, sonatas for various instruments are known. Of the more than 40 operas (the authorship of Vivaldi in respect of which has been established with certainty), the scores of only half of them have survived. Less popular (but no less interesting) are his numerous vocal compositions - cantatas, oratorios, works on spiritual texts (psalms, litanies, "Gloria", etc.).

Many of Vivaldi's instrumental compositions have programmatic subtitles. Some of them refer to the first performer (Carbonelli Concerto, RV 366), others to the holiday during which this or that composition was first performed (For the Feast of St. Lorenzo, RV 286). A number of subtitles point to some unusual detail of performing technique (in the concerto called "L'ottavina", RV 763, all solo violins must be played in the upper octave). The most typical headings that characterize the prevailing mood are “Rest”, “Anxiety”, “Suspicion” or “Harmonic inspiration”, “Zither” (the last two are the names of collections of violin concertos). At the same time, even in those works whose titles seem to indicate external pictorial moments (“Storm at Sea”, “Goldfinch”, “Hunting”, etc.), the main thing for the composer is always the transmission of the general lyrical mood. The score of The Four Seasons is provided with a relatively detailed program. Already during his lifetime, Vivaldi became famous as an outstanding connoisseur of the orchestra, the inventor of many coloristic effects, he did a lot to develop the technique of playing the violin.

Giuseppe Tartini belongs to the luminaries of the Italian violin school of the 18th century, whose art retains its artistic significance to our time. D. Oistrakh

The outstanding Italian composer, teacher, virtuoso violinist and musical theorist G. Tartini occupied one of the most important places in the violin culture of Italy in the first half of the 18th century. Traditions coming from A. Corelli, A. Vivaldi, F. Veracini and other great predecessors and contemporaries merged in his art.

Tartini was born into a family belonging to the noble class. Parents intended their son to the career of a clergyman. Therefore, he first studied at the parish school in Pirano, and then at Capo d "Istria. Tartini also began playing the violin there.

The life of a musician is divided into 2 sharply opposite periods. Windy, intemperate by nature, looking for dangers - such is he in his youthful years. Tartini's self-will forced his parents to give up the idea of sending their son on a spiritual path. He goes to Padua to study law. But Tartini also prefers fencing to them, dreaming of the activity of a fencing master. In parallel with fencing, he continues to more and more purposefully engage in music.

A secret marriage to his student, the niece of a major clergyman, dramatically changed all of Tartini's plans. The marriage aroused the indignation of the aristocratic relatives of his wife, Tartini was persecuted by Cardinal Cornaro and was forced to hide. His refuge was the Minorite monastery in Assisi.

From that moment began the second period of Tartini's life. The monastery not only sheltered the young rake and became his haven during the years of exile. It was here that Tartini's moral and spiritual rebirth took place, and here his true development as a composer began. In the monastery, he studied music theory and composition under the guidance of the Czech composer and theorist B. Chernogorsky; independently studied the violin, reaching true perfection in mastering the instrument, which, according to contemporaries, even surpassed the game of the famous Corelli.

Tartini stayed in the monastery for 2 years, then for another 2 years he played opera house in Ancona. There the musician met with Veracini, who had a significant influence on his work.

Tartini's exile ended in 1716. From that time until the end of his life, with the exception of short breaks, he lived in Padua, leading the chapel orchestra in the Basilica of St. Antonio and performing as a violin soloist in various cities of Italy. In 1723, Tartini received an invitation to visit Prague to take part in musical celebrations on the occasion of the coronation of Charles VI. This visit, however, lasted until 1726: Tartini accepted the offer to take the position of a chamber musician in the Prague chapel of Count F. Kinsky.

Returning to Padua (1727), the composer organized a musical academy there, devoting much of his energy to teaching. Contemporaries called him "teacher of nations". Among the students of Tartini are such outstanding violinists of the 18th century as P. Nardini, G. Pugnani, D. Ferrari, I. Naumann, P. Lausse, F. Rust and others.

The musician's contribution to the further development of the art of playing the violin is great. He changed the design of the bow, lengthening it. The skill of conducting the bow of Tartini himself, his extraordinary singing on the violin began to be considered exemplary. The composer has created a huge number of works. Among them are numerous trio sonatas, about 125 concertos, 175 sonatas for violin and cembalo. It was in Tartini's work that the latter received further genre and stylistic development.

Vivid imagery musical thinking The composer manifested itself in the desire to give his works programmatic subtitles. The sonatas "Abandoned Dido" and "Devil's Trill" gained particular fame. The last remarkable Russian music critic V. Odoevsky considered the beginning of a new era in violin art. Along with these works, the monumental cycle "The Art of the Bow" is of great importance. Consisting of 50 variations on the theme of Corelli's gavotte, it is a kind of set of techniques that has not only pedagogical significance, but also high artistic value. Tartini was one of the inquisitive musician-thinkers of the 18th century, his theoretical views found expression not only in various treatises on music, but also in correspondence with major musical scientists of that time, being the most valuable documents of his era.

