Trio Sonata in A minor RV.86

RV.86 belongs to a large collection of Vivaldi’s works which
remained unpublished in his lifetime, and the only original evidence of this
sonata is an undated and hastily written autograph score. One conclusion is
that Vivaldi, unlike many other equally prolific composers of his day, was
uninterested in the wealth and fame that came with the wide distribution of his
music but was extremely wary of the many people who wished to steal his ideas.
Instead he wrote specifically for musicians he was acquainted with, whether
they be keen amateurs, students of his at the Pieta, or renowned virtuosos. It
is immediately clear that this sonata belongs to the latter group for it places
exceptionally heavy technical demands on both the recorder and bassoon players.

This four-movement
Trio Sonata opens with a largo,
which, despite the title, is a slightly restless dialogue of questions and
answers between the recorder and bassoon. The contrasting largo cantabile of the third movement is denoted by a
serenely calm melody suspended over an Alberti bass line from the bassoon. The
alternating fast movements each push the instrumentalists to their limits in an
outstanding display of virtuosic energy, giving us a glimpse of Vivaldi’s
reputation as the fiery red-haired priest from Venice.