ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741) GLORIA IN D MAJOR, RV 589 (C. 1715) Scored for: oboe, trumpet, continuo, strings, chorus, and soloists Performance time: 30 minutes First Grant Park Orchestra performance: July 27, 1977, Thomas Peck, conductor with Kathleen Battle, soprano and Mary Pat Finucane, mezzo-soprano More than likely, when people hear the strains of the text “Gloria in Excelsis” sung by a choir, the nostalgia of the holidays (Christmas in particular) seems to come to mind. The exuberance of Antonio Vivaldi’s baroque choral masterwork is one that conjures both joy and spirited excitement year round. Its trademark is the festive opening with the strings and trumpet, preparing the way for the choir’s declamatory entrance. With the exception of the “in excelsis” towards the end of the piece, the voices move primarily in tandem with the string accompaniment. For the listeners who look forward to variety when enjoying extended works, the movements offer an array of opportunities for both the chorus and the vocal soloists. A wonderful example of this is the duet for the soprano I and II, “Laudamus te.” Similar to the call and response used in the church setting, the entrance of soprano I introduces the main theme for the piece as soprano II echoes the initial melody. Together, the two voices move with agility, dancing playfully around the strings. In contrast, the mezzo-soprano aria “Qui sedes ad dextram” is a work that is a bit more involved. With long phrases, the voice blossoms as the soloist negotiates the fiendishly quick notes of the aria. One may find that the vocal lines of the solo pieces are reminiscent of perhaps his most popular instrumental suite of violin concertos: The Four Seasons. The chorus gets a few moments in the sun as well in the “Propter magnam” as the respective voice parts move with the virtuosic quality of the instruments. A unifying quality in music of the Baroque period is the use of repetition. The theme of the opening “Gloria” is repeated similarly in the chorus “Quoniam tu solus sanctus.” This feeling of continuity is something that is almost immediately felt by the listener. On a lighter note, because of his hair, Vivaldi was often referred to as the “red-headed priest.” Perhaps that explains the fiery, yet contemplative nature which he threads throughout the movements of the composition. The final movement, “Cum sancto spiritu” is a magnificent statement of faith. Beginning with the basses, the four parts all enter individually until they are all together, forming a cornerstone of sound that expresses so well “with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father.” Similar to the opening “Gloria,” the trumpet returns in a more prominent fashion, musically solidifying the finality of the work. With a sense of forward movement in the voices and instruments alike, the work ends with an ebullient “Amen.”
Week 2
9