20. Suite as a principle of musical thinking in music of the 17th-18th centuries. The structure of the classical suite. (Take any suite and parse it) ; (Read the work of Yavorsky).

Suite (French suite, "sequence"). The name implies a sequence of instrumental pieces (stylized dances) or instrumental fragments from opera, ballet, music for drama, etc.

Caricature of Vivaldi's "Red Priest"

Nicknamed "The Red Priest" because of his bright hair color, he was a talented violinist and one of the great composers of the Baroque era.

Known for his instrumental concertos, mainly for the violin, holy chorales, as well as more than 40 operas. One of his the best concerts- "The Four Seasons" - has gone through many rebirths, and some of its parts are used everywhere. Let's turn to the biography of the master.

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678 in Venice. His father was a violinist at St. Mark's Cathedral. Most likely, it was the parent who gave Antonio the first musical education. Vivaldi was trained as a clergyman and, abandoning worldly pretensions, was ordained in 1703. There is an opinion that he intended to insure against financial difficulties, get a free education, and also be able to focus on a musical career. An orphanage for girls ("Ospedale della Pietà") run by Antonio

There was an anecdote that Vivaldi told the sick, left the altar and hid in the sacristy to compose another work. Be that as it may, but this is how the composer's path to fame began. Violinist skills and good organizational skills made the instrumental ensemble of the orphanage for girls ("Ospedale della Pietà"), directed by Antonio, so popular that large gatherings flocked to the Sunday concert in the church of La Pietà.

The rise of Vivaldi as a composer

Vivaldi always strove for simplicity and clarity

By 1705, the composer's reputation led to the publication of a series of 12 trio sonatas, followed three years later by a collection of violin sonatas. The Venetians began to realize that their compatriot was musical genius, who brought the baroque concert form to perfection, and at the same time found a new approach to the development of expressiveness in instrumental music. Very important in this regard was the publication of a collection of 12 concerts "L'Estro Armonico". This collection has become the benchmark of the organization musical material in a single form, which opened up enormous opportunities for new research.

Vivaldi always strove for simplicity and clarity, avoiding bombast and focusing on the expressive disclosure of one melody, accompanying it with impeccable transparent harmony. These concerts became a revelation for contemporaries, crossing out everything that was previously written in this genre. They also became a challenge for others who sought to surpass Antonio, but few could come close to such a combination of passion, imagination, grace and harmony.

Therefore, it is no coincidence that the young, having familiarized himself with L'Estro Armonico, used it as a model for his own compositions.

His biographer Nikolaus Forkel commented on this fact: “He often listened to them, with great attention, and finally decided to transcribe them for his clavier. In this way, he learned the logic of musical ideas, structure, the correct sequence of modulations and much more ... he learned musical thinking ... to take his musical ideas not from his fingers, but from his imagination.

Vivaldi's appeal to vocal genres of music

The opera "Ottone in villa" marked new stage in the life of a composer

Vivaldi, meanwhile, did not rest on his laurels, becoming interested in opera. The debut of "Ottone in villa" in 1713 marked a new stage in the life of the composer, who began to devote more and more time to composing, seeking funding and directing opera productions. Another important and turning point was the transfer in 1714 of his chief Gasparini to Rome. As a result of this event, Antonio had to create material for the Pieta choir, in addition to working on his own instrumental and operatic works.

Already at the end next year Vivaldi presented a mass, an oratorio, vespers, and over 30 hymns. Before that, in 1714, he managed to publish another successful work in the concert genre - "La stravanganza". Time after time, the audience gratefully accepted his works, in which the development of musical forms both solo instrumental concerts and ensemble orchestral concerts- concerto grosso (concerto grosso). In 1714, Vivaldi published another successful work in the concert genre - "La stravanganza"

Wandering years

After a series of victories, Vivaldi decides to take an extended vacation, travels around Italy and Europe. There was a period of time when he was in the service of the governor of Mantua, Philipp von Hesse-Homburg. While there, Antonio met the singer Anna Giraud, who later performed as a soprano in his operas. Their relationship was quite close, Anna and her sister were often companions of the composer on his trips.

Living in Rome in 1723-1724, the composer had the opportunity to present his music to the Pope, where he made a good impression on him.

In Amsterdam, he continues to publish concerts. The culmination of creativity was a set of 8 concertos, published in 1725. Titled Il cimento dell' armonia e dell' inventione, the collection included internationally acclaimed concertos called The Four Seasons. They were accompanied by short verses describing seasonal sketches, which Vivaldi tried to repeat in his music. Other works in this collection, such as the violin concertos Storm on the Sea and The Hunt, were no less picturesque.
Concerts called "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi were accompanied by short poems describing seasonal sketches.

The next, last published, cycle of concerts "La Cetra" was published in 1727. This collection was dedicated to the Austrian Emperor Charles VI, whom Vivaldi met in Vienna in the early 1920s. The emperor, being an amateur composer, was impressed by the works of Antonio.

