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RitornelloBaroque Concertos and Beyond
The Form
• A main body of material, called (confusingly) the ritornello.
• The ritornello alternates with transitional passages, usually for solo instruments or a small group of instruments.
• The movement ends with a repeat of the ritornello, whole or in part.
Ritornelli
• The returns of the ritornello are typically modified.
• They may be fragmented.
• They may be in a different key, or mode.
Ritornello in Concertos
• In a concerto (i.e., for soloists with orchestra), the “ritornello” is played by the tutti or the ripieno—which means the full orchestra.
• Sometimes terms like tutti are used as near-synonyms with ritornello.
Solo Passages
• Solo passages occur between statements of the ritornello.
• Typically they’re lighter, not particularly thematic.
• Also typically they feature display passages for soloists.
The Form as a Whole
Ritornellocomplete Solo Rit. Solo Rit. Ritornello
complete
Any # ofSolos and Rits.
Original Key Original KeyVarious keys
Where to Find It
• Concertos
• First and last movements
• Solo concerti
• Concerti grossi (Concertos for groups of instruments)
• Overtures
• Solo instrumental works
• Even arias sometimes
Antonio VivaldiViolin Concerto in G Major Op. 4, No. 12 “La Stravaganza”
First Movement: Ritornello Form
The Ritornello
• The ritornello consists of three phrases
a b c
The Ritornello
• The ritornello may be highly varied.
a b c c
b c
Solo 1 Solo 2
Solo 3 Solo 4
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in G, I
Antonio VivaldiViolin Concerto in G, Third Movement
The Brandenburg Concertos
• Written during Bach’s years at Cöthen (1717-1723).
• Dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg, who apparently never heard them.
The Brandenburg Concertos
• Six concertos
• Each is a unique approach to the writing of a concerto grosso, or concerto for small group of instruments and orchestra.
• Each has a different instrumentation.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
• Bach apparently wrote this for himself as one of the soloists:
• Flute
• Violin
• Harpsichord
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
• Just prior to the final ritornello, there is a gigantic written-out (not improvised) cadenza (solo passage) for the harpsichord.
• It remains one of the great virtuoso keyboard passages in all music.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
• Although technically it is a ritornello like the Vivaldi Concerto in G, it is gigantic and heroic in scale.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
• 10 minutes in this (rather fast) recording:
• Nine ritornelli
• Nine solos, including a long “Central Solo” which acts as an interlude of sorts
• One super spiffy cadenza
Wow.
R11 2 3
I
R21
V
R32
V
R42
vi
R52
I
R61
V
R71 2
I
R82
I
R91 2 3
I
Central Solo
iii
Cadenza
V - I
1 9 19 20 29 31 40 42 59 61
71
101 102 121 125 137 138 154
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