...Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4th, 1678, in Venice, Italy. His father, a barber and a talented violinist at Saint Mark's Cathedral himself, had sparked interest in music in young Antonio. He helped him in making a decision of taking on a career in music. He encouraged and made him enter the Cappella di San Marco orchestra, where he soon became a highly appreciated violinist (Wikipedia). In 1703 Vivaldi became a priest known by the nickname "The Red Priest", because of his red hair. He was not interested in priesthood and the only reason for joining was his financial situation. That was was the only possible way for his poor family to receive free schooling. Nevertheless, very soon, in 1704, he was pardoned from celebrating the Holy Mass because of his bad health. Later, he became a violin teacher at an orphanage for girls called Ospedale della Pietà in Venice. The orphans soon started to gain appreciation and esteem as Vivaldi wrote most of his concertos, cantata, and sacred music for them. In 1705 the first collection of his works was published. He was a prolific composer producing over 500 concertos, 46 Operas, symphonies, 73 sonatas, chamber music, and sacred music. His most famous work is believed to be the Four Seasons (Wikipedia). Vivaldi's music is especially innovative since he added brightness to the very formal and rhythmic structure of concertos. He constantly searched for harmonic contrasts, creating innovative melodies and themes. Vivaldi’ ultimate...
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...Antonio Lucio Vivaldi Birth: Antonio Vivaldi had been born on March the 4th, 1678. He was baptized immediately after birth Early Adult Years: Antonio Vivaldi was made a priest in 1703. But, according to him, a year later after becoming a priest, he no longer wanted to celebrate Mass due to complaints like “tightness of chest”. This may have been genuine or fake. It may have been genuine, in which case, the illness was probably asthma. It may have been faked due to his greater love of music, so he could spend more time writing it and jotting ideas down instead of celebrating mass. Anyways, Antonio Vivaldi became a clergyman against his own will. He probably became one in the first place because in his days, that was usually the only way a poor family (in Vivaldi’s case, his family and himself) could get free education. He did remain a priest though, even if he did not do all the Mass because of his poor health and asthma. Antonio Vivaldi wrote many great and fantastic musical pieces that earned him a great reputation as a musician, such as Opus 3 and the Four Seasons. But he also wrote lots more small pieces, rather like 5 finger exercises and warm-ups for a beginner, amateur, or student. And this is what they were. Vivaldi worked for the Ospedale Della Pieta for most of the time. An Ospedale is normally termed an orphanage. But this Ospedale was a little different. It was a home for the female children of noblemen, rich men, merchants, wealthy men, etc. and their numerous...
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...Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi was one of the leading musicians of the Baroque period. He was a classical composer and musician. Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy to Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio. He was the oldest of five children. Giovanni was a barber who later became a professional violinist. It was Antonio’s father who taught him to play the violin and together they toured Venice and were even noted as one of Venice’s main tourist attractions. When Vivaldi was around 14 or 15 he began the study of priesthood; in the 1600s, this was a common way for a poor family to get a free education for their child. Vivaldi was ordained on March 23, 1703 at the age of 25. He was known as the ‘Red Priest’ because of his red hair. Vivaldi worked at an orphanage which was called the Ospedale della Pieta (Hospice of Mercy) as the maestro di violin This was an all-girls orphanage, which was for the illegitimate daughters of Venice’s noblemen and the school was dedicated to the education and care of young women. The musical standards at Ospedale were among the highest in Venice and Vivaldi served as the music director. At Ospedale, every month he would write two concerti for the girls’ choir to perform, these accounted for the large variety of the music Vivaldi wrote. These concerti were often quite difficult, and the girls of the Ospedale choir must have possessed a great amount of talent to perform them. Several of Vivaldi’s students...
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...Monteverdi came around at the end of the Renaissance period leading into the Baroque period, all the way back in the 17th century. Meanwhile, Vivaldi would not come around till the 18th century, much later into the Baroque period. Monteverdi’s writing focused around only vocal pieces, most of which were operas. His first Opera he published, Orfeo, is what really got Monteverdi’s name out there. After his big success from Orfeo, he went on to publish his second Opera, L’Arianna. Monteverdi was very well known for capturing expression and feelings within his compositions. Vivaldi also wrote an opera of his own, called Ottone in villa. Vivaldi, just like Monteverdi, also wrote many vocal pieces. However, the difference is between them, that Vivaldi...
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...of a beautiful spring day. The concerto begins in allegro and slows down and picks up again as if it is telling a story of spring. What I like most about the Four Seasons’ Spring is that I feel refreshed, renewed, everything that spring represents. After listening to all four of the concertos, I was able to relate to each season through the music. I also enjoy jazz music and I can sit and listen to the instruments and they sometimes sound like words that speak to your soul and spirit, soothing and refreshing, creating a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the day. Sayre, H. (2012). The Baroque in Italy. In The Humanities: Culture, Continuity and Change (Vol. 2, pp. 697-698). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. Four Seasons ~ Vivaldi. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8,...
