PolyU Orchestra • Music Connects – Baroque Concerto Series – Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins in B minor, RV580

Baroque Concerto series
Antonio Vivaldi︳Concerto for Four Violins in B minor, RV 580

I Allegro
II Largo - Larghetto
III Allegro

Conductor:
Mr Leung Kin-fung
Artistic Director and Conductor of PolyU Orchestra

Violin Soloists:
Benjamin Leung Kai-hong
Alumnus, Department of Building Services Engineering

Leah Li Yajie
Alumna, School of Nursing

Kelsey Liang Yuan
Alumna, Faculty of Humanities

Joey Mao Yiwei
Student, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) composed a set of twelve violin concertos entitled L'estro armonico, “harmonic inspiration”. The tenth of these, for Four Violins in B minor, is renowned for its melodic grace and consonance. It is well loved and even regarded by its admirers as being equal to the famous Four Seasons.

L'estro armonico, written in 1711, was Vivaldi’s first concerto publication.  This B minor concerto has a three-movement, fast–slow–fast structure. The four solo violins take the lead successively to play the main melody.  The passages of clear sixteenth notes evoke the lively pastoral scenery, the slow movement expresses delicate emotions, and the music ends merrily at a brisk pace.

韋華第(1678－1741)《和諧的靈感》由十二首提琴協奏曲組成，其中編號第十的B小調四把小提琴協奏曲以細緻純淨旋律聞名，深受大眾喜愛，甚至被認為與著名的《四季》聲名相當。

《和諧的靈感》於1711年出版，是韋華第第一部出版的協奏曲作品，後來巴赫將其中多首改編為大鍵琴協奏曲。B小調協奏曲採用快－慢－快三樂章形式，四把提琴接續演奏主題旋律，清晰的十六分音符描繪出生機盎然的田園風光，緩板樂章抒發細膩情感，樂曲在緊湊節奏中愉悅地結束。