The most remarkable violinistcomposer was Antonio Vivaldi

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• The most remarkable violinist-composer was
  Antonio Vivaldi
• Composed more than 450 concertos
• 40 operas
• solo, chamber, and vocal works
• Born Venice, March 4, 1678
• Father was violinist at St. Marks orchestra
• Antonio became an outstanding violinist
• He began religious studies age 15, ordained
• He was excused from liturgical duties
• failed to finish saying Mass
• Retired from clerical duties 1705

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• Known as the red priest
• His first known musical activity was in 1696 as
  an extra violinist at St. Marks

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• In 1703 Vivaldi was appointed to the faculty of
  the Pio Ospedale della Pieta and became the
  music director and conductor in 1716
• one of 4 convent schools founded and supported by
  the city of Venice
• sheltered up to 6000 orphaned, indigent and
  illegitimate girls at a time
• staffed by nuns and priests, the school also
  employed distinguished musicians
• school hoped to find husbands for the girls but
  many never married and stayed at the school to
  develop their musical skills
• Provided a superior education , including musical
  training , for girls and young women
• most talented students received training similar
  to conservatory studies and many became virtuoso
  performers
• concerts were among the premier music events in
  Venice

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• Vivaldi began at the Pieta as a violin instructor
• active as a composer
• began to cultivate the concerto
• The impression of his music, his students, and
  the concerts resulted in his promotion to the
  post of maestro dei concerti in 1716
• He achieved international reputation with the
  publication of Lestro armonico The Inspiration
  of Harmony (12 concertos)
• Vivaldis music became very popular and was even
  arranged by Bach

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• His operas were unusual for a priest
• He enjoyed life and money, expensive clothing,
  luxurious accommodations, and was the source of
  scandalous rumors
• Vivaldi traveled extensively, played violin for
  the Pope, and produced operas at leading theaters
• In the 1730s his operas began to fail
• In 1738 his contract with the Pieta was not
  renewed

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• In 1740 he left Venice for Vienna
• By his death in 1741 he had spent all of his
  fortune
• His reputation declined
• His music fell into obscurity
• 1841 saw some interest in Baroque music
• Vivaldi was re-discovered through transcriptions
  by Bach
• By 1900 interest in Vivaldi warmed up
• In 1926 - a friar from a small monastery - Turin
  Nat. Library - old MS - finance repairs

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Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

• 100 volumes of musical scores from the early 18th
  century
• Most by Vivaldi
• It was the composers personal collection
• Half of a larger collection - the remaining
  located in Genoa
• This restored Vivaldi to the world

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Summary

• Three kinds of musical institutions with which
  Vivaldi associated
• The Church, especially St. Marks
• the Pieta
• the theater
• The Concerto
• more than 450 composed
• The Baroque period saw the birth of concert music
• Advances in instrument making - the violin makers
  and woodwind makers - gave rise to the orchestra
• Italian violin makers
• Nicolo Amati 1596 - 1684
• Antonio Stradivari 1644 - 1737
• Giuseppe Bartolomeo Guarneri 1698 - 1744
• oboe, bassoon, transverse flute

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The Four Seasons

• The concertos
• fast - slow - fast
• ritornello
• virtuoso passages featuring his solo instrument
• expressive arias for solo instrument
• The concerto is the perfect form for technical
  display
• Vivaldi published six major collections, four
  have programmatic titles
• The Four Seasons
• pub. 1725 - collection of 12 concertos known as
  The Contest Between Harmony and Invention
• program music
• Vivaldi also provided a detailed written program

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La primavera (Spring)

• I. Spring has come and joyfullythe birds
  welcome it with cheerful song,and the streams at
  the breath of zephyrsflow swiftly with sweet
  murmurings.But now the sky is cloaked in
  blackand thunder and lightning announce
  themselveswhen they die away, the little
  birdsturn afresh to their sweet song.
• Kennedy
• Loussier

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La primavera (Spring)

• II. Then on the pleasant flower-strewn
  meadow,to the gentle rustle of the leaves and
  branches,the goatherd rests, his faithful dog at
  his side
• Kennedy
• Loussier

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La primavera (Spring)

• III. To the rustic bagpipes gay sound,nymph
  and shepherd dance beneaththe fair spring sky in
  all its glory.
• Kennedy
• Loussier

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The Baroque Concerto

• Vivaldi The Four Seasons
• Concerto No. 1 in E La primavera
• Concerto No. 2 in G minor Lestate
• Concerto No. 3 in F Lautunno
• Concerto No. 4 in F minor Linverno
• Jacques Loussier Trio
• Telarc CD-83417
• Nigel Kennedy
• EMI CDC 549557

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Criticism

• Vivaldi played a solo accompaniment. . . But I
  cannot say it pleased me, for it was not so
  pleasant to listen to as it was skillfully
  performed.
• Johann von Uffenbach, 1715