ABSTRACT
Major implications arise from the realization that the autograph is a draft — concerning the work's dating, genesis and musical design. The process of drafting was by no means a pure one, since it involved large-scale copying in the case of the borrowed music. The majority of the phantom readings concern vocal parts, which confirms what one would suspect in any case: that in vocal periods Antonio Vivaldi tended to conceive and adjust the music for the voices first, with the basso part as necessary. The pertinent phrase in the contralto part was written before the basso or any other part was added to those bars, and perhaps erased even before syllables were underlaid. Vivaldi's notation is neat and carefully laid out, almost always accurate, and less abbreviated, with a generously figured basso part, than in many other sources. It is hard to believe that Vivaldi could accidentally drop a lengthy alla breve bar when inventing his own music.
