Vivaldi’s Autumn & Bach’s Badinerie: Analysis
Vivaldi’s Autumn: Musical Analysis
In musical composition, it marks a ternary rhythm in a 3/8 beat, with an Allegro tempo. One hears a mechanical rhythm that produces great musical tension. The arrangement of the notes contributes to this auditory experience. The strong emphasis always falls on the first beat; it overlaps the machine effect.
The score was composed according to a source, from whose variations the rest of the composition is derived. The melody is tonal. The range of the solo violin melody is two and a half octaves, from a low G to a high D.
In Baroque melodies, rhythm is paramount. From a cell or motive, the rest of the composition emerges rhythmically, with modifications of the initial idea.
The texture is polyphonic, with an accompanied melody. The main melody is carried by the solo violin, the harmonic filler is provided by violins I and II and violas, and the basso continuo is performed by the double bass and harpsichord.
The violin, a monophonic instrument, becomes polyphonic as it plays double stops from bar 30. From bar 49, *arco touches down*, a technique executed from the heel to the tip, positioning the arm to rub the bow on two strings simultaneously.
Timbre and Form
Timbrally, one hears an instrumental ensemble, specifically a chamber orchestra. It consists of violins, violas, and double basses. The bass is performed by a plucked string instrument: the harpsichord.
Regarding the form, it corresponds to a concerto, in which the solo violin is the protagonist, while the double bass, violins, and violas provide accompaniment. It belongs to the instrumental genre and is a piece of Baroque music (17th and first half of the 18th century). Its author was Vivaldi, and it is known as “Autumn” from *The Four Seasons*.
Bach’s Badinerie: Musical Analysis
The composition presents a binary rhythm in a 2/4 beat. The tempo is that of a fast dance, equivalent to an Allegro vivace, so it does not need further tempo indication. The rhythm is very marked and persistent. Starting with an anacrusis, it is characteristic of the dance music that inspired the suite. The rhythmic motive of an eighth note and two sixteenth notes, repeated three times consecutively, is a key element throughout the movement.
Melody, Texture, and Tone
The melody is typically instrumental, with frequent leaps (up to an octave) and virtuosic passages with sixteenth notes. The character of the melody and its development are largely determined by the rhythmic pattern and sequence, subject to the harmony. The key, with two sharps, is B minor.
The texture corresponds to an accompanied melody, with frequent appearances of counterpoint. Violins II and violas fill out the harmony, while violins I and the occasional bass line produce imitative counterpoint.
Tonally, it functions as a concerto for solo flute, string orchestra, and continuo. This is a chamber orchestra composed of the bowed string family (violins, violas, cellos, and double basses) and a harpsichord, performing the basso continuo.
Form
Regarding the form, this is the last movement of a suite for orchestra. Section A starts in the tonic (B minor) and ends in the dominant (F# minor), while section B begins in the dominant and ends in the tonic. It belongs to the genre of instrumental, secular music of the Baroque period (17th and first half of the 18th century). Its author is Johann Sebastian Bach, and it is titled “Badinerie” from the Suite for Orchestra No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067.