Published in 1711, the L'estro armonico, concertos (12) are among Vivaldi's earliest works. They are grouped in four sets of three, each containing a concerto for solo violin and one each for two and four violins. Written in a concerto grosso style, these works were tremendously influential in their time, virtually laying the foundations for the concerto form in the eighteenth century. This G major effort for solo violin appears in the first chapter of the L'estro armonico and is cast in three movements. It is one of the set's shorter concertos, with a duration of about six to seven minutes, each panel lasting only about two minutes. The Allegro first movement begins with a vigorous, lively theme in the strings, after which the solo violin enters, mostly contributing rhythmic music. The strings present the most important thematic material here, though the solo violin has an equal and crucial role. In the brief Largo that follows, the violin sings sadly between the dark repeated chords of the now-deferential orchestra. The Allegro finale finds the strings quite active again, but with the soloist vying for the spotlight, both producing colorful, joyous music brimming with vibrancy throughout.

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