L'estro Armonico

L' Estro Armonico ( ' Harmonic inspiration ") is the title of a cycle of twelve concertos for violins and string orchestra, the Antonio Vivaldi published in 1711, after previously only sonatas in pressure were available from him. The work ( Opus 3) was reprinted after a short time in London ( by John Walsh) and Paris (Le Cadet Clerce ).

The score is consistently listed in eight parts, for four violins, two violas, cello and continuo. After a rigorous scheme, the first concert sets all four violins solo one, the second two, the third, only the first violin - this sequence is then repeated in the other concerts. In addition ( only in single sentences sometimes) occurs in some concerts, a solo cello. The keys of the concerts alternate between major and minor, by interchanging the last two concerts but the cycle ends in a major key.

Nevertheless, the cycle does not completely defined; he apparently also contains some older works in which Vivaldi had his full sequence, the structure of alternating ritornello and modulating solo passage and its instrumental treatment is not yet standardized. Thus, the compositions seem unusually diverse, and have in many places the freshness of the " first time ".

Technically sentence is the compositions over long distances are based on a purely three-part obligate set; typical is that always use in the concertos for four violins solos only two violins and bass simultaneously.

Influence

Vivaldi and especially this concert series has had a huge impact on the European composers, which is sometimes referred to as Vivaldi fever. This influence continued already before the availability of the printed output, since the concerts were also handed in copies. The theoretical writings of Mattheson and Quantz get their advice for a concert the system obviously from the Estro Armonico example of.

In Johann Sebastian Bach's early concerts, the influence of Vivaldi Estro Armonico and is also unmistakable. First, he worked single concerts for organ or harpsichord ( so he made ​​it were a piano score to ), where he added the middle voices and the bass lines einfügte busy and imitating voices. He then wrote a whole series of concerts for different occupied instrumental groups (such as the Brandenburg Concertos ), in which Vivaldi's influence is obvious; Decades later, he published in Leipzig his Italian Concerto.

Bach edits apparently without exception go on copies, not on the prints, back; it could be about 1713 came by his friend Johann Dresdner Pisendel with Vivaldi's music in touch.

Overview of the concerts

Concerto 1 in D major

  • Allegro
  • Largo e spiccato
  • Allegro

Solo: 4 violins; violoncello

The cello has only the first sentence is a real solo, where it takes over the function of the Ritornellthemas. The work is expected to be one of the oldest of the cycle.

Concerto 2 in G minor

  • Adagio e spiccato
  • Allegro
  • Larghetto
  • Allegro

Solo: 2 violins, cello

Concerto 3 in G major

  • Allegro
  • Largo
  • Allegro

Solo: Violin

Bach edited this Concerto in F major for solo harpsichord ( BWV 978).

Concerto 4 in e minor

  • Andante
  • Allegro assai
  • Adagio
  • Allegro

Solo: 4 Violins

Concerto 5 in A major

  • Allegro
  • Largo
  • Allegro

Solo: 2 violins

6 Concerto in A minor

  • Allegro
  • Largo
  • Presto

Solo: Violin

7 Concerto in F major

  • Andante
  • Adagio
  • Allegro - Adagio
  • Allegro

Solo: 4 violins, cello

The concert seems to have been conceived at the beginning only for two violins. Bach edited this concert for harpsichord solo ( BWV 972) and transpose it at that to D major.

Concert 8 in A minor

  • Allegro
  • Larghetto e spirituoso
  • Allegro

Solo: 2 violins

Bach worked on this concerto for organ solo ( BWV 593).

9 Concerto in D major

  • Allegro
  • Larghetto
  • Allegro

Solo: Violin

10 Concerto in B minor

  • Allegro
  • Largo e spiccato
  • Allegro

Solo: 4 Violins

Most impressive is perhaps the slow movement, in which the four violins simultaneously use four different types of arpeggio and thus give the chord study an unusual, strange shimmering sound.

Bach reworked this concert to a concert for four harpsichords and orchestra in A minor.

11 Concerto in D minor

  • Allegro - Adagio e spiccato - Allegro
  • Largo e spiccato
  • Allegro

Solo: 2 violins, cello.

This concert is certainly the most popular of the cycle. The first movement opens with the two solo violins that accompany each other with the empty d-string; it follows a virtuoso cello solo, which is answered by the whole orchestra with massive chords ( Adagio e spiccato ); then followed by a four -part fugue with extended solos. The second movement, Siciliano is an accompanied solo first violin; the concert finale then resumes the full trio in the solo passages.

The work stream has certainly impressed - he edited it a solo organ piece ( BWV 596) that issued his son Wilhelm Friedemann later than own composition. A first reflex might be the voices use the cantata 21 I had a lot of grief represent that receives the Ritornellthema of the last sentence.

Alfred Cortot (1877-1962) edited the organ version of Bach later for solo piano.

12 Concerto in E major

  • Allegro
  • Largo e spiccato
  • Allegro

Solo: Violin

Bach edited this Concerto in C major for solo harpsichord ( BWV 976 ).

Johann Georg Pisendel Wilhelm Friedemann Bach
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