Vivaldi Concerto Op. 3 No. 4 for 4 Violins and String Orchestra

Vivaldi: Concerto in E minor, Op. 3 No. 4, RV 550 (Four Solo Violins and String Orchestra)

Op. 3 No. 4 is the E minor concerto among Vivaldi's four-violin works in L'Estro Armonico, and the minor key gives it a different character from its companions in the set. The outer movements have a driven, purposeful quality rather than the outward brightness of the major-key concertos, and the interplay between the four soloists is more serious in tone. The slow movement provides warmth and lyrical relief from the harmonic tension of the outer movements.

This is a new edition prepared from the original score, with a fully realised harpsichord continuo part. A properly worked-out harpsichord part completes the harmonic texture Vivaldi intended and makes a real difference to how the ensemble sounds in rehearsal and performance.

The four solo parts sit at around ABRSM Grade 7. The demands are similar to the other concertos in the series: Baroque articulation, stylistic restraint, and the ability to balance as one of four independent lines rather than as a single voice against the ensemble. In the outer movements, that balance across four soloists in a minor key requires particular care, as the harmonic weight is distributed differently than in the major-key concertos. The orchestral parts sit at a comparable level.

At seven minutes across three movements, it works well alongside the other Op. 3 concertos in a programme, or as a standalone Baroque work.

See and hear the difference

Check the score and parts preview images above, then watch the complete score video below. They'll give you a clear sense of the engraving quality and overall difficulty before you buy.

Key features

• Instrumentation: 4 Solo Violins + String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass) + Harpsichord (realised continuo)
• Difficulty: approximately ABRSM Grade 7 (solo and orchestral parts)
• Duration: approximately 7 minutes
• Style focus: balance across four independent solo lines, Baroque articulation, minor-key character
• Edition: new edition prepared from the original score, with fully realised harpsichord continuo part
• Format: PDF download, full score, all parts, and harpsichord part

Who it's for

This suits chamber orchestras and advanced school or youth orchestras that can field four solo violinists at Grade 7 level or above. For ensembles that already know the F major Op. 3 No. 7, this provides a complementary minor-key option with a noticeably different character. The continuo realisation makes it practical for any ensemble with a keyboard player, and the three-movement structure suits it equally as a self-contained concert work or as part of a wider Vivaldi Op. 3 programme.