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Musicology:
In the late Baroque period, the trio sonata, primarily modeled after Corelli's example, was as important a form as the string quartet later became. Younger composers would commonly publish trio sonatas first to exhibit their facility at creating variations, complex counterpoint, and/or to display their individual style.
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Trio Sonata in D-, RV63 ('La follia')Key: D-
Year: 1705
Genre: Chamber Sonata
Pr. Instruments: Violin & Cello
- Theme: Adagio
- Variation 1: Andante
- Variation 2: Allegro
- Variation 3: Allegro
- Variation 4: Allegro
- Variation 5: Allegro
- Variation 6: Allegro
- Variation 7: Allegro
- Variation 8: Adagio
- Variation 9: Vivace
- Variation 10: Allegro
- Variation 11: Larghetto
- Variation 12: Allegro
- Variation 13: Allegro
- Variation 14: Adagio
- Variation 15: Allegro
- Variation 16: Allegro
- Variation 17: Allegro
- Variation 18: Allegro
- Variation 19: Allegro
This final sonata of the composer's Opus 1 is a set of variations on the traditional melody La Folia, and opens with the statement of the Tema in Adagio tempo. Expressing sadness easing toward hopefulness and then resignation to one's lot in life, the noble slow dance chords pulse in a steadily repeating iambic rhythm (short-long with a short pickup beat) from the tonic (D-minor-A-major-D-minor) toward the relative major (F major) and circle back again.
Variation I is an Andante which adds a few extra repetitions within the theme giving it a slightly more buoyant flavor.
Variation II in a moderate Allegro adds octave skips to the theme creating a even lighter feel.
Variation III adds a continuous mid-range pulse in sixteenths to the progression giving the theme even more interior life.
Variation IV has two lines, a swiftly descending scale and a "walking" ascending bass continuo, that give contrapuntal interest and liveliness to the theme.
Variation V's progression is underscored by a quick "sawing" line in the cello continuo line.
Variation VI creates fast figurations for the violins above the steady progression.
Variation VII adds a set of beautiful arpeggios in harmony for the two violins.
Variation VIII returns to a slower Adagio tempo as the two violins interweave in slow dissonance and resolution.
Variation IX is a sudden but restrained Vivace in a skipping triple meter that without stopping the excitement segues into Variation X, an Allegro of quickly exchanged arpeggios of the form 1-3-5-3-1.
Variation XI in Larghetto tempo features sighing melismatic figures in both violins.
Variation XII opens into Allegro tempo again with fast, rolling triplet figures for the violins in parallel harmony.
Variation XIII has a very un-Corelli-like part for the continuo (cello) in fast sixteenths while the violins simply supply first beat accents.
Variation XIV is a mournful Adagio with lugubrious motion.
Variation XV picks up the tempo with a happier triple meter.
Variation XVI combines the speedy bass (cello) line of Variation XIII with an unchanging anapestic (short-short-long) figure for the two violins.
Variation XVII has a thrilling texture built from one violin quickly sawing away on an arpeggio while the other gives accents on the first two beats, as the lower continuo plays an eighth-note figure (initially D-E-F-E-D) in the lower and then upper octaves.
Variation XVIII throws even more brilliant flashes of light with the violins in quick bowing figures.
The concluding Variation XIX alternates this fast bowing between the violins and the cello, gradually diminishing in volume to a peaceful conclusion.
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