Mandolin Concerto, RV425

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The Mandolin is the pivotal instrument in this work

The Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV 425, which may also be written Mandoline Concerto, etc., is a concerto written by the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi in 1725 and is often accompanied by The Four Seasons (1725). The music consists of virtuosic treatment of the solo instrument (i.e. the mandolin), and the interplay between the soloist and accompaniment of the orchestra. The demands are considered higher than other concerti by Vivaldi, and the work is one of the most famous mandolin pieces.

[edit] The First Movement

The Allegro (Italian, "Fast") is a rapid, cheerful tune lasting slightly more than three minutes. Throughout the piece, Vivaldi creates sharp and low contrasts between the mandolin and the rest of the orchestra, attracting much attention to several crescendos within the music.

[edit] The Second Movement

Largo (Italian, "Long"), the second movement, is slightly less than three minutes long, and in contrast to the rapid and enthusiastic tune of the first movement, is slower and thoughtful in its composition. (This movement was used in, and popularized by, an onscreen performance by Robert Carradine in the Western film The Cowboys in 1972.)