Contributions of Corelli and Vivaldi To

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Contributions of Corelli and Vivaldi

to Baroque Concerto Form

Presented to Dr. Charles Mueller

by Christian Kaltwasser (http://kaltwassermusic.com)

March 4, 2013

MUS 361: Music History II

Western Oregon University

http://kaltwassermusic.com/http://kaltwassermusic.com/http://kaltwassermusic.com/http://kaltwassermusic.com/http://kaltwassermusic.com/http://kaltwassermusic.com/


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Both sonata and vocal forms influenced the development of concerto form as

instrumental music practices and writing evolved from the middle to late Baroque (ca. 1680–

1730). This paper will examine the development of the instrumental concerto during the

Baroque, focusing on analysis of the works and contributions to the form by Arcangelo Corelli

(1653–1713) and Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741). Representing a span of one generation in time,

and working in different musical centers within Italy, Corelli and Vivaldi each made major

contributions to the development of the Baroque concerto grosso and solo concerto forms,

helping establish instrumental music as an independent entity from vocal music, and moving

orchestra music practices toward what would evolve into the Classical era concerto and

symphony later in the 18th century. Their respective scoring, texture, number and form of

movements (e.g., ritornello, fugue, or dance-based), and use of affect (tempo and feel) will each

be evaluated using Corelli’s “Christmas Night” concerto and Vivaldi’s “Winter” from “The Four

Seasons” as primary examples. How the composition of established Roman and Venetian large-

scale musical ensembles affected the scoring for the respective composers’ concertos will also be

examined.

Arcangelo Corelli was born on the 17th of February in 1653, in the northern Italian town

of Fusignano, midway between Bologna and Ravenna.1 From a young age he studied music and

violin performance, and was accepted into the distinguished Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna

in 1670.2 By 1675, he was employed as a violinist at a church in Rome, S. Luigi dei Francesi.3

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http://kaltwassermusic.com

1 Marc Pincherle, Corelli: His Life, His Work , trans. Hubert E. M. Russell (Norton, 1956), 16.

2 Ibid., 20.

3 Ibid., 26–7.

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He published in Rome his first opus, a set of twelve trio sonatas, in 1681. More published

collections of trio sonatas followed in 1685, 1689, and 1694, and his opus five of twelve sonatas

for solo violin and accompaniment was published in 1700. All these publications constituted

carefully prepared and edited versions of works covering the course of his career.

The late seventeenth century was a pivotal period in the development of instrumental

music, as the concept of the orchestra was beginning to take definite shape, and instrumental

writing was becoming more independent from vocal music. There was not, as yet, a definite

concept of large-scale orchestra scoring as differentiated from chamber performance.4 Yet late

17th century performances for major occasions or prestigious academies could involve upward

of 80 or 100 players, such as one directed by Corelli in 1689.5 The typical practice involved

scaling a performance by doubling on each part to produce a more or less musically balanced

result.

Different notions of opposing contrasting groups of voices or instruments also existed,

going back to Gabrieli and others around 1600. The separation of players into a concertino of

soloists and a reinforcing concerto grosso was particular to the Roman practice as ear ly as 1666,

and soon spread to music centers under Roman influence, including Bologna.6 Corelli did not

publish any concerto works during his lifetime, but likely was composing for this scoring by the

1680s.7 The set of concerti grossi published as his sixth opus in 1714, a year after Corelli’s death,

are scored for a trio sonata (two violins and basso continuo) and string ensemble, also with basso

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4 Simon Harris, “Lully, Corelli, Muffat and the Eighteenth-Century Orchestral String Body,” Music & Letters 54, no.2 (Spr. 1973), 197.

5 Frederick Hammond, liner notes to Arcangelo Corelli, Concerti Grossi Op. 6, 7–12, Nicholas McGegan andPhilharmonic Baroque Orchestra, Harmonia Mundi HMU 907015, compact disc, 1990.

6 Peter Allsop, Arcangelo Corelli: New Orpheus of Our Times (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 141–2.

7 Ibid, 143–4.



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continuo. This scoring reflects Roman conventions as far back as 1675 with Alessandro

Stradello’s oratorio San Giovanni Battista.8

In his first four published opuses, Corelli’s church trio sonatas typically follow a plan of

four movements. The chamber sonatas range from three to five or six. The number of movement

in Corelli’s published concertos was typically five, with the last being a fast movement. The

eighth concerto from Corelli’s collection, Fatto per la notte di natale (“made for Christmas

night”) is in six movements in alternating fast/slow/fast tempos, with the final Largo Pastorale

marked in the score as optional. The emotional character also ranges significantly, from a grand

fugal introduction, serious and stately allemande-based Allegro, tender, lullaby-quality Adagios

framing an expectant Allegro in the third movement, stately Vivace sarabande, expansive Allegro

gavotte, and plain and festive optional gigue-based pastoral.

