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Vivaldi - L'Estate (Summer) - I Allegro
José Rodríguez Alvira
The first movement, an Allegro, uses the ritornello form. In this form the main musical idea - the ritornello - is presented with variations by the full orchestra (tutti or ripieno), alternating with soloists sections (concertino).
Follows the structure of this movement (click on the sections to examine them):
Section
Measures
Key
Text
1 - 30
G minor
Under a hard season, fired up by the sun Languishes man, languishes the flock and burns the pine
Vivaldi uses relatively long values and numerous rests to describe how humans and animals languish because of the summer heat.
The motive marked m1 is developed by contrary motion in the m2. It expands into the m3 and m4 motives that serve as the basis for this passage.
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
31 - 51
G minor
We hear the cuckoo's voice;
The time signature changes to common time.
The cello and continuo imitate the cuckoo's singing as they accompany the soloist.
The section ends in a tutti.
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
52 - 58
G minor
Back to 3/8 time signature. Ritornello of only seven measures using the motives m1 and m2.
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
59 - 89
G minor, D minor
then sweet songs of the turtledove and finch are heard. Soft breezes stir the air, but threatening
Vivaldi imitates the song of the turtledove using minor sixths (Eb) and ninths (Lab) over the tonic chord.
With trills and 32nd notes, he imitates the finch.
From measure 71 on, it describes a soft wind using semiquaver triplets.
The section ends modulating to D minor.
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
90 - 115
D minor
but threatening the North Wind sweeps them suddenly aside.
This section begins with an energetic 32nd notes movement to describe the arrival of the north wind.
The thematic material in measure 90 is related to the m3 of the ritornello:
As well as that of bar 94 onwards:
Finally, the material reappears in its original form in measure 110.
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
116 - 154
D minor, E minor, F minor and G minor
The shepherd trembles, fearing violent storms and his fate.
Vivaldi describes the young shepherd's fear of the storm in a highly chromatic passage:
Measures
117 - 124
Descending chromatic movement of the bass leads us to E minor. The soloist also makes use of chromatic ornamentation notes.
125 - 133
After another chromatic bass, we rest on the B flat major chord.
134 - 136
Another chromatic movement in the bass ends on the F minor chord.
140
The G minor key is restored.
145 - 146
A long Neapolitan sixth chord prepares the final cadence of the passage.
How can we explain these chromatic passages? They are progressions of fifths based on dominant seventh chords. As an example, we show measures 116 to 120:
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
155 - 59
G minor
The final ritornello uses only the 32nd notes variation discussed above:
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
John Harrison, violín, Robert Turizziani, director. Wichita State University Chamber Players. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. José Rodríguez Alvira. Published by teoria.com
