Nationality:
Italian
Born:
Venice,
March 4th
1678
Died:
Vienna,
july 28th
1741
Type
of music: Instrumental
music, Violin concertos
Main
works: Over
400 concertos published in sets, including 'Lestro armonico' (1711)
Vivaldi's
vast musical output made him one of the most influential musicians of
the baroque era. His contribution to the concerto form was unrivalled
at the time and would have a lasting effect on successive composers.
In
1693, Vivaldi began his training for priesthood, while continuing to
study violin at home with his father. After being ordained in 1703,
he attained the position of violin teacher at a Venetian orphanage
for girls. This conservatoire had an excellent reputation for music
and during Vivaldi's first six years there, he published a set of 12
'trio sonate de camera' and a set of violin sonatas. He also began
writing concertos which became his preferred style.
Vivaldi
wrote over 200 violin concertos, about 27 cello concertos, and
approximately 12 flute concertos, 3 piccolo concertos, 20 oboe
concertos and 37 bassoon concertos.
The
most famous concerti, 'the four seasons', were published in a
collection in 1725 and are of his most famous works. They are laden
with programmatic content, depicting various elements of the seasons,
such as birdsong in spring and ice skating in winter.
A
set of 12 concertos for 1, 2 or 4 solo violins was published in
Amsterdam in 1711 with the name 'Lestro armonico' that became widely
successful in Europe. J.S. Bach even wrote 5 keyboard transcriptions
of them.
In
1711 when he returned to Pieta he also wrote sacred music as well as
instrumental music. Most noteably Gloria which is still performed
today.
Vivaldi
also wrote operas for Italian courts and opera houses in Mantua,
Venice and Rome. Several have survived although they are mainly used
for academic purposes.
"He
is an old man, who has a prodigious fury for composition. I heard him
undertake to compose a concerto, with all the parts, with greater
despatch than a copyist can copy”. - Charles de Brosses
Spotify
link for the Classical Cafe playlist:
https://play.spotify.com/user/1146446707/playlist/722kiKqGuaxYnbQqnjifAr
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