Antonio Vivaldi's extensive output includes at least 500 concertos, with 350 for solo instruments and 150 for two or more players.
Instruments
Vivaldi wrote two concertos for pairs of oboes and the newly invented baroque clarinet, with the first reference to this instrument being an order from 1710.
Composition History
Albinoni's Opus 9 concertos, published in 1722, are divided into three types: four for two oboes and strings, four for solo oboe, and four for solo violin.
Composer Biography
Tomaso Albinoni, born in Venice in 1671, was the eldest son of a wealthy paper merchant, which allowed him to pursue music as a dilettante without needing a musical job in the church or court.
Compositional Technique
Vivaldi was one of the first composers to regularly use ritornello form in the outer movements of his concertos and helped standardize the three-movement form.
Compositional Technique
Vivaldi's Concerto in F major, RV455, showcases his individuality and is cited as proof against the myth that he wrote the same concerto hundreds of times.
Historical Context
Vivaldi's position as Maestro di violino at the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian musical orphanage, required him to constantly supply new works for his pupils.
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Albinoni: Oboe Concertos in B-Flat Major / F Major / C Major / G Minor / C Major / B-Flat Major
