The Suspicion (Italian: La Sospetta) is a violin concerto composed by Antonio Vivaldi around 1720.. It is one of his five known concerti, whose titles reflect the exact emotion at the core of each piece. Of these, “The Suspicion” explores perhaps the most abstract emotion of the five (pleasure, restlessness, rest, retreat, and suspicion), portraying it through instrumental music. Many symbols of suspicion, both subtle and overt, appear throughout the piece.

In the first movement, we encounter a serpentine first-violin subject periodically pierced by the spear-wielding second violins, which play with consonance, dissonance, and sharp staccatissimos, prodding at the mind of the one who suspects. This simple yet striking motif persists through soloist episodes, forever reminding the listener that it is present. We never hear the ritornello in the major mode, which subverts expectations and causes the listener to anticipate a resolution; however, none occurs.

The second movement denies something more difficult to ignore: the soloist merges with the other violins, and the movement reveals itself to be a haunting two-part andante played solely by the orchestra. The contrast between this and the outer movements is breathtakingly executed and reinforces the titular emotion of the concerto.

The third movement is rife with interruptions: the basso continuo and viola suddenly drop out as though struggling to complete a sentence, and Vivaldi demands the performers make cavernous leaps—once again playing with expectations. This movement seems to resolve many of the previous ambiguities; however, with the new surprises introduced here, Vivaldi indicates that the suspicion never truly ends, as each resolution leads only to another (metaphorical) dissonance. The piece paints, in a way, an inescapable and unsettling imagined suspension chain.

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