L'arte Del Violino
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''L'arte del violino'' is a noteworthy and influential musical composition by Italian
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
violinist and composer Pietro Locatelli. The twelve
concerti A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ty ...
were written for solo violin, strings, and
basso continuo Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression. The phrase is often shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing th ...
and were published in 1733 as the composer's third
opus Opus (: opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera ...
. The virtuosic style and artistry present in the work strongly influenced violin playing in the 18th century and cemented Locatelli's reputation as a pioneer of modern violin technique.


Compositional History

''L'arte del violino'' was first published by the publishing house of Roger-Le Cene in the city of
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, where Locatelli resided from the year 1729 until his death in 1764. It is dedicated to the Venetian patriarch Girolamo Michiel Lini, for whom he had performed while staying in Venice and of whose orchestra Locatelli remarked upon the skill and "unparalleled size."


Structure

As opposed to his previous music, which models itself on the Roman style of baroque composition best exemplified by
Arcangelo Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , ; ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an List of Italian composers, Italian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque music, Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of Sonata a ...
, the concerti of ''L'arte del violino'' were created in the newer Venetian style of
Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...
. The music makes ample use of the violin's very high register, giving it a ''
bel canto , )—with several similar constructions (, , , pronounced in English as )—is a term with several meanings that relate to Italian singing, and whose definitions have often been misunderstood. ''Bel canto'' was not only seen as a vocal technique ...
'' quality lacking in Locatelli's early work. Each of the twelve concertos in ''L'arte del violino'' contained the traditional three movements, with the typical progression of two faster movements surrounding a slower, more contemplative middle movement. In each concerto, the two outer movements contain what is known as a ''capriccio''. These ''capricci'', often lasting several minutes, can be described as a kind of written-out violin
cadenza In music, a cadenza, (from , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist(s), usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing virtuosic display ...
played extemporaneously during which the soloist is given ample opportunity to display his or her skill with the instrument. The ''capricci'' intervals contradict the expected format of the solo concerto by occurring before the final
ritornello A ritornello (Italian; "little return") is a recurring passage in Renaissance music and Baroque music for orchestra or chorus. Early history The earliest use of the term "ritornello" in music referred to the final lines of a fourteenth-century ...
of the
tutti ''Tutti'' is an Italian word literally meaning ''all'' or ''together'' and is used as a musical term, for the whole orchestra as opposed to the soloist. It is applied similarly to choral music, where the whole section or choir is called to sin ...
. It is these 24 extraordinary ''capricci'' intervals for which ''L'arte del violino'' attained its fame, for they are described as "the most difficult violin display passages of all Baroque literature."White, Chappell. ''From Vivaldi to Viotti: a history of the early classical violin concerto''. Langhorne, PA: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1994. (Page 9). The final concerto of the twelve, nicknamed the "
Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth () is an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the h ...
" concerto by the composer, is notorious for its exceedingly difficult ''capricci''. Locatelli wrote the following inscription beneath the first-movement ''capriccio'': "Laberinto armonico: 'Facilis aditus; difficilis exitus.'" This can be translated to mean, "Harmonic Labyrinth: Easy to enter; difficult to escape!" In a letter dated April 11, 1741, Benjamin Tate, an English visitor, expressed his astonishment after listening to Locatelli play from the Labyrinth Concerto:


Outline of concertos and movements

*Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 3/1 *# Allegro *# Largo *# Allegro *Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 3/2 *# Andante *# Largo *# Andante *Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 3/3 *# Andante *# Largo *# Vivace *Concerto No. 4 in E major, Op. 3/4 *# Largo – Andante *# Largo *# Andante *Concerto No. 5 in C major, Op. 3/5 *# Largo *# Adagio *# Allegro *Concerto No. 6 in G minor, Op. 3/6 *# Largo – Andante *# Adagio *# Vivace *Concerto No. 7 in B flat major, Op. 3/7 *# Andante *# Largo *# Allegro *Concerto No. 8 in E minor, Op. 3/8 *# Andante *# Largo *# Allegro *Concerto No. 9 in G major, Op. 3/9 *# Allegro *# Largo *# Allegro *Concerto No. 10 in F major, Op. 3/10 *# Allegro *# Largo – Andante *# Andante *Concerto No. 11 in A major, Op. 3/11 *# Allegro *# Largo *# Andante *Concerto No. 12 in D major: ''Il Laberinto Armonico, facilus aditus, difficilis exitus'', Op. 3/12 *# Allegro *# Largo *# Allegro


References


External links


Full free score for violin solo part of ''L'arte del violino''
{{Authority control 1733 compositions Compositions by Pietro Locatelli