Innovations of Presentation in Antonio Vivaldi’s Concertos and Their Impact on the Development of the Orchestra

Abstract

Transformation of the presentation in Vivaldi’s instrumental concertos is considered in this paper. It is noted that the Corellian model of the concerto (concerto grosso, changeable number of movements, variety of tempos, thematic unity of tutti and solo episodes, trio-sonata-like instrumentation of the concertino) becomes the basis for Vivaldi’s modifications. His model is based on a solo concerto prevalation, a fast — slow — fast three-movements structure, ritornello musical form in the outer movements and the motivic mosaic of the first tutti. The significance of these transformations gives grounds to define them as a paradigmatic shift in the evolution of the genre. It is emphasized that these changes would be impossible without reviewing of the presentation in the orchestra. Innovations concern the ways of highlighting a soloist, the use of inexact (background-ornamental) doubling, activation of the internal orchestral soloists (especially in concertos for a wind instrument), increasing the significance of alternations, intensification of timbral, register, textural, dynamic, and thematic contrasts, changes in the orchestra’s composition (the double bass), and expansion of a palette of soloing instruments. It is pointed out that all these modifications had a strong impact on the development of the orchestra. First, the rise of wind instruments and reinforcement of expression in their parts resulted in the diversification of the orchestral sound: probably, we would not have heard the Mannheim Orchestra without Vivaldi’s concertos. Secondly, the dominance of the homophonic texture formed a proper basis for internal orchestral soloing and increased the relevance of a particular timbre color. Third, the standardization of a four-parts string section formed the basis for further changes of the orchestra. Fourth, the use of such orchestral techniques as the pedal (the future substitute for the basso continuo in the orchestra of Viennese classics), background-ornamental doublings, unison texture, etc. reflected in ways of musical material presentation in all orchestral genres. Everything convinces that the interdependence between the evolution of the instrumental concerto and the transformations of the orchestra is evident and strong.