# Vivaldi’s Instrumental Fugues



## Jayden Fung (Jan 20, 2020)

It is difficult to find fugues by Vivaldi because, unlike Bach and many other composers, he never named any discovered works after the form itself; instead, they have been thrown into various larger works, such as concerti and sonatas. Thus, I have taken it upon myself to provide a list for others who may be interested so that they do not need to go through the ordeal of searching for them. This list may be expanded, as I likely forgot about many.

Note: The pieces are not ranked in any particular order.

1. Concerto for Strings in C Minor, RV 120, Mvt. III (




)

• My personal favourite Vivaldi fugue
• Fast fugue
• Astonishing subject
• Viola sounds like horns when there is a brief modulation to C major (with the two violins sprinkling over its strong theme with delicate sixteenth notes)
• Invigorating and intense fugue

2. Concerto for Two Violins in D Major, RV 513, Mvt. II (




)

• Chromatic, sighing subject
• Slow fugue contrasts with celebratory, racing outer movements

3. Concerto for Strings in D Minor "Madrigalesco", RV 129, Mvt. II (




)

• Odd piece for Vivaldi (older style)
• Fugue is a double fugue
• Fast fugue
• Second subject introduced in the middle of the first (overlap)
• While first subject is marked by short, hammering notes, second primarily chromatic quarter notes
• Combination of the two subjects creates "nagging effect", leading to the unstable F-sharp diminshed sixth chord that begins the second movement

4. Concerto Grosso in D Minor, RV 565, Mvt. II (




)

• Earliest dated fugue in a concerto by Vivaldi (that I know of)
• Fast fugue
• Likely his most popular fugue
• Usually, Vivaldi introduces subject in the violins, but here, it is introduced in the basso continuo
• As a result of its popularity, there are many different interpretations, and the tempo is frequently debated

5. Trio Sonata in F Major, RV 69, Mvt. III (




)

• Short, mountains-like subject
• Fast fugue
• Courrante
• Published in first opus

6. Trio Sonata in E Minor, RV 67, Mvt. I (




)

• Serves as a prelude to the succeeding dances
• Slow fugue
• Published in first opus
• May not be considered a true fugue, as the basso continuo enters with the subject and is not a fugal subject itself (only fugal imitation between violins)

7. Violin Concerto in D Major, RV 210, Mvt. III (




[early version],




 [later version changed drastically by Vivaldi himself, my favourite version]
)

• Jumpy and somewhat jaggedy subject, contributing to joyous atmosphere
• Fast fugue
• Texture constantly changes, synthesizing an instability known well to Vivaldi fans

8. Concerto for Strings in C Minor, RV 119, Mvt. I (




)

• Mysterious subject seems to pose as a threat, causing the first violins to sprint away (repeated sixteenth notes), creating a suspenseful "chasing" effect, a successful strategy when utilisizing such an imitative form
• Fast fugue
• Pulsing effect

9. Concerto for Strings in D Minor, RV 128, Mvt. III (




)

• Scalar subject
• Fast fugue
• Fierce
• Vivaldi cleverly introduces each (group of) instrument(s) so that the scale continues all the way down the basso continuo, causing the piece to feel as though it will forever descend into chaos

10. Concerto for Strings in F Minor, RV 143, Mvt. I (




)
• Steady subject
• Fast fugue
• One of Vivaldi's few pieces in F minor

11. Sinfonia in E Minor, RV 134, Mvt. I (




)

• Chromatic, simple subject
• Fast fugue
• Various instances of stretti

12. Concerto for Two Violins D Minor, RV 154, Mvt. II (




)

• Double fugue mixed with canon-second subject is really a repeat of the first (introduced during the first subject)
• Slow fugue
• Subject is polyphonic


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Vivaldi's early trio sonata RV 60 has a full-scale fugue as its third movement, while half the trio sonatas in Op. 1 (1705), including RV 67 and 69 mentioned above, and five of the solo sonatas in Op. 2 (1709) display fugal texture in at least one movement. The pioneering concertos of Op. 3, _L'estro armonico_ (1711), contain as indicated by Jayden a celebrated fugue in the eleventh concerto, RV 565, and a further movement (the second movement of the twelfth concerto, RV 265) whose ritornello is, in a rather simple way, also fugal.

Vivaldi maintains his occasional employment of fugal texture in the published concertos including Op. 4 no. 7 (RV 185) and Op. 8 nos. 1, RV 253 (_Tempesta di mare_), and as Jayden notes, 11 (RV 210). Otherwise, we see it used in the internal slow movements of solo sonatas (RV 46 for cello, and RV 53 for oboe), and in the first Allegro movement of a violin sonata (RV 26).

Fifteen concerti a quattro and both of the two-movement sonatas in the style of Viennese sepolcro overtures (RV 130, the Suonata a 4 al Santo Sepolcro, and RV 169, the Sinfonia al Santo Sepolcro) contain at least one movement styled as a full-length fugue.


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## Jayden Fung (Jan 20, 2020)

Thank you for helping me expand this list! It is hard for me to remember all. I will update the list as soon as possible.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Jayden Fung said:


> 12. Concerto for Two Violins D Minor, RV 154, Mvt. II (
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the list, but I don't see how this is a "double fugue"? The movement is neither a double fugue nor a canon. I don't get what you mean by "double fugue mixed with canon", are you saying it's a double canon? 
http://imslp.eu/files/imglnks/euimg...547394-Concerto_RV_514_-spartito-.pdf#page=17
the fugato or fughetta that starts the movement practically ends after 10 bars (marked '110' in the score).
I don't see separate two subjects and their development. Even if your claim "second subject is really a repeat of the first (which I intepret as "second subject is based upon the first")" is valid - wouldn't that still make it monothematic? I don't get your comment that the "subject is polyphonic" either. 
"In music, a subject is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based. In forms other than the fugue, this may be known as the theme."
So what are examples of fugues where the "subject is not polyphonic", according to you?


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## Jayden Fung (Jan 20, 2020)

Those are valid points; one might only consider the beginning to be fugal but not the entire movement. By “polyphonic subject”, I meant that the subject is “internally polyphonic”. When you play four-note arpeggios in a Vivaldi concerto, for instance, you could interpret that as four voices.


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## flamencosketches (Jan 4, 2019)

Thanks for starting this interesting thread, Jayden Fung. I noticed that I have the RV120 Concerto in C minor in my collection, w/ Rinaldo Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano, so I decided to listen. Man, what a composer Vivaldi was. That was an awesome little fugato finale, and a beautiful slow movement. Good call.


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## Jayden Fung (Jan 20, 2020)

flamencosketches said:


> Thanks for starting this interesting thread, Jayden Fung. I noticed that I have the RV120 Concerto in C minor in my collection, w/ Rinaldo Alessandrini and the Concerto Italiano, so I decided to listen. Man, what a composer Vivaldi was. That was an awesome little fugato finale, and a beautiful slow movement. Good call.


They are amazing! I've added five more to the list.


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