Antonio Vivaldi's Concerto for Guitar and Viola in D Minor

The piece of music that I had the pleasure of listening to today was Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678-1741), a Baroque composer, Concerto for Guitar and Viola d’amore in D Minor. This piece featured the Philharmonia Virtuoisi of New York, conducted by Richard Kapp, with Peter Press playing the mandolin and Louise Schulman on the viola. The concerto begins with the harpsichord and the violas playing the main theme of the song. It is evident that they were playing in a minor mode in a duple meter 4/4 time signature. While the harpsichord is playing chords to each beat in the music, the violas play more decorative sequences in higher pitches. The texture is homophonic, because the violas have a distinct melody playing on top of the underlying chords of the harpsichord. A weak cadence comes, and the next part of the concerto begins.

It is interesting to note that the form of the concerto is obvious to hear. First, the theme is played by the harpsichord and violas, then comes a viola solo or viola duet eventually joined by the mandolin, and finally followed with the violas and mandolin playing together. This form is followed religiously throughout the entirety of the song.

The duet of the violas exhibits counterpoint, as one melody does not overpower the other, but each melodies are heard equally and the pitches intertwine. Next, the mandolin enters, picking notes within the D Minor chromatic scale that has been prevalent throughout the piece. As stated above, the theme repeats again, followed by a viola solo, then mandolin, and ended with a mandolin and viola polyphony. The polyphony is heavily imitative. The viola plays one sequence of notes, and the mandolin follows by repeating the same pitches and rhythm that the viola just played. This repetition of sounds and rhythm occurs several times between the two instruments, highlighting the beautiful tonal qualities of each instrument.

A strong cadence comes, and the viola and mandolin plays a legato, or, long and flowing sequence of pitches that blend well together, switching back and forth between major and minor modes. The theme is repeated once again followed by the same repetition of form. The piece ends with the theme as the harpsichord and violas play one last minor chord to finish the piece. The song ends with a forte dynamic, just as it started and continued consistently throughout the piece. This Concerto of Vivaldi is surely a beautiful example of Baroque music.