VIVALDI | La Cetra | Concerto RV 181a in C major, Op. 9 No. 1 | Original manuscript

For solo violin, strings and basso continuo
Published as Op. 9 no. 1

I. Allegro (0:00)
II. Largo (3:39)
III. Allegro (7:03)

Composed: probably after 1720/1724, not later than 1727
Turin sources: Giordano 29 ff. 90-94 (RV 181, mvts 1 & 2); Foà 30 ff. 171-174 (RV 183, mvt 3)
Concordance: opening tutti (first violins) = Op. 8 no. 12, mvt 3 (first violins)

Holland Baroque Society, ‘La Cetra’
Rachel Podger, violino solo
Channel Classics CCS SA 33412

[vivaldifromjapan]

Oh my God! Vivaldi looked at me and smiled. Very happy. Thank you.

[DelVivaldi]

‘La cetra’ (The Lyre) was Vivaldi’s last great set of concertos, published in 1727, and the last to bear a title. Vivaldi’s titles were often ambitious, challenging, and a little perplexing, starting from ‘L’estro armonico’ Op. 3, variously translated as ‘Harmonic invention’, ‘Harmonic whim’, etc. Op. 8 ‘Il cimento dell’armonia e dell’inventione’ had a similar meaning. ‘La cetra’ was not as original, as it had been used by famous composers before him, but in this case it easy to see why Vivaldi called it that.

Opus 9 dates from the middle of the 1720s, a highly prolific period for the composer, and what seems to have been a happy one, during which he staged a great many operas and penned countless concertos for the Pietà (at a rate of two per month). Many of those instrumental works were written for Anna Maria, Vivaldi’s star violinist at the Pietà. Here economy of means becomes the rule: lithe and lissom tuttis with the composer’s trademark counterpoint based on tonal notes, and violin figurations that strike the perfect balance between virtuosity and lyricism. Because of these qualities, and although it is the least popular of the four great sets (opus 3, 4, 8 and 9), ‘La cetra’ is considered by some to be Vivaldi’s most beautiful collection of concertos.

Concerto no. 1 in C major was a hybrid work that Vivaldi concocted from two of his own manuscripts. RV 181 served as the basis for the first two movements, but the third was taken from another concerto, RV 183, in the same key. For his published works Vivaldi used this method of assemblage on at least four occasions.

Op. 9 no. 1 contains a genuine example of purposeful self-quotation: the first notes of the first concerto in the first violins reprise those of the last movement of the last concerto of Opus 8. Even though Vivaldi’s would stop publishing concertos in a few years’ time, famously saying that he made more money from private sales, it seems that in 1727 he still treated publication with a degree of importance.

I. Allegro (0:00)
II. Largo (3:39)
III. Allegro (7:03)

Composed: probably after 1720/1724, not later than 1727
Turin sources: Giordano 29 ff. 90-94 (RV 181, mvts 1 & 2); Foà 30 ff. 171-174 (RV 183, mvt 3)
Concordance: opening tutti (first violins) = Op. 8 no. 12, mvt 3 (first violins)

Holland Baroque Society, ‘La Cetra’
Rachel Podger, violino solo
Channel Classics CCS SA 33412

[mereyeslacalle]

Que versión más fantástica . Magnífica . Gracias una vez más por tu canal @Del Vivaldi . Saludos desde Chile ! ❤🌹

[davidvargas]

Thank you again for this video. I'm always looking for your most recent work because I appreciate your effort and the quality that you deliver in each Vivaldi's piece.

[escuchachopin]

🤎🎻✨️🤎🎻✨️🤎🎻✨️ lo adoro! Es el mejor canal sobre Vivaldi que existe! Gracias...

[jaydenfung]

What spirit in performance! This must be the best interpretation I have heard of this piece.

[wendywright]

Love the animation of Vivaldi, and the music, of course. Thanks!

[barroco]

This is fabulous! La cetra is one of the great collection of Vivaldi. I want to hear more from it.

[liliaesperanza]

De los mejores conciertos que tiene el padre rojo 👍🙂❤️ gracias

[gluconeogenisis]

Looking forward to seeing more complex concertos like rv 217 and 251 here!

[fuadjada]

At some parts, it sounds to me like FOLK music! 🎵 🎶 I like!

[moltzer]

I think what Vivaldi meant by "Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'invenzione" is that "invention" (innovation) doesn't always equal "harmony" (good); there's always a contest between them.

[ruperttmls]

Me encanta esta grabación, sin embargo al escuchar esa introducción del primer movimiento con una improvisación del bajo continuo me sonó a una de esas grabaciones de bailes italianos que hace L’Arpeggiata 😂😂😂

[marllonsilva]

Isso é extraordinário, ahh o barroco, como é lindo!

[paolabartolini]

Vorrei capire… questa musica è troppo bella… 😊😊🌈✨🌷🌷🌷😘😘😘💖💖💖🌹🌹🌹💐🦋🎶🪷🪷🎶💞🌸

[marcosPRATA]

Nessa Vivaldi remonta a um estilo dançante como em Nicolas Mateis, ou Falconieri.

[TheOneAndOnlyZeno]

This concerto is driving me mad... I could swear another composer arranged or made a parody of this work - sounds so familiar, yet so different hearing the original after many a year... doubt I will ever remember where else I may have heard this, but it is bugging me...

[eunaekim]

So much later that the old narrator got tired of waiting and they had to hire a new one!