ANTONIO VIVALDIAnna Mitchell

Born in Venice on March 4, 1687 Parents: Giovanni Battista and Camilla Calicchio Learned to play violin at an early ageBegan studying to become a priest at age 15Ordained a priest at age 25No longer participated in Mass due to a “tightness in the chest”

HISTORY

Photo courtesy of Google Images

V I VALD I ’S EAR LY CAREER: O SP EDA LE DELLA P IETÀ

Started working at the Ospedale

della Pietà at age 25 as the maestro

di violino (master of violins)He composed over 60 works for his talented pupilsWas employed by the Ospedale

della Pietà for most of hi working lifeRemained there until 1718

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Vivaldi became the Maestro di Cappella in the court of prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt from 1718-1721Produced several opera during this time, including Tito Manlio

VIVALDI’S PEAK

Photo courtesy of Google Images

VIVALDI’S PEAKVivaldi received many commissions from Europe's elite

• Wrote the wedding cantata Gloria e Imeneo for the marriage of Louis XV

• Emperor Charles VI gave him the title of knight, a gold metal, and invited him to Vienna

In 1730 he travelled to Vienna and Prague with his father, where his opera Farnace was presented

Later in life Vivaldi was financially troubledThe changing tastes in music caused his music to fall out of popularityHe sold many of his manuscripts to finance a migration to ViennaIt is widely believed that he migrated to Vienna to take up residence in the imperial court of Emperor Charles VI

VIVALDI’S DECLINE

Photo courtesy of Google Images

VIVALDI’S DEATHCharles VI died shortly after Vivaldi’s arrival in ViennaWithout a steady flow of income, Vivaldi soon became impoverishedDied of the night of July 27, 1741 at age 63

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Vivaldi’s music was innovative• Brightened the formal and

rhythmic structure of the concerto

• Looked for harmonic contrasts and innovative melodies and themes

Many of his works are “flamboyantly, almost playfully, exuberant”Influence famous composer Johann Sebastian BachVivaldi wrote more than 500 other concertos, as well as about 46 operas; Vivaldi composed a large body of sacred choral music, and about 90 sonatas and chamber music

VIVALDI’S LIFE WORK

Photo courtesy of Google IImages

THE FOUR SEASONS

The Four Seasons (Le quattro stagioni) is Vivaldi’s best-known work Published in 1725 as part of the twelve concerti called Il cimento

dell'armonia e dell'inventione (The Contest Between Harmony and Invention)

• The first for concertos are The Four Seasons

Each concerto represents a seasonThe texture of each concerto is varied as each one is meant to embody it’s respective seasonEach concerto has three movements in the distinct fast-slow-fast form

The four concertos were written to accompany four sonnetsMany speculate that Vivaldi wrote the sonnets himself, as each sonnet is broken into three distinct part that correspond nicely to to movements of each concertoThe sonnets are meant to depict the allusions the composition is trying to portray

THE FOUR SEASONS: SONNETS

Photo courtesy of Google Images

A L I S T E N I N G G U I D E T O T H E F O U R S E A S O N S C O N C E RT O N O. 3 : A U T U M N I N F

M I N O R

Movement I – Allegro RITORNELLO – “The country folk celebrate the good harvest with dances and joyful songs.”SOLO VIOLIN passage.RITORNELLOExchange between “drunken” SOLO VIOLIN and other intoxicated individuals.RITORNELLOMore drunken bragging.RITORNELLOThe party-goers, “having consumed much wine, begin to nod out.”RITORNELLO

A L I S T E N I N G G U I D E T O T H E F O U R S E A S O N S C O N C E RT O N O. 3 : A U T U M N I N F M I N O R

Movement II – Adagio molto

“Thus, eventually everyone ceases to sing and dance to the tunes of gentleness and pleasure, and the season invites many to slumber.”

A L I S T E N I N G G U I D E T O T H E F O U R S E A S O N S C O N C E RT O N O. 3 : A U T U M N I N F M I N O R

Movement III – Allegro

RITORNELLO – “The hunter goes forth at daybreak with horns, guns and ferocious dogs!”SOLO VIOLIN plays HUNTING HORN calls.RITORNELLOSOLO VIOLIN – More HORN calls.RITORNELLO“The animal flees and the hunters follow its tracks; frightened by the noise of the guns and dogs, the animal tries to escape!”RITORNELLO – Hunt music and fleeing music alternate.“Exhausted from the chase, the animal is caught and dies.”RITORNELLO

Photo courtesy of Google Images

WORKS CITED/REFERENCES

http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxvivaldi.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldihttp://www.classicalarchives.com/vivaldi.htmlhttp://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/vivaldi.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA