Weird Instruments From Vivaldi's Baroque Music - A Key Stage 2 Resource

Vivaldi's baroque music uses many weird instruments, rarely seen today.
In this video, join Adrian Chandler as he explores a few of them: the viola d'amore; the chalumeau; the baroque chamber organ; and the violin in tromba marina.
Vivaldi used the viola d'amore in works composed during his time at the Ospedale della Pietà. The replica Stradivari used by Adrian comprises six strings tuned to a chord, with metal strings underneath that resonate at the same pitch. We hear the viola d'amore in Vivaldi's Concerto for viola d’amore, strings & continuo in D, RV 394, I. Allegro (find the full video from Vivaldi's Women here • Concerto for viola d’a... ).
Moving away from string instruments, Louise Strickland introduces a, sort of, cross between the recorder and clarinet - the chalumeau. A predecessor to the modern-day clarinet, like the recorder, the chalumeau comes in soprano, alto, tenor and bass. In a wonderful clip of baroque music, we hear the tenor in action in Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus: Cum dederit dilectis suis from La Serenissima's album Vivaldi's Women.
Moving us to weird instruments that would have been inside the chapel at the Ospedale della Pietà, Rob Howarth introduces us to the chamber organ. Going through all the different parts of the organ, Rob demonstrates the different sounds and what they would be used for. However, unlike the organs that Vivaldi would have written for, this particular instrument is actually a Hauptwerk, digitisation of an Italian style organ by Pietro Nacchini (C18) which resides in Izola, Slovenia (sorry Rob, it's not in Italy!). It can be heard in Vivaldi's Concerto for violin, organ, strings and continuo RV541 found on La Serenissima's album, Vivaldi's Women.
Finally, Adrian brings us to another stringed instrument, the violin in tromba marina. Nuns at the Pietà were not allowed to play certain instruments, such as the trumpet, as it was considered unladylike. In response Vivaldi created his own weird instrument called the violin in tromba marina. This is a violin with three brass strings, rather than the usual four gut strings, and also has a pin stuck through the bridge with washers attached which create a buzzing and vibrating sound when the violin is bowed. This combination creates a much louder trumpet-like sound as heard in Vivaldi's Concerto for Violin in Tromba Marina, Strings & Continuo in G Major, RV 313, I. Allegro, • Concerto for Violin in... .
In this exploration of unusual baroque music we can truly see the diversity of instruments for which Vivaldi wrote, and the way in which the expertise of La Serenissima brings them to life.
To hear more of these instruments, check out La Serenissima's album Vivaldi's Women www.lasereniss...
To help support La Serenissima in making more music and videos like this, please head to our Global Giving page: www.globalgivi...
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