Set Works
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FOUR SEASONS SPRING- MOVEMENTS ONE AND TWO
Background- Vivaldi worked in a girls orphanage as a Director of music and he wrote over 400 concerti grossi and solo concertos. The four seasons are four concertos for solo violin with string orchestra and continuo (harpsichord and cello). Vivaldi had a poem for each concerto. This is programme music- where the music describes a poem, scene or play. 1ST MOVEMENT Composer- Antonio Vivaldi Composed in 1725 Origin- Italy Background- The first concerto is called Spring- It has three movements and the sonnet is spread between the three movements. Tempo- Allegro- Fast Form- Ritornello- A ritornello is a theme that returns several times. It is played by the ripieno(strings and continuo). It is contrasted by the music for the soloist. This can be new music or music based on the ritornello theme. Key- E major Time- 4/4 Texture- Homophonic (tune and accompaniment) and polyphonic( two or more tunes combined) Instrumentation- Solo violin , strings and continuo. Features- Imitation- solo violins imitate each other. Triplets- three notes played in the time of two. Ornamentation- trills- two notes repeated in rapid succession- to decorate the melody. Use of semiquavers- the composer uses lots of semiquavers. Syncopation-were the emphasis is placed on the weak or half beat. 2nd MOVEMENT Key- C#minor(relative minor key) Tonality- minor Time- 3/4 Tempo- Largo e pianissimo sempre- Broadly and always very soft. Form- A A’ Texture- Homophonic- tune and accompaniment. Instruments- solo violin, two violins and viola. Features- Long flowing melody on the solo violin, ornamented by trills, Quiet dotted semiquaver figure in the accompaniment, Coda- a tail passage used to end the movement. |
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