Antonio Vivaldi:

Relating the Vocal Works

To the Instrumental Works

Rachel Pettee
MUS 589
Dr. Johnson
7-24-08

Antonio Vivaldi was a man of many talents. Some would say he was a
musical genius. Vivaldi is regarded as one of the most famous composers and
his music is regarded highly and also still performed today. When Vivaldis name
is mentioned, most people think of his instrumental music, especially works like
his violin concertos and sonatas and works like The Four Seasons. He also
wrote vocal works, which quite remarkable and interesting. Many of these works
are sacred works and contain very unique aspects of his style. In his vocal
works, we can see some relation to his instrumental works and the way in which
he combines different sounds.
Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678. His father was a violinist and a violinmaker and he recognized Antonios musical talents and started him on violin
lessons, which he took for many years. Antonio spent his early years training for
the priesthood, which at that time was one of the few opportunities for
advancement for people. While in training, he continued to play the violin and
receive instruction in music. After he was ordained in 1703, he obtained a job as
the maestro di violino at the Ospedale della Pieta, which was an institution for
orphaned girls. He became the violin teacher to the girls, taught music,
performed as a violinist, directed the music and composed music when needed.
Vivaldi was linked with the Pieta for the next forty years of his life.
He started writing music while working at the Pieta and his early works
were chamber works, consisting of trio sonatas, violin sonatas and solo
concertos, and also early operas and oratorios. He composed almost every work
for a definite occasion and for particular performers. Vivaldi traveled quite a bit

during this time and learned about many other styles of music and also got to
meet other musicians. He continued his work with the Pieta and spent the rest of
his life traveling and composing. Vivaldi died at the age of sixty-three and it
seemed like he was forgotten soon after. It was not until hundreds of years later
that his music and legacy was brought back to the world.
Vivaldis style of music is very distinctive and reflects the stylistic changes
of the eighteenth century. He had a tremendous influence on later composers,
especially in the genre of instrumental music. His music contains concise
themes, clarity of form, rhythmic vitality and also a logical flow of musical ideas.
His music is very pleasing to the ear and is enjoyed by many (Talbot 2007). We
can see many aspects of this style in his vocal music. These works are not as
well known as other compositions, but are great masterpieces and contain many
aspects of his style. Vivaldi wrote several mass settings, solo cantatas, solo
motets, psalms and music for vespers. Many of these compositions featured
some sort of instrumental ensemble and as I looked deeper into the music, I
found many similarities between the instrumental and vocal lines.
One of Vivaldis most popular and familiar vocal works is the Gloria in D
Major (RV 589). This work was composed between 1713 and 1718 and while he
was working at the Pieta. It was one of the first pieces of sacred music by Vivaldi
to be performed at the Chiesa dei Servi as part of the celebration of Vivaldi in
1939. This piece was also the first major work of Vivaldis church music that was
recorded, which happened shortly after World War II (Landon 1993). The piece
is a sacred work that is to be performed during the Ordinary of the Mass at the

church service. Vivaldis Gloria is a succession of twelve short movements that

contain chorus, solo sections and instrumental accompaniment. There are many
movements that contain similar orchestral and vocal writing
The third movement of the Gloria, Laudamus te, is written for two soprano
solos, strings and continuo. The instruments start out with the main melody and
it is very lyrical and flowing.
Example 1: Gloria, Laudamus Te, measures 1-6

The sopranos enter right before measure nineteen and it is very similar to that of
the beginning, but just changes a few measures later. This is an example of very
similar writing between the vocal and instrumental lines.
Example 2: Gloria, Laudamus Te, measures 18-22

Another time that the singers have a similar phrase to the strings is from
measures 31-37 when they all do the same thing.
Example 3: Gloria, Laudamus Te, measures 31-37

A great example of the vocal and instrumental lines being similar is in the
fifth movement, Propter magnam gloriam. At the very beginning, the singers and
orchestra play a fugue. The sopranos and the first violins start and then the altos
and second violins come in one measure later with the same melody. In
measure three the tenors and violas play the same melody and finally the basses
and celli enter in measure four. At the end of the first measure and the beginning
of the second measure, the strings slur the entire section and so do the voices so
that they match the style. The melody is a very melismatic tune and is a prime
example of a line written for string instruments and also sung by soloists. After
listening to this movement, I found that even their articulation was the same and
each section sounded the same when they entered.
Example 4: Gloria, Propter magnam gloriam, measures 1-4