This is confirmed in the report of their meeting in 1728: “The Emperor talked with Vivaldi about music for a long time, they say that in 15 days he spoke in private with him more than he spoke with his ministers in two years”

It is curious that under the title "La Cetra" there is a second cycle of 12 concertos, also dedicated to the emperor, but contains only one common composition. The music in this collection is no less interesting than the earlier collection, with the same high quality.

Homecoming and period of decline

Since the beginning of the 30s, A. Vivaldi has been experiencing a period of long decline

From the beginning of the 30s, the fame of Antonio Vivaldi passed into a period of long decline. New composers and new styles of music captured the attention of the public. His long absence from Venice took its toll, and he was no longer able to return to his former activities in the Pieta.

Death of Antonio Vivaldi

In 1737, his operas were banned on the pretext that, due to his connection with Anna Giraud, he could no longer be a priest. This also led to the termination of the contract with Pieta. At the end of 1740, tired of a long isolation, Vivaldi went to Vienna, but his friend, Emperor Charles VI, died shortly before the composer's arrival, and Austria plunged into the war for the royal succession. As a result, not finding support at the end of his life, Antonio Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741, and was buried as a beggar.

IN IVALDI (Vivaldi) Antonio (1678-1741), Italian composer, virtuoso violinist. The creator of the genre of solo instrumental concerto and, along with A. Corelli, concerto grosso. His cycle "The Seasons" (1725) is one of the earliest examples of programming in music. St. 40 operas, oratorios, cantatas; instrumental concertos of various compositions (465), etc.

He studied violin with his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, violinist at St. brand; perhaps composition with Giovanni Legrenzi, perhaps also studied with Arcangelo Corelli in Rome.

September 18, 1693 Vivaldi was tonsured a monk. On September 18, 1700, he was elevated to the rank of deacon. March 23, 1703 Vivaldi was ordained a priest. The next day he celebrated the first independent mass in the church of San Giovanni in Oleo. For the color of his hair, unusual for the Venetians, he was nicknamed the red priest. On September 1, 1703, he was admitted to the Pieta Orphanage as a maestro in the violin class. Order from Countess Lucrezia Trevisan to serve 90 votive matins in the Church of San Giovanni in Oleo. August 17, 1704 receives an additional reward for teaching the game on the viola d'amore. After serving half of the votive matins, Vivaldi refuses for health reasons from the order of Lucrezia Trevisan. 1706 first public performance in the palace of the French embassy. Edition of the "Guide to Venice", prepared by the cartographer Coronelli, which mentions the father and son of Vivaldi as violin virtuosos. Moving from Piazza Bragora to a new, larger house in the neighboring parish of San Provolo.

In 1723 the first trip to Rome. 1724 - the second trip to Rome for the premiere of the opera Giustino. Audience with Pope Benedict XIII. 1711 publication of 12 concertos "L'estro armonico" ("Harmonic inspiration") Op. 3.1725 op. VIII "Il Cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Invenzione. In this cycle "The Art of Harmony and Invention" or ("The Dispute of Harmony with Invention"), Op. 8 (circa 1720), which even then made an indelible impression on listeners with its violent passion and innovation, now included four world-famous concerts "The Four Seasons". Jean Jacques Rousseau, who was working at that time in the French embassy in Venice, highly appreciated Vivaldi's music and liked to perform some of this cycle on his favorite flute himself. Vivaldi concerts are also widely known - “La notte” (night), “Il cardellino” (finch), for flute and orchestra, concerto for two mandolins RV532, distinguished by artistic depiction and harmonic generosity characteristic of his works, as well as spiritual works: “Gloria”, “Magnificat ”, “Stabat Mater”, “Dixit Dominus”.

In 1703-1725 he was a teacher, then an orchestra conductor and head of concerts, and also from 1713 he was the head of the orchestra and choir at the "della Pieta" in Venice, an orphanage, which was famous as one of the best music schools for girls. In 1735 he was again a bandmaster for a short time.

Vivaldi is the largest representative of the Italian violin Art XVIII century, which approved a new dramatized, so-called "Lombard" style of performance. He created the genre of solo instrumental concerto, influenced the development of virtuoso violin technique. Master of the ensemble and orchestral concert - concerto grosso (concerto grosso). Vivaldi set for the concerto grosso 3-part cyclic form, singled out the virtuoso part of the soloist.

Even during his lifetime, he became known as a composer, capable of creating a three-act opera in five days and composing many variations on one theme. He became famous throughout Europe as a virtuoso violinist. Although the kindly Vivaldi Goldoni, after the death of the red-haired priest, spoke of him in his memoirs as a rather mediocre composer. For a long time Vivaldi was remembered only because J.S. Bach made a number of transcriptions of the works of his predecessor, and only in the 20th century was the publication of a complete collection of Vivaldi's instrumental opuses undertaken. Vivaldi's instrumental concertos were a stage on the way to the formation of a classical symphony. In Siena, the Italian Institute named after Vivaldi was created (headed by F. Malipiero).