Corelli’s writing style for string ensemble, exemplified well in this concerto grosso,

includes such trademarks as a “walking” bass line, with passing tones between chordal notes,

circle of fifth harmonic sequences, sequenced suspensions in seconds, and patterned string

figuration. The second and fifth Allegro movements use the walking bass line extensively

throughout, for instance, stepping in eighth notes between the suspensions of measures 15–18 in

movement II (fig. A, below), and walking quarter notes between slow moving chords in 60–64 of

movement V (fig. B). The “B” section of the Vivace fourth movement begins with a complete

harmonic circuit by descending fifths sequence from D Major in measure 9 through d minor at

the end of 14 (fig. C). Finally, the middle Allegro section of movement III is a fine example of

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8 George J. Buelow, A History of Baroque Music (Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2004), 127.



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Corelli’s use of figurational homophony, having no melody line, only a progression of triads

broken up across the parts (fig. D).

Corelli’s use of the concerto grosso scoring gives very little independence to the

concertino in tutti sections. Mostly, the ripienists are used for harmonic reinforcement, often

simply doubling the trio sonata parts (e.g., consider fig. A through D, below). However, there are

instances where the material of the concertino is more independent, such as the outer Adagio

sections of the third movement of the “Christmas” concerto. Here, a lyric, gentle duet between

the concertino violins is truly accompanied rather than being doubled by the ripieno in the first

two measures (fig. E), and the trio violoncello has explicit divisions that are not given to the

ripieno cello at measures 6–8 and 27–29 (fig. F). Similarly, the final pastoral movement employs

solo sections in which the ripieno provides harmonic support or drones against the concertino

theme.

In fact, the main orchestrational effect of the Roman type concerto grosso of the mid-

Baroque is that of color and texture contrast between the concertino and full ensemble.9

Furthermore, as published music, Corelli’s opus six concertos would serve the broadest possible

market by being adaptable to varying ensemble complements, from trio sonata up to full

concerto grosso, so this may explain why the ripieno parts are largely dispensable in terms of

musical content.10 However, examination of the musical content that is not duplicative across

soloists and ripieno, especially in fugal movements, shows that more than likely, the music was

conceived in more than three parts and had to be tailored to allow the concertino to cover enough

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9 Allsop, 140–1.

10 Ibid., 143.



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of the musical material for trio sonata performances.11 In regards to the form, the solo versus tutti

contrast is mainly used to reinforce parallels in antecedent-consequent phrasing and important

tonal center-affirming cadences.

Although Corelli is typically credited with clarifying the distinction between church and

chamber instrumental works, his letter of dedication for the opus six concertos states he had

actually worked toward a more general-purpose musical style that suited both situations.12 By

opus five his chamber and church sonatas tend toward five movements, the variety chosen to

show off different capabilities of the violin for technical dexterity, realization of counterpoint in

double-stops and figuration, and cadenza-like display.13 The plan of the “Christmas” concerto,

with its abstract movement naming, dominance of dance-based binary form movements, and lack

of a true fugue movement, also reflects the objectives of generalized music showing off the

violin’s eloquent strengths.

Corelli was explicit in the intention to show off the capabilities of the violin as a strongly-

speaking, expressive, and versatile instrument.14

And in fact, the wide appeal of his output helped

secure the future of the violin family as the center of the growing orchestra. It also contributed to

the influence of Italian-style music throughout Europe.15 His solo violin sonatas (opus five) and

measured but idiomatic use of the violin’s voice in all his published works including the o pus six

concerti grossi influenced contemporary and subsequent composers including François Couperin,

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11 Ibid., 145–6.

12 Ibid., 147.

13 Michael Talbot, “Corelli, Archangelo,” New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., edited by StanleySadie and John Tyrrell, 6:457–463, (London: Macmillan, 2001), 461.

