Concerto No. 9

At a glance

• What it isthe second movement, a slow Larghetto, of Concerto No. 9 in D major from the twelve concertos of L'estro armonico.
• Who, when, whyit belongs to Vivaldi's first collection of concertos, published in Amsterdam in 1711 when he was about thirty-three. It was written for solo violin and strings.
• What to listen forthe song the soloist sings over a simple supporting accompaniment.

Listen for

• The accompanimentthe strings support quietly with very simple chords.
• The songabove it the soloist sings a slow, gentle melody. It was written for solo violin, but the Pyeongeum recording is an arrangement for trumpet and organ.
• The endthe short song closes quietly and passes into the fast last movement.

When it was written

L'estro armonico was the first collection of concertos Vivaldi published. It appeared not in Venice but from a publisher in Amsterdam, then ahead in printing technology, and spread throughout Europe. Its three movements, fast, slow, fast, and the give-and-take between soloist and ensemble became a model for many later composers.

Around 1713 to 1714, while working in Weimar, Bach wrote out this Concerto No. 9 as a solo harpsichord piece. By copying another composer's music he learned its construction firsthand. In this way Vivaldi's concertos flowed into Bach's music.