The seventh movement, Domine Fili Unigenite, is very similar to the fifth
movement as it contains certain voices and instruments pairing up and playing
the same melody. The strings start out with the eight-measure melody, which is
full of dotted rhythms and fast notes. The altos start with the same exact melody
in measure nine, the sopranos enter with the melody in measure 18. The tenors
and basses have part of the melody, but they never get the same exact melody
as the higher voices. After listening to this movement, I found myself thinking
that this movement is almost like a movement of a string quartet. The first violin
is paired again with the soprano and the second violin is paired with the alto
voice and then the tenor with the viola and the bass with the celli and bass. The
violins usually have the main melody in the string quartets and in this case,
Vivaldi just doubles the violins with the soprano and alto voices, which the lower
voices are basically accompaniment and just fill in the background.
Example 5: Gloria, Domine Fili Unigenite, measures 1-18

The last movement in the Gloria that has some aspects of similar vocal
and instrumental writing is the tenth movement, Qui sedes ad dexteram Padris,
which is for alto solo and orchestra. There is a section in the middle, measures
36-51, where the alto voice and the violins are doing a call and response phrase.
The violins start and then every two measures the other one answers with the
same tune. This is a good example of the voices and the strings doing the same
thing and alternating measures.
Example 6: Gloria, Qui Sedes Ad Dexteram, measures 36-51

The second most famous sacred vocal work by Vivaldi is the Magnificat in
G Minor (RV 610). The Magnificat is a setting of the words of Mary in Lukes
gospel and is the canticle that is appointed to be sung at Vespers. This piece
was written for the Pieta between 1713 and 1717, but now has two other
versions. The second version was written for Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni in Rome
and more instruments were added and the vocal bass line moved downwards.
The third version was written in 1739 for the Pieta with replacement of three
movements by five new ones for five singers there (Landon 1993).

The Magnificat is a striking work because of its style of the chorus,

originality and daring modulations and the chromatic harmonies. It is thought
that he learned some of the chromaticism and harmony from listening to the
Northern masters, especially Handel, while he was traveling (Arnold 1973). It is
scored for four solo voices, chorus and orchestra (violins, viola, cello, bass, 2
oboes and organ). The work contains many short sections of different tempos
and alternates between solo and chorus. There is much influence of the
concerto in this work in both the structure and also the use of ritornello sections
that act like concerto sections (Landon 1993). This work also contains many
parts where the vocal and instrumental lines are either the same or very similar.
There are many instances in this piece that showcase this and I have picked out
just a few of them to really show this aspect of Vivaldis writing.
The opening section is a slow introduction that is very homophonic and
the important thing is the text. It is not until the second section, Allegro, that we
see aspects of the vocal and instrumental lines being similar. This section starts
out with an instrumental opening and they state the melody. The soprano and
alto voice have solos in this section and during their solos, they mimic the string
parts. The soprano has her solo first and when the alto has her solo, it is very
similar to the cello and continuo parts. These are the only moving parts.
Example 7: Magnificat, measures 39-45

Another example of this would be in the next section, Et misericordia,

which is one of the most famous sections because of its chromaticism. The
entire movement is full of twists and harmonies that listeners would not
necessarily expect at that time. This section starts out with the strings and
continuo playing the main melody, which is full of chromaticism and a wondering
of what key the section is actually in. The two violins play the main melody while
the other strings accompany them.
Example 8: Magnificat, Et misericordia, measures 1-4

When the voices come in at measure five, the alto voice is the first to start
and the soprano starts two measures later. This entrance is exactly like the two
violins at the beginning and the alto voice is mimicking the second violin while the
soprano voice is mimicking the first violin. The notes of the melody are exactly
the same and this is a clear example of Vivaldi treating the voices equally to the
strings, especially the violins.
Example 9: Magnificat, Et misericordia, measures 5-9

