Salieri, Antonio

Preface

Antonio Salieri – XXVI Variazioni sulla Follia di Spagna

(b. Legnago, Venetian Republic, 18 August 1750 – d. Vienna,7 May 1825)

Antonio Salieri first came to the notice of many music lovers (of a certain age) as a character in the play (later the movie) Amadeus. Leaving aside the questions of the artistic and historical accuracy of that work, it unfortunately cast Salieri in a bad light, unfairly giving many the impression that he was a mediocre composer always in the shadow of Mozart. In truth, Salieri was an extremely successful composer and teacher, and a dominant figure in the musical life of Vienna. His work was influential throughout Europe. Among his many students were such luminaries as Beethoven and Schubert.

After early studies in Lenago, and the deaths of his parents in his early teenage years, Salieri went to Vienna with F. L. Gassman, Kammerkomponist to Emperor Joseph II. Gassman recognized the talents of the young musician and proved to be a valuable mentor, not only in terms of his continuing musical education, but also in modeling for Salieri an understanding of the protocols and politics of life in and around the court. These lessons served Salieri well throughout his career. His genial personality, combined with his substantial interpersonal skills facilitated friendships and working relationships with major figures such as Gluck, Metastasio, da Ponte, and even Joseph II, himself, who helped him shape his career and gave him opportunities for career advancement.

At the age of twenty-four, he succeeded Gassman as Kammerkomponist and was put in charge of music for Vienna’s Italian opera company. Opera was Salieri’s primary focus. He composed mostly Italian operas, but also created two each in French and German. His L’Europa riconosciuta was commissioned for and premiered at the opening of La Scala in 1778.

He was appointed Hofkapellmeister in 1788 and held that post until his retirement in 1824. Most of his liturgical compositions were written in this capacity. Though he wrote relatively few purely instrumental works, his mastery of instrumental genres is evident in his symphony, concerti, and opera overtures. This work, XXVI Variations on “La Folia di Spagna” (1815) was his last major instrumental piece.

The history of the Folia theme, itself, is interesting. It is a ground bass that was used both for improvisation and for the composition of variations. There was an earlier variant of Folia with roots in a 17th century Portuguese dance, but the form that Salieri (and so many other composers) used dates back to Lully in 1672. It became popular to the point of ubiquity, especially among guitarists–from Corbetta and Sanz in the 17th century to Sor and Giuliani, who were contemporaries of Salieri. There were also keyboard versions by Alessandro Scarlatti and C.P.E. Bach, and ensemble versions by J.S. Bach, Corelli, and Vivaldi through Nielsen and Rachmaninoff up to the present day.

Folia is a palindromic harmonic progression with a slight rhythmic alteration at the end to effect a cadence. Salieri uses this progression with almost no alteration throughout. The palindromic harmony is often presented with a similarly palindromic melody, most evident in the present work in Variation 11 in the first oboe or in Variation 16 in the first violin.

Written in late 1815, the purpose and early performance history of Salieri’s Variations is unclear. As stated earlier, he uses almost no harmonic changes to the progression. In fact he seems to favor variation by rhythmic and coloristic means. The result is a set of coloristic orchestration variations that reminds one of Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Several instruments are given solo turns, especially the harp and violin. In some sections, for example Variations 15 and 17, the scoring is very light with only a few solo instruments participating alone or accompanied by sparse string chords, thus giving the sense of chamber music rather than the full orchestra.

There are several striking orchestral devices such as the swelling chorale-like chords alternating with rolls on the timpani and snare drum in Variation 10, and the echo effect in Variation 18. In this section, Salieri labels two solo violins “eco lontano” (echo from far) and “piu lontano” (farther) to make the effect. Placing the violins at a distance creates a much more realistic echo than simply indicating quieter dynamics.

In addition to these and other coloristic effects, Salieri also varies the theme by rhythmic means including meter changes and the use of dance rhythms such as the sarabande (in the theme) and polonaise (Variation 7). His fluency with contrapuntal techniques is in evidence throughout, including the use of canon in Variation 23.

From Variation 20 to the end, the meter changes with each variation, creating an increase of structural tension, especially from Variation 23 to the end. Beginning with the canon in that variation and the gigue-like presto of the next, Salieri then interrupts that build up with an adagio that recalls all the earlier solo turns of violin, harp, bassoon, flute, oboe, and clarinet. The dramatic final variation follows with tremolo in the violins and thirty-second note scale-wise runs in the low strings.

The mode change to D major in the coda is like an extended picardy third. Here some of the earlier orchestral devices are recalled including the aforementioned echoes and brass swells. The final flourish is taken by the solo violin and harp together.

James Dalton, Professor of Music Theory, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, 2018

For performance material please contact Boccaccini & Spada, Rome