Work
Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni Composer
Concerto a cinque for Oboe, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Continuo in C, Op.7, No.12 (T. 7/12)
Performances: 5
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Concerto a cinque for Oboe, 2 Violins, Viola, Cello, and Continuo in C, Op.7, No.12 (T. 7/12)Key: C
Year: 1715
Genre: Concerto
Pr. Instruments: Oboe & Violin
- 1.Allegro e non presto
- 2.Adagio
- 3.Allegro
Dedicated to an amateur musician and patron, Giovanni Donato Correggio, the Concerti a cinque, Op. 7, consist of four concertos with one oboe, four with two oboes, and the remaining for strings and continuo alone. These pieces are significant for a number of reasons. They are believed to have been the first concertos of this kind to be published by an Italian. Also important is the fact that Albinoni designated them as concertos "with" oboe rather than "for" oboe, bolstering the role of the strings and emphasizing the chamber music aspect.
Albinoni is credited with having firmly established the three-movement concerto form (fast-slow-fast). This form found its origin in the vocal da capo aria structure ("A" section followed by "B" section in a contrasting mood and key, usually in a slower tempo, followed by a return of the "A" section). Some of the concertos hint at the ritornello form later perfected by Vivaldi. The outer movements, as a rule, are in an ABA form. Many of the final movements are often in 3/8 or 6/8 meter, and there is frequent use of hemiola, a rhythmic device that implies changing meters of three into two and vice versa by shifting accents and note duration. Fugal writing in the third movements is also a favorite device employed by Albinoni, which can be viewed as a throwback to an older style. The concertos are lively and sunny, with more gravitas in the middle movements. The Op. 7, No. 6 in D major, with one oboe, follows the typical form for the outer movements: tutti statement in the strings; abbreviated statement in the oboe built on the same material; short string interlude; opening material again in the oboe part, but longer, more elaborate with thinner accompaniment underneath; sequential passagework; and return of the beginning. The Adagio is in a contrasting minor key, with longing expressed through a simply spun out oboe line. The final Allegro dances in a triple meter, made all the more interesting with hemiola used at the cadences. One is struck by the vocal nature of the writing for the oboe. It is a more idiomatic approach than the string-like model used by Vivaldi for his winds, with room to breathe. The Op. 7, No. 2 in C major, with two oboes, is atypical in that its first movement is in a triple meter rather than its final movement. The Allegro opens with an energetic unison in the strings followed by the usual abbreviated statement by the oboes, back to unison strings, then again to the oboes for a complete statement of their solo material. The oboes usually appear together in thirds, never individually or in counterpoint. The writing, as is typical with the baroque style, is sequential in nature, but not as virtuosic as Vivaldi. The Adagio features a single oboe line over sustained strings and seems to be conceived more harmonically, rather than melodically. As in many of the slow movements, there is a feeling of suspension in anticipation of the final movement, another Allegro. Scored for strings only, Op. 7, No. 4 in G major offers no surprises in terms of form, but is an absolute delight. The basic format, again, is faithfully observed.
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