An example that I found really interesting was during the section

Esurientes implevit bonis. This section is for two sopranos and continuo and
after I listened to this, I found myself thinking the two sopranos were singing lines
that could easily be played by two violins. It almost seemed to me that Vivaldi
wrote this part with two violinists in mind, but scored it for two sopranos. The
melody is full of melismas, trills and the two parts play off of each other and work
very well together.
Example 10: Magnificat, Esurientes implevit bonis, measures 3-11

One last example from the Magnificat that I found was in the section Et in
saecula saeculorum. This section is for the chorus, orchestra and continuo. One
thing I thought was really interesting about this part was that each section of the
chorus matched one section of the orchestra. Starting at the allegro, the altos
and the first violins are doing the same thing, the tenors and the violas are doing
the same thing, the sopranos and the second violins are doing the same thing
and finally the basses and the celli are doing the same thing. After listening and
looking at the score, I found myself thinking again that maybe Vivaldi originally

thought this part out for the orchestra and wrote those parts first and then just
added the vocal lines. He also could have written the vocal lines first and then
added the strings. I thought this was a good example that showed Vivaldi
making the vocal and instrumental lines of equal importance.
Example 11: Magnificat, Et in saecula saeculorum, measures 1-5

The third most popular and well-known vocal work by Vivaldi is the Stabat
Mater in F minor (RV 621), which is a hymn setting of the emotions of Our Lady
on the Cross and at the Manger. Many other composers have set this hymn and
the text was said to have been written by Saint Bonaventura in the late 1200s,
who was a Franciscan cardinal and a spiritual leader. This work was most likely
written in 1711, which was around the time that Vivaldi visited the town of Brescia
for the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin at the Chiesa della Pace
(Landon 1993). Vivaldi set the first ten of twenty stanzas of the hymn and that
was allowed during that time. This piece also gained more popularity after being
heard for the first time in 200 years during the Vivaldi Festival in 1939, along with
the Gloria.

The Stabat Mater is scored for contralto solo, strings and organ. The
piece is about twenty minutes long and contains nine movements. This work is
the most somber setting of the Stabat and the fact that he scored this for
contralto voice shows that he understands the darker side of the timbre and puts
it to a very moving use. Vivaldi was a priest in the Holy Roman Catholic Church
and this music is a declamation of faith and shows Vivaldis spiritual side (Landon
1993). I found this piece to be extremely moving and the fact that he uses a key
like F minor helps to portray the idea of sadness and spirituality. There are a few
instances in this piece that show that Vivaldi is treating the solo line like the string
line, especially the violin. In the third movement, O quam tristis, the first violin
starts out with this main melody while being accompanied by the continuo.
Example 12: Stabat Mater, O quam tristis, measures 1-14

The soloist comes in at measure 15 with the same thing that the violin
played, but just changed a few notes towards the end. The vocal line is very
rhythmic and contains a few melismas, just like a violin line would. After listening
to this movement, I could hear that the solo line sounded just like a melodic line
of a violin or even a viola.

Example 13: Stabat Mater, O quam tristis, measures 15-27

Another example from this piece is during the fifth movement, Quis non
posset. This movement is very short, but it features the alto solo with a very
sparse background from the strings and continuo. The solo line is very lyrical,
melodic and also contains trills and a long melisma. This line is very virtuosic
and when I looked at this movement, I imagined hearing that line on a violin or a
viola because of its virtuosity, rhythmic drive and ornamentation.
Example 14: Stabat Mater, Quis non posset, measures 9-14

A fourth work by Vivaldi that features these aspects is Beatus Vir in B flat
Major (RV 598), which is a setting of Psalm 111 from the Bible. This Psalm text
translated is about praising the Lord and describing his wealth, riches, seed and

goodness. The motet is scored for two violins, viola, cello, bass, organ, solo
voices and chorus and this is in ritornello form, as many of his works from that
time are. The motet begins with a long string orchestral introduction and it
prepares us for three solo voices instead of a concerto that we are used to
hearing from Vivaldi. The alto voice comes in first while the two sopranos enter
in measure 64 with a nice duet in thirds. The interesting thing about this part is
that while the two sopranos are singing their duet, the violin and viola are playing
their own part together, which is completely different than the vocal line, but the
sound blends well together. I found this part to be really unique because usually
the voices and the instruments are doing similar but different things and this part
shows Vivaldi making use of the combinations he has and varying them slightly.
Example 15: Beatus Vir, Potens in terra, measures 64-75

Vivaldi also employs this same technique again in a later section

(measure 179) where the two soprano voices are singing a duet in thirds while
the violin and viola are playing their own part together, which is again completely
different than the vocal line. I thought that this section was very different
because of the way it sounded and because of the accidentals that Vivaldi used.