In mid-May 1740 the musician finally leaves Venice. He arrived in Vienna at an unfortunate time, Emperor Charles VI had just died and the War of the Austrian Succession had begun. Vienna was not up to Vivaldi. Forgotten by everyone, sick and without a livelihood, he died in Vienna on July 28, 1741. The quarterly doctor recorded the death of "Reverend Don Antonio Vivaldi from internal inflammation." He was buried in a cemetery for the poor for a modest fee of 19 florins 45 kreuzers. A month later, sisters Margherita and Zanetta received notice of Antonio's death. On August 26, the bailiff described his property in payment of debts.

Contemporaries often criticized him for his excessive enthusiasm for the opera stage and the haste and illegibility shown at the same time. It is curious that after the production of his opera "Furious Roland", friends called Vivaldi, none other than Dirus (lat. Furious). Opera heritage composer (about 90 operas) has not yet become the property of the world opera stage. Only in the 1990s, Furious Roland was successfully staged in San Francisco.

The work of Vivaldi had a huge impact not only on contemporary Italian composers, but also on musicians of other nationalities, primarily German. Here it is especially interesting to trace the influence of Vivaldi's music on J.S. Bach, the greatest German composer of the 1st half of the 18th century. In the first biography of Bach, published in 1802, its author, Johann Nikolaus Forkel, singled out the name of Vivaldi among the masters who became the subject of study for the young Johann Sebastian. The strengthening of the instrumental-virtuosic nature of Bach's thematism in the Köthen period of his work (1717-1723) is directly related to the study of Vivaldi's music. But its impact was manifested not only in the assimilation and processing of individual expressive techniques - it was much broader and deeper. Bach took Vivaldi's style so organically that it became his own. musical language. Inner affinity with Vivaldi's music is palpable in the most various works Bach up to his famous "High" Mass in B minor. The influence exerted by Vivaldi's music on the German composer was undoubtedly enormous. According to A. Casella, "Bach is his greatest admirer and probably the only one who at that time could understand all the greatness of the genius of this musician."

Compositions
More than 40 operas, including "Roland - imaginary mad" (Orlando fiato pozzo, 1714, theater "Sant'Angelo", Venice), "Nerone who became Caesar" (Nerone fatto Cesare, 1715, ibid.), "Coronation of Darius "(L'incoronazione di Daria, 1716, ibid.), "Deception triumphant in love" (L'inganno trionfante in amore, 1725, ibid.), "Farnace" (1727, ibid., later also called "Farnace , ruler of Pontus"), Cunegonde (1727, ibid.), Olympias (1734, ibid.), Griselda (1735, San Samuele Theatre, Venice), Aristides (1735, ibid. ), "Oracle in Messenia" (1738, theater "Sant'Angelo", Venice), "Ferasp" (1739, ibid.); oratorios - “Moses, God of the Pharaoh” (Moyses Deus Pharaonis, 1714), “Triumphant Judith” (Juditha Triumphans devicta Holo-fernis barbarie, 1716), “Adoration of the Magi” (L'Adorazione delli tre Re Magi, 1722), etc. ;
Author of more than 500 concertos, including:
44 concertos for string orchestra and basso continuo;
49 concerti grossi;
352 concertos for one instrument accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo (253 for violin, 26 for cello, 6 for viol d'amore, 13 for transverse, 3 for longitudinal flutes, 12 for oboe, 38 for bassoon, 1 for mandolin);
38 concertos for 2 instruments accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo (25 for violin, 2 for cello, 3 for violin and cello, 2 for horns, 1 for mandolins);
32 concertos for 3 or more instruments accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo.

One of the most famous works- a cycle of 4 violin concertos "The Seasons" - an early example of program symphonic music. Vivaldi's contribution to the development of instrumentation is significant (he was the first to use oboes, horns, bassoons and other instruments as independent, and not duplicating).

Antonio Vivaldi is an outstanding violinist and composer, one of the brightest representatives of the Italian violin art of the 18th century. Unlike Corelli, with his rare focus on a few genres, the composer-violinist Vivaldi, who wrote more than 500 concertos for various compositions and 73 sonatas for various tools, created 46 operas, 3 oratorios, 56 cantatas, dozens of cult works. But the favorite genre in his work, of course, was an instrumental concerto. Moreover, concerti grossi make up only a little more than a tenth of his concerts: he always preferred solo works. Over 344 of them are written for one instrument (with accompaniment) and 81 for two or three instruments. There are 220 violin concertos among solo concerts. Possessing sharp feeling sound color, Vivaldi created concerts for a variety of compositions.

The genre of the concerto especially attracted the composer with the breadth of its impact, its accessibility to a large audience, the dynamism of the three-part cycle with a predominance of fast tempos, the relief contrasts of tutti and soli, and the brilliance of virtuoso presentation. The virtuoso instrumental style contributed to the overall brightness of impressions from the figurative structure of the work. It was in this creative interpretation that the concerto at that time was the largest and most accessible of the instrumental genres and remained so until the approval of the symphony in concert life.