14 Ibid., 460.

15 Buelow, 132.



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J.S. Bach, and Antonio Vivaldi.16 Finally, Corelli applied great care in his systematic use of

harmonic language, to the point that he is largely credited with setting up tonal functional

harmony for instrumental music.17

Significantly, Corelli published no vocal works. He is perhaps best known for his trio and

solo violin sonatas, and for his legacy of violin teaching and playing style. Still, his contribution

to the baroque concerto form is secured by the fact of his music’s popularity and influence

among contemporaries, in Italy and beyond. His final opus of concertos was published and well-

regarded as paradigm of harmony, string writing, and orchestral sound for centuries after his

death.

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4, 1678, the first son of a barber-

turned-violinist and a tailor’s daughter. He first learned violin from his father. Vivaldi entered the

priesthood, being fully ordained in 1703, but a chronic health problem interfered with his ability

to sing mass.18 That September he was hired to teach violin to the orphan girls of the Pio

Ospedale della Pietà, a prominent venue for concerts. His employment at the Pietà continued,

with a few interruptions, for many years. In 1718, Vivaldi brought a new opera to Mantua, and

stayed until 1720, writing three more operas for performance in the carnival seasons. He also

spent some years having his operas performed in Rome during 1723 and 1724. From 1723 until

1729 Vivaldi was hired to compose two concertos per month for the Pietà, coming to a recorded

total of 140 concertos.19 For some time in the height of his career, Vivaldi traveled often and

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16 Pincherle, 140ff.

17 Dennis Libby, “Interrelationships in Corelli,” Journal of the American Musicological Society 26, no. 2 (Sum.1973), 267.

18 Michael Talbot, Vivaldi, 2nd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), 31.

19 Michael Talbot, “Vivaldi, Antonio,” N ew Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., edited by StanleySadie and John Tyrrell, 26:817ff, (London: Macmillan, 2001), 819.



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widely. Despite the limitations of his chronic illness, he managed to maintain a very active career

as virtuoso violin performer, teacher, composer, and opera impresario.20

Vivaldi’s earliest published works show his debt to the form and style of Corelli. In fact,

Vivaldi’s opus one, a set of trio sonatas published around 1703–1705, closes with a set of

variations on the sarabande-like follía theme, an homage perhaps to Corelli’s opus five.21

Nonetheless, over the course of his career, Vivaldi wrote approximately 500 concertos, scored for

a large variety of instruments and ensemble combinations, including solo concertos, double

concertos, chamber concertos for three to six soloists with continuo, concertos for two string

orchestras and one or more soloists, and ensemble concertos for more than two soloists.22 The

bulk of his concertos were scored for one violin soloist and string orchestra, but he also wrote

solo concertos for wind instruments such as flute or oboe, and for violoncello and even viola

d’amore soloists. Although he died a pauper and his music lay forgotten for many years, the

esteem in which Vivaldi’s violin concertos were held during his career is attested to by the fact

that J.S. Bach studied and transcribed a number of them for keyboard.23

Vivaldi’s concertos established dramatic conflict in instrumental works, anticipating in a

sense the narrative sonata-allegro form. His programmatic concertos in particular, such as his

most famous works, “The Four Seasons” bring the drama of miniature operas to purely

instrumental music. These and three other program pieces were published in 1725 in hi s eighth

opus. The “Winter” concerto in f minor, the fourth of the collection, is scored for solo violin and

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20 Talbot, Vivaldi, 42–43.

21 Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice, translated by David Marinelli (Portland, OR: AmadeusPress, 1997), 46.

22 Buelow, 469.

23 Talbot, Vivaldi, 3.



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four-part orchestra with basso continuo. It will serve here as the main example for Vivaldi’s

concerto style.

Vivaldi generally followed the three movement fast-slow-fast plan for his violin

concertos that had been introduced in Venice by composer Tomaso Albinoni by 1700, though he

occasionally included introductory or transitional movements.24 Vivaldi thus helped solidify the

standard number and affect of movements, which would continue into the Classical concerto

form. He also may have been the first composer to use ritornello form extensively in his fast

concerto movements.25 Ritornello alternation was already common in the “A” sections of da

capo form arias from dramatic vocal works, and Vivaldi applied this form to the concerto with

unequivocal success. Many of his slow concerto movements also use a stripped-down ritornello

form, with perhaps only two ritornello sections framing a single episode. Table 2 below outlines

the ritornello form of the first movement of Vivaldi’s “Winter” concerto from his opus eight.

Three main motivic ideas (labelled “shivering,” “running about,” and “stamping” to reflect the

program sonnet and parallel descriptive markings in the score) constitute material that is used in

the tutti refrain and developed in the mostly solo-dominated episodes. The major key areas of the

movement are the tonic f minor, and minor dominant c minor, with brief explorations of Bb

minor and Ab Major. The key areas of each section of the movement are generally established in

the ritornellos, with sequences moving by falling fifth a major mechanism for moving between

related and more distant harmonies.

