Vivaldi’s Opus 10 and his Chamber Concertos: A Study in Comparative Orchestration

Vivaldi’s set of six flute concertos Op. 10 (Amsterdam, 1729?) is considered a significant milestone in the flute repertoire. It is unclear, however, to what extent the composer was involved in preparing the set for publication. The survival of five of the concertos in earlier versions provides an opportunity for comparative analysis. This exploration serves a dual purpose: first, to unravel matters of chronology and transmission, and second, to delve into the fundamental methodologies of arrangement and instrumentation employed by Vivaldi himself or conceivably by his contemporaries in the employ of his publisher. The present study analyzes orchestrational choices in relation to scoring, balance, and timbral contrast, as evidenced in both the opus and the earlier versions of the concertos that were later adapted to fit within the published set. The article offers a close reading of these orchestrational choices and suggests that while Vivaldi may have had an active role in compiling the six works that form Op. 10, most of the adaptation of these works into the flute-and-strings medium was done under the auspices of Vivaldi’s publisher Le Cène, without the composer’s direct involvement. The study explores Vivaldi’s varying use of “default bass” and “bassetto” techniques (drawing on Lockey’s typology of Vivaldi’s bass parts), his method of converting bassoon parts into viola parts, his use of rich three- and four-part textures, and the implications of his choice of high instruments on the clarity of his ritornello form.