 |
||
 Vivaldi, Antonio (1678-1741) |
Vivaldi was born March 4, 1678, in Venice, and was trained
by his father, a violinist at Saint Mark's Cathedral. Ordained a priest in 1703, Vivaldi
began teaching that year at the Ospedale della Pietà, a conservatory for orphaned girls.
He was associated with the Pietà, usually as music director, until 1740, training the
students, composing concertos and oratorios for weekly concerts, and meanwhile
establishing an international reputation. From 1713 on, Vivaldi was also active as an
opera composer and producer in Venice and traveled to Rome, Mantua, and elsewhere to
oversee performances of his operas. In about 1740 he accepted a position at the court of
Emperor Charles VI in Vienna. |
|
His most famous and somewhat younger contemporary, J. S. Bach, studied Vivaldi's work during his formative years, and some of Vivaldi's violin concertos and sonatas exist only as transcriptions, mostly for harpsichord, made by Bach. Vivaldi's concertos provided a model for this genre throughout Europe, affecting the style even of his older contemporaries. Over 300 of his concertos are solo concertos (220 for violin, others for bassoon, cello, oboe, and flute). Others are concerti grossi, 25 for two solo violins and 32 for three or more instruments. A few are ripieno concertos (for orchestra without soloists). Vivaldi was the first composer who consistently used the ritornello form that became standard for the fast movements of concertos. The ritornello was a section that recurred in different keys and was played by the full orchestra. It alternated with soloist-dominated sections (episodes) that in his works were often virtuosic in character. He virtually established the three-movement format for the concerto and was among the first to introduce cadenzas for soloists. His opus 8 concertos entitled The Four Seasons are early examples of orchestral program music. Like much of his music, they are marked by vigorous rhythms and strong contrasts. |
||
 Main Menu |
   |
|
© 2005 Legato Studios |
||