To an even greater degree that that of Corelli, Vivaldi’s instrumental writing style of

applying expressive figurations to harmonic musical phrases established an orchestra timbral

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24 Buelow, 470.

25 Talbot, “Vivaldi, Antonio,” 821.



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palette that anticipated the basic sound form of the symphony. Examples of such figurations are

given as figures G through I below. In the given three measures of the “Storm at Sea,” concerto

(op. 8 no. 5) he animates a cadential 6-4 chord through a suspension to a perfect authentic

cadence at the beginning of measure 15. The feeling of waves at sea is clearly evoked. In excerpt

H from the first movement of “Winter,” a falling-fifth harmonic sequence is colorfully animated

from F minor, to Bb minor, Eb, Ab, Db, and G half-diminished, to return to F minor in the

subsequent measure. In example I from the last movement of “Winter,” a dramatically angular

solo violin figure moves in stepwise sequence over an actively animated G pedal point. These are

not singable melodies in any sense, but pure illustration of experiences through sound and

rhythm textures.

The influence of Vivaldi’s instrumental style was so strong that even established

composers in mid-career such as Dall’Abaco and Albinoni were obliged to modify their style to

accomodate his.26 The solo concerto was, at the time of Vivaldi’s early to middle career, a new

performance genre whose development can be attributed largely to him. His use in the allegro

movements of soloist against orchestra interplay with developmental episodes and purposeful

modulations following the form normalized ritornello as an orchestral movement form and

foreshadowed later eighteenth century practices such as sonata form.27

In conclusion, Arcangelo Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi each made major respective

contributions to instrumental writing, the establishment of the string-centered orchestra,

distinctly instrumental genres, and the concerto grosso and solo concerto forms. Corelli elevated

writing for the violin family and helped pave the way for the solo concerto. His Roman-style

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26 Talbot, “Vivaldi, Antonio,” 823.

27 Heller, 274.



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concerto grosso works became immensely popular and looked to as a model of orchestra writing

throughout Italy and Western Europe in the eighteenth century. He also helped establish

functional tonal harmony, which would be linked to form by the work of later composers,

including Vivaldi. Vivaldi’s concertos would become the paradigms of a new form of solo

concerto, establishing the fast-slow-fast movement format and instrumental ritornello form for

the outer movements. His dramatic use of solo violin and other instruments, and his innovation

of program concertos, helped pave the way for the more narrative and developmental

instrumental forms that later became the Classical sonata and concerto allegro forms.

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Table 1 – Corelli Op. 6 Concerto VIII Movement styles and forms

I. Vivace, Grave

Section Measures Musical Features

Vivace 1–6 G minor. Tutti short, fast, dramatic introduction ending inhalf cadence on V.

Grave 7–10 G minor fugal movement. Short subject enters in

violoncello, then viola & concertino violin I, then violin II,

then violin I.

11–17 Loose fugue with stretto imitative texture.

18–19 Perfect authentic cadence in G (picardy third).

II. Allegro


A 1–22 G minor key. Serious, allemande-style rhythm in

interlocking violin melody, running eighths in violoncello.

Leap-frog suspension sequences. H.C. continuous binary

ending.

B 23–31 Contrasting sequential melody with dotted rhythm.

Harmony moves by descending fifths: D-g-C-F-Bb-e-A-d-

G-c-F-Bb.

32–40 Suspension sequence and terraced dynamic echo.

41–42 Key-affirming movement to perfect authentic cadence in g

minor.

overall 1–42 G minor key allemande-style continuous binary

movement. Ripieno doubles the concertino in tutti

sections. Viola adds harmonic support and some doubling.

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Table 1 (continued)

III. Adagio, Allegro, Adagio


Adagio 1–8 Eb Major key. Slow, lyric concertino violins duet witharpeggiated triad figures. Violin lines cross, interweave.

Violoncello takes over 16th note figures in 3–4 and 6–8.

Ripieno provides harmonic support in 1–4, part doubling

in measures 5–8. Half cadence leads into next section.

Allegro 9–21 Active figurational homophony in Eb Major, with circle of

fifth sequences building a sense of excitement. Half-

cadence ending on Bb.

Adagio 22–29 Return of material from measures 1–8.