In the work of Vivaldi, the concerto for the first time acquired a finished form that realized the hidden possibilities of the genre. This is especially noticeable in the interpretation solo start. If in Corelli's Concerto grosso the solo episodes are short, several bars long, solo episodes are closed, then in Vivaldi, born by an unlimited flight of fancy, they are built in a different way: in a free, close to improvisational presentation of their parts, a virtuoso

the nature of the instruments. Accordingly, the scale of orchestral ritornellos increases, and the whole form acquires a completely new dynamic character, with emphasized functional clarity of harmonies and sharply accentuated rhythm.

As already mentioned, Vivaldi owns a huge number of concertos for various instruments, primarily for the violin. During the life of the composer, relatively few of the concertos were published - 9 opuses, of which 5 opuses cover 12 concertos each and 4 6 each. All of them, with the exception of 6 concertos op. 10 for flute and orchestra, intended for one or more violins with accompaniment. Thus, less than 1/5 of the total number of Vivaldi concertos was published, which is explained not only by the insufficiently developed music publishing business at that time. Perhaps Vivaldi deliberately did not allow the publication of his most complex and technically advantageous concertos, trying to keep the secrets of performing skills secret. (Later, N. Paganini did the same.) It is significant that the vast majority of opuses published by Vivaldi himself (4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12) consist of the easiest violin concertos in terms of performance. The exception is the famous opuses 3 and 8: op. 3 includes the first published and therefore especially significant concertos of Vivaldi, by the distribution of which he sought to establish his reputation as a composer; from 12 concertos op. 8–7 have program names and occupy a very special place in the composer's work.

Twelve Concertos from Op. 3, named by the composer "Harmonic inspiration" ("L" Estro Armonico "), undoubtedly, were widely known long before their publication in Amsterdam (1712). This is confirmed by handwritten copies of individual concertos located in many European cities. Features of style and originality" "two-horn" division of the orchestra parts allow us to attribute the emergence of the idea of the cycle to the beginning of the 1700s, when Vivaldi played in St. Mark's Cathedral. The orchestral parts of each of the concertos are sustained in 8-voice presentation - 4 violins, 2 violas, cello and double bass with cembalo ( or organ); thanks to this, the orchestral sonority is divided in due cori (into two choirs), which subsequently occurs extremely rarely in Vivaldi. this case“two-choir” compositions, Vivaldi followed a long tradition, which at that time had already completely exhausted itself.

Or. 3 reflects a transitional stage in the development of the instrumental concerto, when traditional techniques still coexist with new trends. The entire opus is divided into 3 groups of 4 concertos, each according to the number of solo violins used. There are 4 in the first group, 2 in the second and one in the third. Concertos for 4 violins, with one exception, were no longer created subsequently. This group of concertos, with its small dissection of solo sections and tutti, is most close to Corelli's Concerto grosso. Concertos for two violins with more developed ritornellos in the interpretation of the solo beginning are also in many ways still reminiscent of Corelli. And only in concertos for one violin do solo episodes get a fairly complete development.

The best of the concerti of this opus are among the most frequently performed. These are the concertos in B minor for 4 violins, in A minor for 2 and in E major for one. Their music was supposed to amaze contemporaries with the novelty of life, expressed in unusually vivid images. Already today, one of the researchers wrote about the penultimate solo episode from the III part of the double concerto in A minor: “It seems that windows and doors opened in the luxurious hall of the Baroque era, and free nature entered with a greeting; the music resounds with a proud majestic pathos, not yet familiar to the 17th century: the exclamation of a citizen of the world.

Publication op. 3 marked the beginning of Vivaldi's strong contact with Amsterdam publishers, and for less than two decades, until the end of the 1720s, all other lifetime editions of the composer's concertos were published in Amsterdam. Some of these opuses also have titles, although not programmatic in the strict sense of the word, but helping to understand the musical intention of the author. Apparently, they reflect the composers' passion for figurative associations, which was characteristic of that period. So 12 concertos for one violin with accompaniment op. 4 are named "La Stravaganza", which can be translated as "eccentricity, strangeness". This title, perhaps, should have emphasized the extraordinary boldness of musical thinking inherent in this opus. 12 concertos for one and two violins with accompaniment from op. 9 have the title "Lyra" ("La Cetra"), which obviously symbolizes here musical art. Finally, the already mentioned op. 8 with his 7 program concerts is called "The Experience of Harmony and Fantasy" ("II Cimento dell'Armonia e dell" Inventione "), as if the author wanted to warn the listeners that this is just a modest attempt, a trial search in a hitherto unknown area of musical expressiveness .

The publication of the concertos coincided with the heyday of Vivaldi's activities as a virtuoso violinist and leader of the Ospedale orchestra. IN mature years During his life he was one of the most famous violinists in Europe of that time. The scores published during the life of the musician do not give a complete picture of his amazing performing skills, which played a huge role in the development of violin technique. It is known that in that era a type of violin with a short neck and a small fingerboard was still common, which did not allow the use of high positions. Judging by the testimony of contemporaries, Vivaldi possessed a violin with a specially elongated neck, thanks to which he freely reached the 12th position (in one of the cadences of his concertos, the highest note is F-sharp of the 4th octave - for comparison, we note that Corelli limited himself to using 4 -th and 5th positions).

