Nisi Dominus (Vivaldi)

Nisi Dominus RV 608 is unusual in that it sets a Vesper Psalm for a solo voice. It was composed between 1713 and 1717 during Vivaldi's engagement at the girls' orphanage Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, where it was probably first performed. RV 608 has been described by musicologists as a remarkable work in a number of ways. Harriet Smith wrote, "what's extraordinary is the composer's sheer imagination in terms of colour and mood". Bruce Lamott says: James Manheim summarizes by saying that this work "supports the conclusion that the relative obscurity of Vivaldi's vocal music is due more to historical accident than to any lack of quality." == Structure ==

The above-mentioned scoring holds for all nine movements: The work is unusual in that it splits the doxology into two separate movements (7 + 8), and even more striking is its treatment of the first of those, the Gloria Patri. Bruce Lamott says "In what Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot calls a , Vivaldi saves the greatest surprises for the Gloria Patri." Normally, the entire doxology is a single movement, a cheerful celebratory movement serving as the climax of a piece. Instead, Vivaldi set the words of the """ to slow mournful music, using "the unusual colouring of a viola d'amore, an instrument on which the composer excelled." Michael Talbot writes that Vivaldi's musical setting of the "" turns this part of the doxology into "a journey through a vale of tears: praise of the Trinity despite everything, rather than on account of everything." With the second half of the doxology, "" (As it was in the beginning), Vivaldi creates a musical pun by reprising the music of the opening movement. This movement and the final "Amen" are more upbeat and celebratory, typical for concluding movements of such pieces. == References ==