30–31 Closing tag with “waterfall” arpeggios on Eb over walking

bass line, parallel thirds over Ab pedal point, preparing for

strong closing V-I cadence on Eb.

IV. Vivace


A 1–8 G minor key. Elegant, sarabande-style triple meter

repeated A section. 2-2-4 sentence structured phrase with

ripieno doubling of the 4-bar motion to half cadence. H.C.

continuous binary ending.

B 9–16 Circle of fifth harmonic sequence with melody based on

motives from A section, ending on half cadence with no

third (D5).

17–24 Consequent phrase with similar harmonic and melodic

shape to 9–16, ending with a weakened perfect authentic

cadence on i.

25–28 Key-affirming movement to perfect authentic cadence in gminor. Hemiola rhythm at 26–27.

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Table 1 (continued)

V. Allegro


A 1–24a G minor key. Fast gavotte binary movement repeated Asection. Ripieno doubling to reinforce phrase structure.

First violin bariolage on fingered notes at 8–9 and 12–15.

H.C. continuous binary ending.

B 24b–35 Slurred figure contrast phrase begins B section. Melodic

sequence. Walking bass line at 31–35.

36–46a Sequential material with solo violin neighbor tone eighth

note figures against orchestral accompaniment.

46b–54a Fugal treatment of the main gavotte subject.

54b–64a Hocket-like offset drone figures in violins against walking

bass.

64b–68 Reinforcement of key center of g minor ending in perfect

authentic V-i cadence. (Or cadence in G Major, if second

ending attached to following movement is taken.)

VI. Largo Pastorale ad libitum – optional Pastoral


A 1–82 G Major key. Moderate gigue-like binary movement A

section. Compound metered folk-like melody with held

pedal point “drone” accompaniment texture. Suggestion is

a pastoral bagpipe serenade. Melody trades between parts

including the violoncello.

83–85 Solos passage. Expressive dissonant series of suspensions

evocative of sadness.

86–93 Broken figure parallel sequence of first inversion triadslinked by suspensions at 89–90. Closing of A section with

dramatic pauses at 92.

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B 94–102 Contrasting middle section with sequential material in

distantly related keys (B, E, F#). Hocket-like drone in

violins against walking bass at 99b–100. End cadence on b

minor.

A’ 103–124 Return of material from the A section, rounding out the

binary form. Dissonant solo passage from 83–85 is

replaced by thematic material against a high D drone in the

first violins. Repeat of the basic gigue melody in a lower

register and V-I-V-I tag close the piece.

Table 2 – Vivaldi Op. 8 Concerto no. 4 in F minor, “Winter” formal analysis

I. Allegro non molto


ritornello 1 1–11 Tutti scoring. F minor key moving to strong cadence in c

minor at 12. “Shivering cold” motive corresponds to the

program sonnet.

episode 1 12–18 Solo plays virtuosic arpeggiated figuration of c minor triad

with orchestra accompaniment. “Running to keep warm”

motive.

ritornello 2 19–26 Tutti in f minor after weak imperfect cadence at 20.

“Shivering” motive gives way to “stamping feet” motive at

22b. Harmonic sequence through diatonic circle of fifths

starts at 23: f-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-g°-C7-f.

episode 2 26b–38 Scored for solo with orchestra accompaniment, active

figuration of neighbor tones and runs a sequence over Bb

minor and Ab and returns key to f minor. The “shivering”

motive becomes a cruel wind at 33b for another sequence

through Bb Major and c minor.

ritornello 3 39–43 Tutti scoring, “shivering” motive. Harmonic ambiguity

resolves into short sequences Bb7-Eb-Ab and F7-Bb-Eb.

episode 3 44–46 Solo dominates orchestra with more lyric version of the

“running about” motive in rising 2nd sequence: Eb-Ab-F-

Bb-G7.

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ritornello 4 47–63 Tutti. “Shivering” motive explores large harmonic

sequence. Closing section brings together all the motives,

“running” and “stamping” in a sort of recapitulation of the

movement.

