L'estro armonico
L'Estro Armonico (Harmonic Inspiration), Op. 3, is a collection of twelve concertos for one, two and four violins written by Antonio Vivaldi in 1711. It augmented the reputation of Vivaldi as Il Prete Rosso (The Red Priest). Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot described the set as "perhaps the most influential collection of instrumental music to appear during the whole of the eighteenth century".[1]
The collection was mostly put together in chronological order. These concerti are often called concerti grossi due to their use of a concertino-style ensemble (solo cello is often used).
List of concerti
These works are laid out in the following movements:
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 1 in D major for four violins and strings, RV 549:
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 2 in G minor for two violins, cello and strings, RV 578:
- Adagio e spiccato
- Allegro
- Larghetto
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 3 in G major for violin and strings, RV 310:
- Allegro
- Largo
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 4 in E minor for four violins and strings, RV 550:
- Andante
- Allegro assai
- Adagio
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 5 in A major for two violins and strings, RV 519:
- Allegro
- Largo
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 6 in A minor for a violin and strings, RV 356:
- Allegro
- Largo
- Presto
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 7 in F major for four violins, cello and strings, RV 567:
- Andante
- Adagio
- Allegro – Adagio
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 8 in A minor for two violins and strings, RV 522:
- Allegro
- Larghetto e spiritoso
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 9 in D major for violin and strings, RV 230:
- Allegro
- Larghetto
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 10 in B minor for four violins, cello and strings, RV 580:
- Allegro
- Largo – Larghetto
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 11 in D minor for two violins, cello and strings, RV 565:
- Allegro – Adagio e spiccato – Allegro
- Largo e spiccato (aka Siciliano)
- Allegro
L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 12 in E major for violin and strings, RV 265:
- Allegro
- Largo e spiccato
- Allegro
Transcriptions
Johann Sebastian Bach later reworked six concertos from this set for a variety of instrumentations:
- Concertos Nos. 3, 9 and 12 were arranged for solo keyboard, BWVs 978, 972 and 976.
- Concertos Nos. 8 and 11 became Bach's Concerti for solo organ, BWVs 593 and 596.
- Concerto No. 10 was reworked into the Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Strings, BWV 1065.
Recordings
CD Title | Record Label | Recording Date |
---|---|---|
Antonio Vivaldi: Concertos | Discover | 1994 |
Antonio Vivaldi: L'estro armonico, 12 Concerti Op. 3 | Philips | |
Antonio Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico, 12 Concerti Op. 3 | Vanguard | 1957 |
Antonio Vivaldi: Meisterwerke Zum Kennenlernen | Art of Classics | 1991 |
Classical Top 1000 | Classic Mania | |
Concerti Virtuosi | Analekta | |
Karajan Conducts Vivaldi & Bach | Deutsche Grammophon | 2003 |
L'Estro Armonico | Digital Concerto | 1990 |
Masters of Classical Music: Vivaldi | Delta | |
Music for Double Bass & String Quartet | Gallo | 1998 |
The World's Greatest Composers: Vivaldi (Collector's Edition Music Tin) | Madacy Entertainment | 2008 |
The World's Greatest Composers: Vivaldi (Collector's Edition) | Madacy Entertainment | 2008 |
Vivaldi: Concerti | Rivo Alto | 1996 |
Vivaldi: Concerto a Quattro Violini; L'Estro Armonico | Zig Zag Territoires | 2007 |
Vivaldi: Concertos Opp. 3, 4, 8 & 9 (Box Set) | Decca | 2006 |
Vivaldi: Concertos (Box Set) | Archiv Produktion | 1987 |
Vivaldi: Concertos | FSM Adagio | |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico Concertos Op. 3 Nos. 1–6 | Brilliant | |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico Op. 3, Vol. 1 (Hybrid SACD) | Arts | 2002 |
Vivaldi: L'estro armonico Op.3/1-6 | Arte Nova | 1995 |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Nos.1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11 | Naxos | 1991 |
Vivaldi: L'estro Armonico, Op. 3, Vol. 1: Concertos No. 1-6 (DVD Audio) | Arts | 2003 |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Vol. 1 | Arts | 2002 |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico: Concertos Nos. 1 – 7 | Point Classics | 1994 |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico | Bongiovanni | 1997 |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico | Chandos | 2002 |
Vivaldi: L'estro Armonico | Disky | 2000 |
Vivaldi: L'estro Armonico | London | 1994 |
Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico | London | 1998 |
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Box Set) | Naxos | 1993 |
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set) | Brilliant | [2] |