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...Vivaldi’s violin concerto The Four Seasons (1725) is an excellent example of the music of the Baroque era. The Baroque era was a time of artistic revolution. Virtuosic concertos, especially for stringed instruments like the violin, were great examples of this. Antonio Vivaldi was known for his work on such pieces - his most well known set of concertos is considered The Four Seasons. During the baroque era, it was quite common for musical pieces to tell stories, or invoke specific emotions, also known as ‘program music.’ It was intended to tell a story, and Vivaldi became a legend in the style. The Four Seasons does this wonderfully. In fact, there were sonnets that go along with the piece, describing each season. The piece titled Summer,...
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...Vivaldi's Spring Concerto (within the “Four Seasons” set) is comprised of three movements, from allegro to largo and back to allegro. The first movement ends at roughly 3 minutes 15 seconds, followed by the second movement ending at about 5 minutes 35 seconds, and the third movement concluding the concerto at 9 minutes and 12 seconds. It is a violin concerto that has a tutti made up of multiple violins, violas, cellos, bass and harpsichord. From the first movement to the last it starts with a fairly basic ritornello form (excepting the free form of the second movement), falling back to the main theme every so often in repetition and carrying what is generally a homophonic texture. The dynamics are highly contrasting based upon the depth of the major/minor key. As the portion of the piece falls into either chord primarily, be it major or minor, it tends to increase in dynamics, boosting the intensity and directly influencing the mood. During the transition, there seems to be somewhat of a fall in dynamics, with a clever drop at certain points to inherently draw the focus of the listener, along with various crescendos and decrescendos leading up to and trailing away from roughly the mid-point and end of each movement. The beat varies throughout all three movements, typically quicker in the first and the last and more subdued and slowed in the second....
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...In a Tempest of Thoughts The advent of spring is a harbinger in unveiling the conundrum of the seasonal fiesta of nature. It is more like an epiphany-- a small phase by itself but together with its predecessors, reveals the grand design of the entirety of the seasonal cycle. The rhapsodies of emanation of new lives and the bursting of lilacs to their fullest of blooms, the gleaming sunshine and the vibrant sonata of the birds; cumulatively seek to quench the thirsty heart of a love-sucked hart like me! Who, in this unfolding of the symphony of spring, is such an imbecile as not to be enraptured by the wizardry of “Two Tramps in Mud time” by Robert Frost, or not to be enthralled by the pensive T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land”, or not to be enamoured by the soft baritone of Nat King Cole’s “Love is an April rose that grows in the early spring”? In this Arcadian backdrop, I was listening to Vivaldi’s seminal composition, “Four Seasons”. The classical concertos, each brilliantly portraying the four essential seasons, “Spring”, “Summer”, “Fall” and “Winter”. As I was ruminating on the opening notes of the piece on “Spring”, I felt that I have been greeted coldly by the winter of despair more often than that of the spring of hope. Was I being unnecessarily cynical? Could it be that I was cocooned in a cobweb of an overblown sense of self-importance so much so that I had turned pretty petulant at the herald of any misfortune...
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...Review of Handel and Vivaldi Fireworks Handel and Vivaldi Fireworks is a tale of two Baroque cities—London and Venice, performed by Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra and Philippe Jaroussky. The orchestra and the countertenor together presented a fantastic show including several great pieces of music composed by Handel and Vivaldi from great dramas. Their suggestive facial expressions and body movements were visible in the concert, which fully conveyed their feelings to the audience, implying that they put their heart and soul into interpreting the music rather than just singing or playing the tones and notes. In the first part of the concert, Philippe showed his stunning coloratura in Con’l a li di costanza. He always had a smile on his face with his body slightly forward while singing this opera selection. What is more, when he sang to the climax, he held up his hands. Instead of singing with his voice, Philippe sang with every part of his body. He was fully immersed in the music and he might didn’t notice that he had these gestures. Joy took the form of the notes and his body language. Without knowing the lyrics of this song, the audience could still feel the happiness in the music through Philippe’s actions. Both his astonishing singing technique and his expressions enraptured the audience by the bright music. Not only Philippe, but the whole orchestra explained the music with affluent body actions. Unlike some other orchestras where musicians sit motionlessly...
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...Baroque Music Period “Baroque music expresses order, the fundamental order of the universe. Yet it is always lively and tuneful. Follow the development of music through this brief outline, from the earliest times to the present day, with baroque music set in historical context.” The style of polyphonic music containing elaborate ornamentation and contrasting elements, that is how Baroque music is defined. The Baroque era in music is not a set style in music but many diverse styles which may be broken down into at least three distinct periods. A renewed interest in art and music was experienced throughout the Renaissance which then led to the Baroque era which was more of a transitional stage leading up to the maturity of classical music in the Classical era which began as Baroque ended. Many people believe that the word baroque came from two different places. Some believe that it came from the word barocco, which is Italian and means bizarre or strange. Others believe that it is Portuguese and it came from the word barroco meaning distorted or irregularly shaped pearl. The barroco was considered more beautiful because of its uniqueness. Either way the name stuck. Instrumental music in the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras were called sonatas, concertos, and sinfonias interchangeably. The order and shape of their movements were often very similar. Works that used between five and seven violins with contino were often called sonatas and concertos, though they were more often...
