Andante from Concerto No. 2 for Two Mandolins was composed by Antonio Vivaldi, a virtuoso violinist and composer of instrumental music, operas and sacred music. Vivaldi is particularly noted for his contributions to the development of the concerto form. Vivaldi wrote an estimated 500 instrumental concertos, and approximately 40 of these concertos were double concertos (for two solo instruments). Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 2 for Two Mandolins is an example of his skill in this genre. A concerto is an instrumental composition for solo instrument(s), and is often structured in three movements with the sequence fast-slow-fast. The accompaniment for a concerto typically is an orchestra. Prior to Vivaldi, many elements of the concerto were not standardized. Vivaldi helped establish the three movement form of the concerto, as well as inner features of the movements. [1]

To learn more about Vivaldi, visit our String Class.