Beatus vir

Antonio Vivaldi made three settings of Psalm 111 (112) “Beatus vir” (“Blessed is the man who fears the Lord”). The two surviving examples could hardly be more different: the large-scale RV 597 (Carus 40.012/00) for double choir and the small but exquisite and effective setting RV 598. The latter, composed by Vivaldi for his female pupils at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice, is of moderate difficulty. The scholarly ‘Urtext’ edition of this work by Uwe Wolf is largely based on the autograph score. In the approximately eight-minute piece, there is an engaging back-and-forth of choral sections and solo passages: for instance, an alto solo is followed by a duet for two sopranos before the choir makes its entrance. Particularly interesting is the lack of a basso continuo in most of the solo passages, which lends them a floating, ethereal quality. Vivaldi renders the Psalm’s juxtaposition of the “godless” and the “God-fearing” with striking musical contrasts. The work concludes with a jubilant doxology, providing a fitting climax. With limited musical forces, the composer succeeds in creating an impressive and varied interpretation of the psalm text.