Here is how one of his contemporaries describes the stunning impression of Vivaldi's performance at the Sant'Angelo Theater on February 4, 1715: no one has ever been able to and never will be able to play; with incredible speed, performing something resembling a fugue on all 4 strings, he rose with the fingers of his left hand so high up the neck that they were separated from the stand by a distance no more than the thickness of a straw, and there was no room for the bow to play on the strings ... " .

Despite possible exaggerations, this description seems generally plausible, which is confirmed by the surviving cadences of Vivaldi (in total, 9 manuscripts of his cadences are known). They most fully reveal the amazing technical talent of Vivaldi, which allowed him to significantly expand the expressive possibilities not only of the violin, but also of other instruments. His music for bowed instruments makes inventive use of new techniques that were widespread at that time: playing chords with various arpeggiations, the use of high positions, bowing effects of staccato, sharp throws, bariolage, etc. His concertos show that he was a violinist with a highly developed bowed technique, which included not only a simple and flying staccato, but also sophisticated arpeggiation techniques with unusual shading at that time. Vivaldi's fantasy in inventing various options for playing arpeggios seems inexhaustible. It is enough to refer to the 21-bar Larghetto from the II part of the concerto in B minor op. 3, during which three types of arpeggios are used simultaneously, alternately coming to the fore.

And yet the most strong point Vivaldi the violinist was, apparently, the extraordinary mobility of the left hand, which knew no restrictions in using any position on the fretboard.

The peculiarities of Vivaldi's performing style gave the seal of unique originality to the playing of the Ospedale orchestra, which he led for many years. Vivaldi achieved an extraordinary subtlety of dynamic gradations, leaving far behind everything known in this area among his contemporaries. It is also important that the performances of the Ospedale orchestra took place in the church, where the strictest silence reigned, which made it possible to distinguish the slightest nuances of sonority. (In the 18th century orchestral music usually accompanied noisy meals, where there could be no question of attention to the details of performance.) Vivaldi's manuscripts show an abundance of subtle transitions in sonority shades that the composer usually did not transfer to printed scores, since at that time such nuances were considered unperformable. Researchers of Vivaldi's work have found that the full dynamic scale of his works covers 13 (!) gradations of sonority: from pianissimo to fortissimo. The consistent application of such shades actually led to the effects of crescendo or diminuendo - then completely unknown. (In the first half of the 18th century, the change in sonority of the strings was of a “terraced” nature, similar to a multi-manual cembalo or organ.)

After the violin, the cello attracted Vivaldi's greatest attention among the strings. In his legacy, 27 concertos for this instrument with accompaniment have been preserved. The number is astounding, since at that time the cello was still extremely rarely used as a solo instrument. In the 17th century, it was known mainly as a continuo instrument, and only at the beginning of the next century moved into the group of soloists. The first cello concertos appeared in northern Italy, in Bologna, and were undoubtedly familiar to Vivaldi. His numerous concertos testify to a deeply organic understanding of the nature of the instrument and its innovative interpretation. Vivaldi boldly highlights the low tones of the cello, reminiscent of the sound of a bassoon, sometimes limiting the accompaniment to one continuo to enhance the effect. The solo parts of his concertos contain significant technical difficulties, requiring great mobility of the left hand from the performer.

Gradually, Vivaldi introduces new violin playing techniques into the cello parts: expanding the number of positions, staccato, bow throws, using non-adjacent strings in fast movement, etc. The high artistic level of Vivaldi's cello concertos makes it possible to rank them among the most outstanding examples this genre. The composer's work spans two 10 years, especially significant for the formation of a new instrument, the 10 years preceding the appearance of Bach's suites for cello solo (1720).

Fascinated by new varieties of strings, Vivaldi paid almost no attention to the viola family. The only exception is viola d'amore (lit. - viola of love), for which he wrote six concertos. Vivaldi was attracted, undoubtedly, by the gentle silvery sound of this instrument, created by the overtones of resonant (aliquot) metal strings stretched under the stand. Viola d'amore is repeatedly used as an indispensable solo instrument in his vocal works (in particular, in one of best arias oratorio Judith. Vivaldi also wrote one concerto for viola d'amore and lute.

Of particular interest are Vivaldi's concertos for wind instruments - wood and brass. Here he was one of the first to turn to new varieties of instruments, laying the foundations for their modern repertoire. Creating music for instruments that were outside the scope of his own performing practice, Vivaldi discovered inexhaustible ingenuity in interpreting their expressive possibilities. His wind concertos still present serious technical requirements to performers.

The flute is widely used in Vivaldi's work. At the beginning of the 18th century, there were two varieties of it - longitudinal and transverse. Vivaldi wrote for both types of instrument. His contribution to the creation of a repertoire for the transverse flute as a solo concert instrument is especially significant. Note that there were practically no concert compositions for her. Flutists often played pieces intended for violin or oboe. Vivaldi was one of the first to create concertos for the transverse flute, which revealed new expressive and dynamic possibilities for its sound.