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Fig. A – Walking bass from Corelli Op. 6, Concerto VIII, II. Allegro

Fig B. – Corelli Op. 6, Concerto VIII, V. Allegro

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Fig. C – Corelli Op. 6, Concerto VIII, IV. Vivace

Fig. D – Corelli Op. 6, Concerto VIII, Mvmt. III Allegro section

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Fig. E – Corelli Op. 6, Concerto VIII, Mvmt. III Adagio section beginning

Fig. F – Corelli Op. 6, Concerto VIII, Mvmt. III Adagio section cello divisions

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Fig. G – Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major, La Tempesti di Mare (“The Storm at Sea”)

Fig. H – Concerto No. 4 in F minor, L’Inverno (“Winter”), I. Allegro non molto

Fig. I – Concerto No. 4 in F minor, L’Inverno (“Winter”), III. Allegro

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Annotated Bibliography

Books

Allsop, Peter. Arcangelo Corelli: New Orpheus of Our Times. New York: Oxford University

Press, 1999. Chapter 9 analyzes the concertos of opus 6. with historic commentary,analysis of some of the form, and comparison and contrast to Corelli’s sonatas.

Blume, Friedrich. Renaissance and Baroque Music. Trans. M. D. Herter Norton. London: Faber

and Faber, 1968. Discusses concerted style generally and concerto form specifically as

the culmination of Baroque instrumental form (pp. 137, 148). Mentions Corelli and

Vivaldi specifically for their contributions.

Buelow, George J. A History of Baroque Music. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press,

2004. Ch. 4 discusses development of new instrumental forms in Italy in mid-17th

century. Ch. 5 has major section on Corelli’s compositions, brief bio, and musicalcontributions. Includes musical examples from op. 6 concerti grossi. Ch. 14 has major

sections on the concerto and Vivaldi.

Bukofzer, Manfred F. Music in the Baroque Era. New York: Norton, 1947. Section on concerto

grosso and solo concerto at pp. 222–232. Discusses Corelli, Torelli, and Vivaldi as three

central figures of the Baroque concerto.

Burkholder, J. Peter, Donald Jay Grout, and Claudia V. Palisca. A History of Western Music. 8th

ed. New York: Norton, 2010. Gives background on Corelli (392) and Vivaldi (421), and

discusses development of concerto form out of opera (397, 421ff).

Heller, Karl. Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice. Translated by David Marinelli. Portland,

OR: Amadeus Press, 1997. Has a well-organized list of works (pp. 327–42). Very

chronological. Discusses concertos pp. 164–201.

Kolneder, Walter. Antonio Vivaldi: His Life and Work . Translated by Bill Hopkins. Berkeley:

University of California Press, 1970. Huge section on his concertos. Quotes Quantz

extensively.

Martin, Arlan Stone. Vivaldi Violin Concertos; A Handbook . Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press,

1972. Cross-reference of all of Vivaldi’s violin concertos, indexed by Rinaldi catalog,

Pincherle number, and Fanna number. Predates RV numbers (introduced by Peter Ryom

in 1973), but an interesting way to browse the violin concertos and spot those few that

may deviate from the three-movement fast/slow/fast plan.

Maunder, C. R. F. The Scoring of Baroque Concertos. Woodbridge, Suffolk, UK: Boydell Press,

2004. Scholarly argument that the traditional view of Baroque concertos as orchestral

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works is mistaken, and that they were rather regarded as chamber works with typically

one player per part.

Palisca, Claude V. Baroque Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1968. Discussion of

Corelli’s output begins on p. 141. List of those who were influenced by his sonatas on p.

144. Section on concerto at pp. 145–157 includes discussion of the development ofconcerto form and musical examples from Corelli, Torelli, Vivaldi, and J.S. Bach.

Pincherle, Marc. Corelli: His Life, His Work . Trans. Hubert E. M. Russell. New York: Norton,

1956. Section on opus 6 and Corelli’s contributions to the concerto grosso form begins on

p. 120. Chart on 126 lists number of movements and scheme for the 12 concerti grossi.

Next chapter discusses his musical influences and legacy.

———. Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque. Trans. Christopher Hatch. New York: Norton, 1957.

Great bio and influence sections. Section on concerto pp. 141–166 is detailed and

technical.

Talbot, Michael. Vivaldi. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. Includes bibliography

(pp. 212–220) and list of works (pp. 180–202). Section discussing concertos starts on p.

106.

Encyclopedia and Dictionary Articles

Hutchings, Arthur, Michael Talbot, Cliff Eisen, et al. “Concerto.” New Grove Dictionary of

Music and Musicians. 2nd ed. Edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, 6:240–260.

London: Macmillan, 2001. Overview, history of the form. Discusses Corelli as earlyRoman concerto composer (242), and Vivaldi’s major contribution to the form (243).

