Antonio Vivaldi – La Stravaganza, Op. 4 Nos. 1 to 12.

Written by KeithieW

Whenever we think about Vivaldi we always seem to end up back with The Four Seasons. We’re on hold on the phone….The Four Seasons. Lift music….The Four Seasons, In the doctor’s surgery….The Four Seasons. Those concertos are everywhere. 

But Vivaldi wrote a lot more than just those four pieces of music.

He wrote HUNDREDS of concertos for various instruments and combinations of instruments. He claimed to have composed 94 operas, but fewer than 50 titles have been identified, of which the scores of only 20 or so survive, wholly or in part. Moreover, the practice of reviving works under a different title has confused musicologists. He also wrote loads of sacred music including the wonderful Gloria.

One of the best sets of concertos to my ears is the Op. 4 set of 12 known as La Stravaganza (The Eccentricity), written between 1712 and 1713. The set was first published in 1716 in Amsterdam and was dedicated to Venetian nobleman Vettor Delfino, who had been a violin student of Vivaldi’s. All of the concertos are scored for solo violin, strings, and basso continuo although some movements require extra soloists such as a second violin and/or cello solo.

The works are laid out in the following movements:

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 1 in B-flat major, RV 383a:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo e cantabile
  3. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 2 in E minor, RV 279:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 3 in G major, RV 301:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro assai

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 4 in A minor, RV 357:

  1. Allegro
  2. Grave e sempre piano
  3. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 5 in A major, RV 347:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro (moderato)

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 6 in G minor, RV 316a:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 7 in C major, RV 185:

  1. Largo
  2. Allegro (molto)
  3. Largo
  4. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 8 in D minor, RV 249:

  1. Allegro – Adagio – Presto – Adagio
  2. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 9 in F major, RV 284:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 10 in C minor, RV 196:

  1. Spiritoso
  2. Adagio
  3. Allegro

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 11 in D major, RV 204:

  1. Allegro
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro assai

La Stravaganza, Op.4, Concerto No. 12 in G major, RV 298:

  1. Spiritoso e non presto
  2. Largo
  3. Allegro

One of my favourite recordings of these concerti is the double CD release on the Naxos label. The soloist is Andrew Watkinson with The City of London Sinfonia conducted by Nicholas Kraemer. I can’t find an on-line recording of this set but a good reading is to be found here. 

Tracklist: 

00:00:00 Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, RV 383a: I. Allegro 

00:02:56 Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, RV 383a: II. Largo e cantabile 

00:06:00 Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, RV 383a: III. Allegro 

00:08:07 Violin Concerto No. 11 in D Major, RV 204: I. Allegro 

00:11:01 Violin Concerto No. 11 in D Major, RV 204: II. Largo 

00:12:37 Violin Concerto No. 11 in D Major, RV 204: III. Allegro assai 

00:14:28 Violin Concerto No. 9 in F Major, RV 284: I. Allegro 

00:17:05 Violin Concerto No. 9 in F Major, RV 284: II. Largo 

00:19:11 Violin Concerto No. 9 in F Major, RV 284: III. Allegro 

00:21:22 Violin Concerto No. 4 in A Minor, RV 357: I. Allegro 

00:24:14 Violin Concerto No. 4 in A Minor, RV 357: II. Grave e sempre piano 

00:26:30 Violin Concerto No. 4 in A Minor, RV 357: III. Allegro 

00:29:09 Violin Concerto No. 7 in C Major, RV 185: I. Largo 

00:31:24 Violin Concerto No. 7 in C Major, RV 185: II. Allegro 

00:33:22 Violin Concerto No. 7 in C Major, RV 185: III. Largo 

00:35:00 Violin Concerto No. 7 in C Major, RV 185: IV. Allegro 

00:37:00 Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, RV 279: I. Allegro 

00:41:08 Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, RV 279: II. Largo 

00:43:20 Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, RV 279: III. Allegro

00:46:22 Violin Concerto No. 12 in G Major, RV 298: I. Spiritoso e non presto 

00:48:51 Violin Concerto No. 12 in G Major, RV 298: II. Largo 

00:52:06 Violin Concerto No. 12 in G Major, RV 298: III. Allegro 

00:55:32 Violin Concerto No. 8 in D Minor, RV 249: I. Allegro 

00:58:06 Violin Concerto No. 8 in D Minor, RV 249: II. Adagio – Presto – Adagio 

00:59:29 Violin Concerto No. 8 in D Minor, RV 249: III. Allegro 

01:02:52 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, RV 347: I. Allegro 

01:06:16 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, RV 347: II. Largo 

01:08:24 Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, RV 347: III. Allegro 

01:11:36 Violin Concerto No. 10 in C Minor, RV 196: I. Spiritoso 

01:14:26 Violin Concerto No. 10 in C Minor, RV 196: II. Adagio 

01:16:34  Violin Concerto No. 10 in C Minor, RV 196: III. Allegro 

01:19:26  Violin Concerto No. 6 in G Minor, RV 316a: I. Allegro 

01:21:55  Violin Concerto No. 6 in G Minor, RV 316a: II. Largo 

01:24:47  Violin Concerto No. 6 in G Minor, RV 316a: III. Allegro 

01:28:21  Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, RV 301: I. Allegro 

01:31:06  Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, RV 301: II. Largo 

01:33:37  Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, RV 301: III. Allegro

It is a truly fabulous way to spend an hour and a half relaxing.

Enjoy!

Keith.

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