In addition to the two main varieties of the instrument, Vivaldi also wrote for the flautino - a flute, apparently similar to the modern piccolo flute. Vivaldi paid great attention to the oboe, which occupied a place of honor in opera orchestras of the 17th century. The oboe was especially often used in "open-air music". 11 Vivaldi concertos for oboe and orchestra and 3 concertos for two oboes have survived. Many of them were published during the composer's lifetime.

In 3 concerts for various instruments (“con molti Istromenti”), Vivaldi used the clarinet, which was then still in the experimental phase of its development. The clarinet is also included in the score of the oratorio Judith.

Vivaldi wrote amazingly much for the bassoon - 37 recitals with accompaniment. In addition, the bassoon is used in almost all chamber concerts, in which it is usually combined with the timbre of the cello. The interpretation of the bassoon in Vivaldi's concertos is characterized by the frequent use of low, thick registers and rapid staccato, which requires a highly developed technique from the performer.

Much less often than woodwinds, Vivaldi turned to brass instruments, which is explained by the difficulty of using them at that time in a solo concert. In the 18th century, the brass scale was still limited to natural tones. Therefore, in solo concerts, brass parts usually did not go beyond C and D major, and the necessary tonal contrasts were entrusted to the strings. Vivaldi's concerto for two trumpets and two concertos for two horns and orchestra show the composer's remarkable ability to compensate for the limitations of the natural scale with the help of frequent imitations, repetitions of sounds, dynamic contrasts, and similar techniques.

In December 1736, two Vivaldi concertos for one and two mandolins and orchestra arose. Thanks to transparent orchestration with frequent pizzicato, they achieve an organic unity with the timbre of the solo instruments, full of enchanting charm of sound. The mandolin attracted the attention of Vivaldi with its colorful timbre paint and as an accompaniment instrument. In one of the arias of the oratorio Judith, the mandolin was used as an obligatory instrument. Parts of two mandolins are included in the score of a concerto performed at the Ospedale in 1740.

Of the other plucked instruments, Vivaldi used the lute, using it in two of his concertos. (Today, the lute part is usually played on the guitar.)

Being a violinist by vocation, Vivaldi the composer, in essence, always followed the patterns of the violin cantilena. Not surprisingly, he almost never used keyboards as solo instruments, although he invariably retained the continue function for them. An exception is the concerto in C major for several instruments with two solo chambalos. Vivaldi was very interested in another keyboard instrument - the organ, with its rich sound and color palette. Six Vivaldi concertos with a solo organ are known.

Fascinated by the diverse possibilities of the new form of solo concerto, Vivaldi sought to use it in compositions for ensembles of the most diverse composition. He wrote especially a lot for two or more instruments with orchestral accompaniment - a total of 76 of his concertos of this kind are known. Unlike the Concerto grosso, with its usual group of three soloists - two violins and a basso continuo, these compositions represent a completely new type of ensemble concerto. Their solo sections use the most varied in composition and number of groups of instruments, including up to ten participants; in development, individual soloists come to the fore or the form of instrumental dialogue dominates.

Vivaldi also repeatedly referred to the type of orchestral concerto, in which the sonority of tutti predominates, only interspersed with performances of individual soloists. 47 works of this kind are known, the ideas of which were far ahead of their time. He gave various titles his orchestral concerts, designating them as "Sinfonia", "Concerto", "Concerto a quattro" (for four) or "Concerto ripieno" (tutti).

A large number of Vivaldi's orchestral concertos speaks of his constant interest in this variety of the genre. Apparently, work in "Ospedale" forced him to often use such forms of music-making, which did not require first-class soloists.

Finally, Vivaldi's chamber concertos for several soloists without orchestral accompaniment form a special group. They make particularly ingenious use of the possibilities of combining instruments of different nature. The 15 works of this kind also include the already mentioned 4 concertos from op. 10 in the first edition.

The development of the solo concerto (primarily the violin concerto) is the merit of A. Vivaldi, whose main field of creativity was instrumental music. Among his many concertos, the concertos for one or two violins and orchestra occupy a central place.

Important acquisitions were made by Vivaldi in the field of thematic development and compositional form. For the first parts of his concertos, he finally developed and established a form close to the rondo, which was subsequently adopted by J.S. Bach, as well as classical composers.

Vivaldi contributed to the development of virtuoso violin technique, establishing a new, dramatic style of performance. Vivaldi's musical style is distinguished by melodic generosity, dynamism and expressiveness of sound, transparency of orchestral writing, classical harmony combined with emotional richness.

Bibliography

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Beletsky I.V. Antonio Vivaldi [Text]: a brief outline of life and work / I. V. Beletsky. - L .: Music, 1975. - 87 p.
Zeyfas N. An old man with an amazing inexhaustible passion for composition [Text] / N. Zeyfas // Soviet music. - 1991. - No. 11. - S. 90-91.
Zeyfas N. Concerto grosso in the works of Handel [Text] / N. Zeyfas. - M.: Music, 1980. - 80 p.
Livanova T. History of Western European music until 1789 [Text]. In 2 volumes. Textbook. T. 1. Until the 18th century / T. Livanova. - 2nd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Music, 1983. - 696 p.
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One of the largest representatives of the Baroque era, A. Vivaldi entered the history of musical culture as the creator of the genre of instrumental concerto, the founder of orchestral program music. Vivaldi's childhood is connected with Venice, where his father worked as a violinist in the Cathedral of St. Mark. The family had 6 children, of which Antonio was the eldest. There are almost no details about the composer's childhood years. It is only known that he studied playing the violin and harpsichord.