Rice, Timothy, James Porter, and Chris Goertzen, eds. The Garland Encyclopedia of World

Music. Vol. 8. New York: Garland Publishing, 2000. Includes a section (pp. 76–79)

discussing European music practices from the 16th through 18th century, specifically

mentioning Corelli and Vivaldi in connection with the rise of the orchestra and concerto

form.

Slonimsky, Nicolas, Laura Kuhn, and Dennis McIntire. “Corelli, Arcangelo.” Baker’s

Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 8th ed. New York: Schirmer, 2001. Relatively

brief bio sketch. Broadly-stated contributions to instrumental writing, including sonatas

and concerti grossi that became models.

———. “Vivaldi, Antonio (Lucio).” Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. 8th ed.

6:3795–6. New York: Schirmer, 2001. Mostly short biographical sketch.

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Talbot, Michael. “Corelli, Archangelo.” New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 2nd ed.

Edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, 6:457–463. London: Macmillan, 2001. Detailed

biography, discussion of op. 6 concertos on last page relates them to his sonatas. Notes

that the ripieno serves mainly to double or reinforce the concertino, giving an

orchestrated terraced dynamic effect, but the viola part becomes an issue if the ripieno is

omitted (461).

———. “Vivaldi, Antonio (Lucio).” New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed.

Edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell, 26:817ff. London: Macmillan, 2001. Extensive

bio and list of works. Credits him as first composer to regularly employ ritornello form in

fast movements. Notes that some concertos are scored for ripieno alone, and some for

concertino alone. Briefly discusses orchestration techniques.

Music Scores

Corelli, Arcangelo. Xii Concerti per 2 Flauti e Basso. Münster: Mieroprint, 1990. Reproducededition of transposition of the 12 concerti grossi of opus 6 for flutes and string orchestra.

Unfortunately, the parts are in separate books.

———, Hans Oesch, Max Lütolf, Jürg Stenzl, Cristina Urchueguía, Rudolf Bossard, and Hans

Joachim Marx. Historisch-kritische Gesamtausgabe der musikalischen Werke. Laaber:

Laaber-Verlag, 1976. Book 4 includes opus 6 concerti grossi.

———. Sonate a Violino e Violone o Cimbalo, Opera Quinta. Firenze: Studio per Edizioni

Scelte, 1979. Musical score. Reproduction of the first Roman edition, with the first six

sonatas of the 1710 Amsterdam edition in an appendix. May bear to compare with opussix concerti grossi in terms of form, scoring, and instrumental writing.

Vivaldi, Antonio, and Eleanor Selfridge-Field. “The Four Seasons” and Other Violin Concertos:

In Full Score, Opus 8, Complete. New York: Dover, 1995.

Vivaldi, Antonio. Spring from the Four Seasons. From Christine Forney and Roger Hickman.

The Norton Scores: A Study Anthology, Vol. 1. New York: Norton, 2011. Vivaldi’s most

famous work.

———, Tadeusz Ochlewski, Maria Dziewulska, and Ewa Gabry!. Concerto in a Minor for Two

Violins, String Ensemble and Harpsichord : L'estro Armonico Op. 3, No. 8. Kraków:

Polskie Wydawn. Muzyczne, 1975. Musical score. Example Vivaldi concerto scored for

two violins and ripieno.

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Recordings

Corelli, Arcangelo. Corelli: Sonate a violino e violone o cimbalo op. V . Chirara Banchini, Jesper

Christensen, and Luciano Contini. Harmonia Mundi HMA 1951307, 2000. Compact disc.

Liner notes quote several primary sources from the 18th century and discuss the

invention of sonata and concerto forms.

———. Concerti Grossi Op. 6, 7–12. Nicholas McGegan and Philharmonic Baroque Orchestra.

Harmonia Mundi HMU 907015, 1990. Compact disc. These are Corelli’s published

concerti grossi. Liner notes include details on origins of the opus and quotes from

contemporaries discussing early performances.

Vivaldi, Antonio. Concerto for Mandolin, String Orchestra, and Harpsichord in C Major, RV

425. From The World’s Greatest Composers: Vivaldi. Musici di San Marco. Madacy

Entertainment #53755, 2008. Compact disc set. Example of a Vivaldi concerto scored for

mandolin and strings. Three movement fast/slow/fast.

———. Concerto in C Major for Two Oboes, Two clarinets and Strings, RV560. From Wind

Concertos. Paul Goodwin and Robert King. London: Hyperion, 1990. Compact disc.

———. Concerto in F Major for Two Oboes, Bassoon, Two Horns, Violin & Strings, RV 571.

