Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Sonata in D minor Op. 1/12
La Follia RV 63
The collection of Twelve Trio Sonatas Op. 1 was published by the Venetian house of Giuseppe Sala in 1705. Similarly to the other published collections by Vivaldi, it became known throughout Europe and reprinted four more times within the composer’s lifetime. It was dedicated to Count Annibale Gambara.
At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, the trio sonata was one of the most popular genres of instrumental music in Italy. The composers modelled their work on four sonata collections by Arcangelo Corelli. Mastery in the genre was generally seen as a test of composing talent, allowing a display of the ability to simultaneously shape the melody and the counterpoint.
Vivaldi, similarly to Albinoni and Caldara, made his debut with a collection of twelve trio sonatas. They were written for two violins and a cello (more precisely a violone) or a harpsichord. The earliest preserved Vivaldi pieces, they are characteristic in their individual and fully-formed style.
As in Corelli’s Opus 5, published five years previously, the final sonata of the collection consists of ostinato variations on the popular La Follia bass formula. The name (madness, insanity) and the structure of the bass had its origins in an old Portuguese dance. The sonata opens with a theme in slow tempo (Adagio), reminiscent of a majestic and solemn sarabande. It is followed by 19 variations in various tempos, virtuoso in character and exceptionally differentiated; some carry connotations with various stylised dances. They present in a nutshell the entirety of Vivaldi’s knowledge of instrumental technique.
Ewa Siemdaj