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...Hildegard von Bingen Hildegard von Bingen was known for her many works in history. She is also known as Saint Hildegard. I am researching her as a composer but she was not just a composer, she was very multitalented. Hildegard von Bingen was a scientist, philosopher, and a theologian. She was a very smart woman that really wanted to experience many things to expand her mind. Hildegard von Bingen was a German woman born in 1098 in Bermersheim, Germany. As tradition in those parts of Germany when a family has their tenth child, that child will be given to God. So this meant that Hildegard was the tenth child and she will be brought up into the church. So Hildegard von Bingen manly experienced the working of the Christian lifestyle. Hildegard von Bingen was a woman whose musical work sparked minds of others. She was so remarkably different than any other female composer in the medieval era. She gained much experience while being part of the Divine office which she sang. She had many music forms that she used as a composer. Hildegard von Bingen used antiphons, responsories, sequences, and hymns. Hildegard von Bidgen was well known and will never be forgotten as a musical composer. She was laid to rest in 1179 but she still lives on in her musical work. Fierro, N. HILDEGARD OF BINGEN: SYMOHONY OF THE HARMONY OF HEAVEN. 1997. 05 Novmeber 2012 <http://www.hildegard.org/music/music.html>. "Hildegard of Bingen." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012. Encyclopedia...
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...styles of music. Music contrast is very important to the drama of baroque music. The different instruments, solos and ensembles, and the difference of soft and loud music all played major roles in baroque music. The baroque music period is described in three sections, early, mid, and late. Early ba-roque (1600-1640) brought us many great musicians such as Monteverdi, Bach, and Vivaldi. Composers of the early baroque period thought the idea of music was better illustrated by using a main melody. The composers of this period performed music with a new found freedom. The mid-baroque period was from 1640 to 1690. During this period the new found music moved from Italy throughout Europe. Compositions were written for certain instruments. Violins were the most popular instrument of this period. The late baroque period (1690-1750) brought about the baroque music we hear today. For the first time during the baroque period instruments were as important as vocal music. This period had many great composers such as Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederic Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi. Claudio Monteverdi was from Italy. He was one of the most important composers of the early baroque period. He worked at the Court of Mantua. He was a singer, violinist, and later became a music director. Monteverdi created the masterpiece Orfeo. He got little respect or pay although he was a well-known composer in Mantua. His lifestyle improved after he became the music director...
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...Orchestra was mainly practised from 1600 to 1750, following the death of one of the most influential composers of the time, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). During this time period, the Baroque Orchestra was created and developed by other very prominent composers of the time including George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Claudio Montreverdi (1567-1643), Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643), Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725), Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), Giovanni Bbattista Pergolesi (1710-1736) and many more. The Baroque period took advantage of the detailed use of polyphony, which is the texture which consists of 2 or more melodic tones that are woven together and played simultaneously, opposed to music that just consists of a single melodic voice or one with a more dominant melodic voice which would then be accompanied by chords. The orchestra itself was carried by a variety of different instruments including: Strings -Violin, The origins of the violin date back to as far as the 9th century and were thought to be first used by the Persian geographer named Ibn Khurradadhibih. JS Bach, Antonio Vivaldi and Arcangelo Corelli were well known for being talented violinists; Violins replaced Viols which were much weaker sounding in the Baroque period. -Viol These were typically played in a consort (a group of differently sized viols playing together), consorts were however outdated by and through the development of the orchestra...
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...He wrote pairs of prelude and fugue, fantasias, and five toccatas and more contrapuntally strict and complicated works such as chorale preludes and fugues. One of remarkable work is Prelude and Fugue in A minor (BMW 543). This piece follows typical of Bach’ practice w hich consists of two section which is virtuosic prelude and fugue with pedal points with imitation. Bach arranged lots of work from Vivaldi and get affected by his style. Violinistic figuration in the figuration can be considered as an influence from Vivaldi. The form of this piece resembles the structure of a concerto which was a specialized genre of Vivaldi, the fugue subject functions as the...
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...The World without Music From as far back as scholars can trace, music has always been an essential part of the human culture all over the globe. Music can be used to convey feelings, promote religious agendas, and entertain. It can be expressed through chanting, singing, dancing, and most importantly, playing instruments. One instrument, the violin, has been a major part of musical compositions for many centuries. The violins importance with music can be analyzed by focusing on its history, its sound and effects, the style of music that made it popular, and how it is being incorporated in music today. First, to understand the violin, one must know what it is exactly. The violin, also referred to as the fiddle, is a four-stringed instrument that can produce different tones depending on which string is played, A, E, D, or G. It belongs to a family of stringed instruments, which includes the cello and viola. The violin is the smallest instrument in the strings family. Kerman and Tomlinson, authors of the music book Listen, point out: Stringed instruments produce their sound by means of taut strings attached to the sound box, a hollow box containing a body of air that resonates (that is, vibrates along with the strings) to amplify the string sound. The strings themselves can be played with a bow, as with the violin and other orchestral strings; the bow is strung tightly with horsehair, which is coated with a substance called rosin so that the bow grips the strings...
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