S_V_H Antonio Vivaldi RV 578

This image shows the progress on this next project, which is Concerto No. 2, RV 578 in G minor, 3rd movement: Larghetto. Larghetto, an Italian term, refers to a slight decrease in tempo, let’s say around 60 to 70 BPM. My draft music for this project currently has a faster tempo of 84 BPM for a reason.

The arrangement for this music is going to be close to 1:30 seconds. My earlier small works were all less than a minute. I thought a 1 minute limit fit with their size and a listener’s interest. Since this new project is already at 5 feet, and its Vivaldi, 30 seconds more music would be consistent with past projects. I thought I should, to move this music along, speed up the tempo which I have. I will fine tune this music’s beat when I return to complete the cover music. I want the visitor to enjoy listening to a 300-year-old nonclassic rock or contemporary pop song. Speeding up the tempo might turn this music into a catchy, upbeat melody.

Here is the YouTube video that interested me to do another Vivaldi. It was not only the quality of the music from its start that is so Vivaldi, and so embracing. it was what I learned from this performance. What caught my attention was how the musicians all made such quick and smooth changes in volume and emphasis. I see this as a direction to better evaluate the overall volume of my arrangements. This music confirms for me the importance of having the right sound levels at the right moments in the music. Improving my control of volume levels will add interest and depth to the quality of my arrangements.

The music for this artwork starts at the 3:50 and at 5:25 minutes there is a short duo violin run-down-the-scale moment that this artwork will depict.
This is an early and bland cover of this dramatic music.

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, RV 531, Allegro, Final Image

This Vivaldi artwork is finished.  Like each of the Vivaldi Four Seasons series of thirteen painting, this Vivaldi also took considerable amount of time, almost two months, to complete.  The length of the artwork, over eight feet,  and the complications in the building the music that flowed all over the edges, slowed the entire process.  My thinking for the next painting is to choose a subject that will be a quicker to complete. Of course, that plan is practical only up to the point of starting.

I do not plan on selling this work, although two-thousand would tempt me.  One reason not to sell is that this Vivaldi is already hanging in our living room. My practical reason to keep it apart of my collection,  is that it would be extremely expensive and complicated to package up and ground ship,  such a delicate eight foot artwork.  Finally, my personnel and best reasoning for not wanting to sell this artwork,  is that it represents my emotional attachment to the music of Antonio Vivaldi.

I believe this Vivaldi is a leap forward for this art. I am not sure how I will reproduce this look, but I do know all the following artworks for this year will display its influence.

 

Scott Von Holzen

S_V_H Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, RV 531, Allegro, Image3

I have the rhythm of this artwork in place.  With this painting I am using shades from black to light gray to present to the eye a sense of movement (a fundamental of music).  Not only does this adds interest,  but it may also generate the look of motion in the rhythmic up and down flow across this artwork.  I actually tried this before as you can see in the 2012 painting Blackbird:

BlackBird, 2012

In this artwork I inserted smaller circles inside the music in different positions with the hope that a viewer would sense movement.  I used this technique, with mixed success,  on a number other works from early 2011 to early 2012,  and then stopped.  I am not sure if different shades across the artwork will work  any better to capture that illusive sense of movement in a still painting, but it may be worth pursing at least until I reach creative boredom.  Than I can move on. This is all part of my education in that elusive chase of the next dangling carrot on my way to developing a unique artist style, and offering my never-ending curiosity, about how this all will end, renewed faith.  Maybe, over time I may even convince myself that there is a future in painting this one theme, over and over again.

In tribute to doing it again, this is my Five-hundredth blog posting.  My goal is to match Vincent Van Gogh’s  letter total of 651 to his brother Theo.  That made up challenge is in reach, as I see that the pace of development of this art form is speeding forward as planned.

Scott Von Holzen