Vivaldi Violin Concerto per Pisendel RV 205 (PDF)

The concerto RV 205 was written by Vivaldi and dedicated to his friend and student Pisendel. The present edition is based on the Dresden autograph and the parts copied by Pisendel. The vivaldian autograph was prepared by Vivaldi between 1716 and 1717. Pisendel was in Italy those dates and most probably he took the manuscript from the hands of Vivaldi.

The autograph and the copy by Pisendel feature an extra section: The section from bar 75 to 103 in the last movement has two versions in Vivaldi autograph. The first version (A) is copied in the main score and the second version (B) is copied at the end of the manuscript. Pisendel’s copy features just the second version. Both parts have been included in the edition of the score and parts marked as A and B and ending with a double bar line.

The last page of the autograph by Vivaldi features some interesting annotations and fragments.

The first four lines contain a version of the passage from b.103 to b. 121 of the first movement of the concerto RV 172 contained in the Mus.2389-O-42.

The fifth and sixth lines contain annotations yet to be identified but that could be Vivaldi’s hand. These sketches or annotations are written in very dark ink.

In another type of lighter ink, we see other sketches in which three voices appear. These sketches seem to agree with some ideas presented in the concerto contained in this manuscript, RV 205.

One possible hypothesis for these annotations is that they were written by Pisendel as part of the lessons in composition he received when he studied with Vivaldi in Venice. The sketches seem to respond to variations on ideas that appear in the concert rather than sketches intended to modify it. This hypothesis follows the idea that the concerto RV 205 was used as study material by both musicians in 1717.

Vivaldi based the first movement of his sonata for violin and continuo in A major RV 205/2 on the third movement of this concerto.