Runtime: Approx. 10 minutes 

“Concerto” is perhaps one of the most significant and instantly recognizable terms in classical music. Conjuring images of the instrumental superstar stationed in front of an orchestra, fingers flying, performing incredible musical feats, the practice has become ubiquitous to the modern concert experience. The concerto has gone through many metamorphoses over the centuries, but the way the term is defined today—a soloist or group of soloists accompanied by an orchestra or similar ensemble—originated in the Baroque era (c. 1600-1750). Classical and Romantic-era composers expanded greatly on the form, but the basic architecture has remained the same.  

The composer who had perhaps the greatest hand in shaping the modern concerto was Antonio Vivaldi. In particular, Vivaldi wrote his concerti in three movements, fast-slow-fast, and set his works apart with the use of “ritornello” (Italian for “small return”), a technique where the soloist is interrupted at various intervals by the orchestra restating familiar material. If these practices sound familiar, they should. Most Classical and Romantic era concerto structure is built on these techniques.  

Most listeners will be familiar with Vivaldi’s best known violin concerti, “The Four Seasons,” but he produced over 500 concerti in his career, 37 of which are written for the bassoon. This fact is remarkable on its own; wind instruments have generally received far less attention from composers in the solo capacity. In Vivaldi’s day, large, established orchestras were uncommon, so composers wrote for the musicians they had access to. Vivaldi spent thirty years as the music teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage for girls, and much of his music was composed for his pupils. Music education of the day was taken extremely seriously, and it can be surmised from the demands of his works that the girls under his tutelage were extraordinarily talented. A gifted violinist himself, Vivaldi was known even during his lifetime for imbuing his works with unabashed virtuosity; few other composers offer the performer quite as much opportunity to show off.  

This bassoon concerto is no exception. Showcasing both the unique characteristics of the instrument and the capabilities of the performer, the work vibrantly demonstrates the bassoon’s incredible range, from its gruff low register to its playful humor, and its gift for lyricism.