On September 18, 1693, Vivaldi was tonsured a monk, and on March 23, 1703, he was ordained a priest. At the same time, the young man continued to live at home (presumably due to a serious illness), which gave him the opportunity not to leave music lessons. For the color of his hair, Vivaldi was nicknamed the "red monk." It is assumed that already in these years he was not too zealous about his duties as a clergyman. Many sources retell the story (perhaps unreliable, but revealing) about how one day during the service, the “red-haired monk” hastily left the altar to write down the theme of the fugue, which suddenly occurred to him. In any case, Vivaldi's relations with clerical circles continued to heat up, and soon he, citing his poor health, publicly refused to celebrate mass.

Even before the new appointment, Vivaldi established himself not only as a teacher, but also as a composer (mainly the author of sacred music). In parallel with his work at Pieta, Vivaldi is looking for opportunities to publish his secular writings. 12 trio sonatas op. 1 were published in 1706; in 1711 the most famous collection of violin concertos "Harmonic Inspiration" op. 3; in 1714 - another collection called "Extravagance" op. 4. Vivaldi's violin concertos very soon became widely known in Western Europe and especially in Germany. Great interest in them was shown by I. Quantz, I. Mattheson, the Great J. S. Bach "for pleasure and instruction" personally arranged 9 violin concertos by Vivaldi for clavier and organ. In the same years, Vivaldi wrote his first operas Otto (1713), Orlando (1714), Nero (1715). In 1718-20. he lives in Mantua, where he mainly writes operas for the carnival season, as well as instrumental compositions for the Mantua ducal court.

In 1725, one of the composer's most famous opuses came out of print, bearing the subtitle "The Experience of Harmony and Invention" (op. 8). Like the previous ones, the collection is made up of violin concertos (there are 12 of them here). The first 4 concerts of this opus are named by the composer, respectively, "Spring", "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter". In modern performing practice, they are often combined into the cycle "Seasons" (there is no such heading in the original). Apparently, Vivaldi was not satisfied with the income from the publication of his concertos, and in 1733 he told a certain English traveler E. Holdsworth about his intention to abandon further publications, since, unlike printed manuscripts, handwritten copies were more expensive. In fact, since then, no new original opuses by Vivaldi have appeared.

Late 20s - 30s. often referred to as "years of travel" (preferred to Vienna and Prague). In August 1735, Vivaldi returned to the post of bandmaster of the Pieta orchestra, but the governing committee did not like his subordinate's passion for travel, and in 1738 the composer was fired. At the same time, Vivaldi continued to work hard in the genre of opera (one of his librettists was the famous C. Goldoni), while he preferred to personally participate in the production. However, Vivaldi's opera performances were not particularly successful, especially after the composer was deprived of the opportunity to act as director of his operas at the Ferrara theater due to the cardinal's ban on entering the city (the composer was charged with love affair with Anna Giraud, his former student, and the refusal of the "red-haired monk" to celebrate mass). As a result, the opera premiere in Ferrara failed.

In 1740, shortly before his death, Vivaldi went on his last trip to Vienna. The reasons for his sudden departure are unclear. He died in the house of the widow of a Viennese saddler by the name of Waller and was beggarly buried. Soon after his death, the name of the outstanding master was forgotten. Almost 200 years later, in the 20s. 20th century Italian musicologist A. Gentili discovered unique collection composer's manuscripts (300 concerts, 19 operas, spiritual and secular vocal compositions). From this time begins a genuine revival of the former glory of Vivaldi. The music publishing house "Ricordi" in 1947 began to issue complete collection works of the composer, and the company "Philips" has recently begun to implement a no less grandiose plan - the publication of "all" Vivaldi on record. In our country, Vivaldi is one of the most frequently performed and most beloved composers. Veliko creative legacy Vivaldi. According to the authoritative thematic-systematic catalog of Peter Ryom (international designation - RV), it covers more than 700 titles. The main place in the work of Vivaldi was occupied by an instrumental concerto (a total of about 500 preserved). The composer's favorite instrument was the violin (about 230 concertos). In addition, he wrote concertos for two, three and four violins and orchestra and basso continue, concertos for viola d'amour, cello, mandolin, longitudinal and transverse flutes, oboe, bassoon. More than 60 concertos for string orchestra and basso continue, sonatas for various instruments are known. Of the more than 40 operas (the authorship of Vivaldi in respect of which has been established with certainty), the scores of only half of them have survived. Less popular (but no less interesting) are his numerous vocal compositions - cantatas, oratorios, works on spiritual texts (psalms, litanies, "Gloria", etc.).

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