My Vivaldi

When people think of the violin, they often picture Niccolò Paganini (born 1782). And when it comes to Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678–1741), many Koreans may recall the ski resort in Hongcheon named after him or his iconic violin concertos¹, The Four Seasons. But as for me, when it comes to the violin, my unequivocal choice is Vivaldi. One might even say he feels more “Bach-like” than Johann Sebastian Bach himself.

Vivaldi was born in 1678, seven years before Bach’s birth in 1685. If one were to name three composers who truly stirred the waters of Baroque music, it would undoubtedly be Vivaldi, Bach, and George Frideric Handel.

It is not that Vivaldi’s music feels like Bach’s—but rather, Bach’s music resonates with the spirit of Vivaldi. Bach deeply admired Vivaldi and loved his compositions. He even arranged many of Vivaldi’s string concertos for keyboard instruments, performing them widely. Thanks to this, Vivaldi’s music became more widely known and gained greater fame.

Vivaldi’s compositions are often cataloged with the abbreviation “RV,” which stands for Ryom-Verzeichnis, meaning "Ryom’s Catalogue."² It was created by the German musicologist Peter Ryom, who systematically classified Vivaldi’s works based on genre and structure. In contrast, Bach’s works are organized under BWV³ numbers.

Among Vivaldi’s vast oeuvre, a few pieces stand out as personal favorites:

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1. Concerto for Violin and Organ, Strings and Basso Continuo in D minor, RV 541

This concerto in D minor features two violins, an organ, strings, and continuo. The violin, as the lead instrument, races through shifts in dynamics and tonality, its voice trembling with exhilarating intensity. The experience leaves one shivering with delight.

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2. Concerto for Flute, Strings and Continuo in E minor, RV 430

In this enchanting piece, the flute leads with composed and graceful melodies, laced with Baroque elegance and ornamentation. It is a fantastical concerto that balances simplicity with dazzling virtuosity.

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3. L’Estro Armonico, Op. 3⁴

This collection of twelve concertos, totaling forty movements, is often translated as The Inspiration of Harmony or The Harmonic Inspiration. Some interpret the title as a union between tradition (“harmony”) and imagination (“inspiration”). Personally, I prefer to call it The Rapture of Harmony, or The Delight of Harmony, for the emotional fullness and sonic splendor these pieces evoke transcend mere form.

Composed of four violins, two violas, a cello, and either a violone (today’s double bass) or harpsichord, the work weaves solo and ensemble parts with breathtaking coordination. Walking or racing along this path of melody, one finds themselves overwhelmed by emotion. At times breathless, the music seems to surge from the crown of the head down the spine, flowing like an electric current that sets the skin aquiver. Sometimes, tears well up unexpectedly from behind the eyes.

Rain falls across its musical landscapes; wind howls in its modulations. Elsewhere, sunlight glows gently, casting the shade of a great tree across the earth. Though it is a collection of concertos, the 90-minute journey feels almost operatic in scope. It is not simply vibrant or buoyant. It is emotionally rich—poignant even in its vitality, solemn yet subtly radiant.

There is a distinct allure in the friction of the bow against strings. A unique beauty arises from the fingers’ ability to draw out and release the pitch, as if stretching sound itself. At moments, this push and pull mimics the soft but forceful sweep of a fish’s tail fin cutting through water.

This is one of the Baroque era’s masterpieces—a musical path I want to carry in my memory note by note. No matter how many years pass, its beauty never ages. In moments when I feel weary from desire and turmoil, like a child in need of comfort, this music brings solace with its crisp, profound grace. An eternal classic.

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¹ A concerto typically consists of three movements. The first and final movements are fast and lively, while the middle movement is slower and more lyrical in character. Concertos often include a form called a cadenza, in which the solo instrument performs alone at certain points in the piece. It is a moment that showcases the unique beauty of the instrument’s sound and the performer’s free and dazzling virtuosity.

² Ryom’s Verzeichnis, like the Köchel-Verzeichnis (KV) compiled for Mozart by Ludwig Ritter von Köchel, is a comprehensive catalog of Vivaldi’s compositions. "RV" stands for Ryom-Verzeichnis, created by musicologist Peter Ryom to classify Vivaldi’s works by genre and structure.

³ BMV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis) is a catalogue that systematically classifies the works of Bach by assigning them specific numbers. It is also known in English as the Bach Works Catalogue. This numbering system was first compiled in 1950 by German musicologist Wolfgang Schmieder, who organized all of Bach’s instrumental and vocal compositions by genre rather than by chronology. Therefore, a higher BMV number does not necessarily indicate that the work was composed later.

⁴ L’Estro Armonico, Op. 3 is a collection of twelve concertos published in 1711 by Dutch publisher Estienne Roger when Vivaldi was 32. While "Opus" numbers denote the publication sequence (not necessarily composition order), Op. 3 was Vivaldi’s third published set and marked his first internationally acclaimed collection. It had a major influence on the young J.S. Bach, who arranged several of its pieces. Its daring structure—eight string instruments interacting in an innovative concerto grosso style—revolutionized the form. Vivaldi’s vivid melodies were met with great enthusiasm, securing his fame across Europe’s courts and cathedrals. 

Update Note

• 2025.07.24: Added ³ BMV (Bach Werke Verzeichnis)

Korean version: https://deposo.tistory.com/80