Example 16: Beatus Vir, Jucundus homo, measures 179-187

The way that he scores the two soprano lines is very similar to how he would
score the two violin lines because most of the time they are playing the same
rhythms, but often in different intervals. I know this from playing the violin and
seeing how he scores the violins in his music. He tends to score the two
sopranos like they are two violins in this work and this happens a few times.
I was extremely fascinated to study this music from Vivaldi. Being a
violinist, I have performed quite a few works by Vivaldi and have gotten to see up
close how he scores the string parts. I can tell that he tends to prefer the violins
and gives them the melody lines most of the time, while the other instruments are
often accompaniment. The fact that he played the violin really helps me (and
others) understand and realize why he writes for the violin the way he does and
why he seems to prefer the violin. I found it really interesting to study his
relationship between the string lines and the vocal lines. There were many times
that the parts were related to each other and often complemented each other. It
was interesting to see how he paired up certain parts, like the violin and the
soprano, viola with the alto, tenor with the cello, etc. I thought that Vivaldi tried to
create equality between the vocal and instrumental parts and looking at these

works helped me to see that. The way that he wrote for the vocalists was very
effective and they complemented the instrumental writing.
There are many other works that Vivaldi wrote that show aspects of
relating the vocal lines to the instrumental lines. The others that I looked at were
Dixit Dominus, Lauda Jerusalem and Salve Regina. There are many similarities
between all of these vocal works and they show a different side to Vivaldi. These
works show that he has a spiritual side and is faced with divinity, awe and that he
can write beautiful music for voices. We all know that he can write for
instruments and that he is regarded very highly in that genre. When it comes to
vocal writing, he is not as highly regarded and it is partly because there is not as
much of it, but also because of his enormous popularity with instrumental and
chamber music. Studying this music has made me appreciate his music even
more and has also given me a new perspective on Vivaldi. I have learned that
not only is he a brilliant writer of instrumental music, but also of vocal music.
Antonio Vivaldi did write mostly instrumental music, but also spent much
time writing vocal music. This music is written in the unique Vivaldi style and he
transfers over ideas from his instrumental music and applies them in his vocal
music. Much of his vocal music is not as popular, but with more and more people
studying and performing this music, it can be. His vocal music deserves to be
recognized and it is because of works like Gloria, Magnificat and Stabat Mater.
These works are extremely beautiful and showcase his many talents as a wellrounded composer.

Bibliography
Articles and Books
1. Arnold, Denis. Vivaldis Church Music: An Introduction. Early Music, Vol. 1,
No. 2, April 1973, pp. 66-74.
2. Brown, Pam. Antonio Vivaldi. Exley Publications, United Kingdom,1992.
3. Felsenfeld, Daniel & Getzinger, Donna. Antonio Vivaldi and the Baroque
Tradition. Morgan Reynolds Publishing, Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina,
2004.
4. Landon, H.C. Robbins. Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque. The University of
Chicago Press, Chicago, IL, 1996.
5. Talbot, Michael. Retrieved on July 11, 2008 from:
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/40120
Music
1. Beatus Vir: Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Philharmonia Partituren, London.
Copyright 1969 by Universal Edition. Music score.
2. Beatus Vir: Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. Ricordi & C., Milano. Copyright
1969, Vocal score.
3. Chalmers, Kenneth. Program notes from Antonio Vivaldi, Deutsche Grammophon,
Hamburg, 2000. Compact Disc.
3. Gloria: Antonio Vivaldi. Retrieved on July 11, 2008 from:
http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Gloria_%28Antonio_Vivaldi%29
4. Magnificat: Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. Ricordi & C., Milano. Copyright
1959. Music score.
5. Stabat Mater: Antonio Vivaldi, edited by Philharmonia Partituren, London.
Copyright 1969 by Universal Edition. Music score.
6. Stabat Mater: Antonio Vivaldi, edited by G. Ricordi & C., Milano. Copyright
1970. Vocal score.