From The World’s Greatest Composers: Vivaldi. Alberto Lizzio, conductor. Madacy

Entertainment #53755, 2008. Compact disc set. Example of a Vivaldi concerto grosso

scored for wind and horn concertino.

———. L'estro Armonico, No. 8 in A minor, Op. 3, RV 522. From The World’s GreatestComposers: Vivaldi. Albert Bucher and Bamberg String Orchestra. Madacy

Entertainment #53755, 2008. Compact disc set. Example of a Vivaldi concerto scored for

double violin concertino.

———. Spring from The Four Seasons. From The Norton Recordings: Gregorian Chant to

Beethoven. Christine Forney and Joseph Machlis. New York: Norton, 2003. Compact disc

set. This program concerto is Vivaldi’s most famous work.

———. Concerto R.V. 187 in C Major and R.V. 209 in D Major. From Bach & Vivaldi: Violin

Concertos. Zukerman, Pinchas and English Chamber Orchestra. 74321 68002 2 BMG,

2001. Compact disc. Liner note gives short composer bio and background on the specific

pieces.

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Articles

Crawford, Ardella. “Baroque Concertos.” American Record Guide 63, no. 6 (November 2000):

258. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Accessed November 30, 2012. Mentions

“Corelli’s famous Christmas concerto” on a re-released 1960’s recording.

Crutchfield, Will. “Oratorio: ‘San Giovanni Battista.’” The New York Times, Feb. 18, 1986.

Accessed Mar. 1, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/18/arts/oratorio-san-giovanni-

battista.html. Discusses scoring and form of Stradella’s 1675 oratorio that uses Roman

concerto grosso orchestration.

Harris, Simon. “Lully, Corelli, Muffat and the Eighteenth-Century Orchestral String Body.”

Music & Letters 54, no. 2 (Spr. 1973): 197–202.

Libby, Dennis. “Interrelationships in Corelli.” Journal of the American Musicological Society 26,

no. 2 (Sum. 1973): 263–287.

Markow, Robert. “Work in Progress.” Strad 118, no. 1408 (August 2007): 40–44. Academic

Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Accessed Nov. 29, 2012. Mostly unrelated, but talks about

the constituents of the concertino in concerto grossi in the Baroque, and mentions that

Vivaldi didn’t write for string quartet plus orchestra, though he did write for four violins

and for a pair of violins and two celli. (Of course, the string quartet form wasn’t even

invented until the time of Haydn.)

Maunder, Richard. “Correspondence.” Music & Letters. 87, no. 3 (2006), 507-508. Letter to the

editor about Michael Talbot book on Baroque concerto scoring.

Preussner, Eberhard. Die musikalischen Reisen des Herrn von Uffenbach. Kassel: Bärenreiter-

Verlag, 1949, 67, 71. Trans. Piero Weiss. Quoted in Piero Weiss & Richard Taruskin. “A

Traveler’s impressions of Vivaldi.” Music in the Western World: A History in Documents,

2nd ed, 199–200. Belmont, CA: Schirmer, 2008. First-hand account of Vivaldi’s work as

an opera impresario, performer, composer, and teacher.

Williams, Peter. “Band practice.” Musical Times 145, no. 1889 (Winter 2004): 85–9. Academic

Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Accessed November 30, 2012. Review of three books

talking about the evolution of the orchestra, including questions of scoring in Corelli and

Vivaldi concerti grossi.

Internet Websites

Estrella, Steven G. “Corelli, Arcangelo.” Dr. Estrella’s Incredibly Abridged Dictionary of

Composers. Accessed Oct. 27, 2012. http://www.stevenestrella.com/composers/

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index.html?composerfiles/corelli1713.html. Terse bio, bibliography with five print and

two online entries.

Laux, Charles. “Antonio Vivaldi: An Annotated Bibliography.” Accessed Oct. 27, 2012. http://

www.charleslaux.com/?page_id=211. Significant annotated research bibliography

organized by resource type (biography, dissertation, encyclopedia, recordings, scores,etc.).

Sartorius, Michael. “Vivaldi: ‘Four Seasons’ Sonnets texts in Italian & English.” Accessed Feb.

16, 2013. http://www.baroquemusic.org/vivaldiseasons.html.

“Vitali, Giovanni Battista.” IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library. Accessed Mar. 2, 2013. http://

imslp.org/wiki/Category:Vitali,_Giovanni_Battista. 17th C. Bolognese composer, likely

influence of Corelli, scores for comparison.

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http://kaltwassermusic.com/