Response to Ryan's blog on Malipiero's "Vivaldiana"

When I saw the title of Ryan’s blog, it was obvious that the piece he had selected was in some way related to Vivaldi. After listening to it, it also seemed clear that this piece did not fit the mold of twentieth century music. It is true that Malipiero’s Vivaldiana can more easily be compared to the Baroque works of Vivaldi and Monteverdi than to the work of his twentieth century contemporaries. This piece does not sound like the work of Stravinsky or Schoenberg, nor does it fit into the Romantic period with the likes of Schumann or Beethoven. If I were to hear this piece for the first time and be asked to identify the time period, the year 1952 would definitely not come to mind. As Ryan pointed out, Malipiero was an early musicologist well versed in Baroque music. This is clearly stated in any biography about the composer, however why was Malipiero so interested in Vivaldi’s music and what made him compose a piece outside of the realm of the twentieth century? A great influence in his music was his position as President at the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi. During his time there, he transcribed much of Vivaldi’s work and re-orchestrated excerpts from some of Vivaldi’s concerti. Malipiero himself said, “I took the poor Red Priest and masked him in my own way: in my own way up to a point, that is, because nothing has been changed in the music’s form, harmony or rhythm.” While a detailed history is not needed to study the work, a time and a place certainly provide insight and understanding.

When I read Ryan’s journal, I was under the impression that all of Malipiero’s music was in the early Italian style. I soon found out that this is not the case. If one listens to many of his other works, it becomes clear that Malipiero was indeed a twentieth century composer. After listening to Sette invenzioni for only a short time, I heard complex harmonies and rhythms, modern orchestration, and expanded instrumentation. This sounded like a completely different composer. It is noted that Malipiero was hugely influenced by works like The Rite of Spring and was not solely interested in the Baroque-style. The inclusion of information on Malipiero’s other works and background would have added to the strength of Ryan’s journal.

I agree that the main reason Vivaldiana is not included in the canon is because it is not a revolutionary work with new ideas or techniques. Though the piece is pleasant and stays true to form, it does not fit into what audiences were looking for at the time. What I find to be interesting is that Malipiero’s exploration of early Italian music happened much later in his career. His early works seem to draw more from late and post-romantic ideas. However, as a composer, it is important to be educated in the music of those in the past in order to move forward into the future and it is apparent that Malipiero was well trained.

I do not think that there is an issue of authorship as Ryan suggested. It is very common for composers to transcribe, arrange, and quote music from another time and place. However, it is clear that Malipiero was a talented composer and musicologist, who showed his abilities to write for many different time periods. There is no mistaking his strength or knowledge of music, Baroque or otherwise.