Transcript Antonio vivaldi - Anna Kristen`s ePortfolio

ANTONIO VIVALDI
Anna Mitchell
HISTORY
 Born in Venice on March 4, 1687
 Parents: Giovanni Battista and
Camilla Calicchio
 Learned to play violin at an early
age
 Began studying to become a
priest at age 15
 Ordained a priest at age 25
 No longer participated in Mass
due to a “tightness in the chest”
Photo courtesy of Google Images
VIVALDI’S EARLY CAREER:
OSPEDALE DELLA PIETÀ
 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 pupils
 Was employed by the
Ospedale della Pietà for most of
hi working life
 Remained there until 1718
Photo courtesy of Google Images
VIVALDI’S PEAK
 Vivaldi became the
Maestro di Cappella in the
court of prince Philip of
Hesse-Darmstadt from 17181721
 Produced several opera
during this time, including
Tito Manlio
Photo courtesy of Google Images
VIVALDI’S PEAK
 Vivaldi 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
VIVALDI’S DECLINE
 Later in life Vivaldi was financially
troubled
 The changing tastes in music
caused his music to fall out of
popularity
 He sold many of his manuscripts
to finance a migration to Vienna
 It is widely believed that he
migrated to Vienna to take up
residence in the imperial court of
Emperor Charles VI
Photo courtesy of Google Images
VIVALDI’S DEATH
 Charles VI died shortly
after Vivaldi’s arrival in
Vienna
 Without a steady flow of
income, Vivaldi soon
became impoverished
Photo courtesy of Google Images
 Died of the night of July
27, 1741 at age 63
VIVALDI’S LIFE WORK

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 Bach

Vivaldi 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
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 season
 The texture of each concerto is varied as each one is meant to
embody it’s respective season
 Each concerto has three movements in the distinct fast-slow-fast
form
THE FOUR SEASONS:
SONNETS
 The four concertos were written
to accompany four sonnets
 Many speculate that Vivaldi
wrote the sonnets himself, as each
sonnet is broken into three distinct
part that correspond nicely to to
movements of each concerto
 The sonnets are meant to depict
the allusions the composition is trying
to portray
Photo courtesy of Google Images
A LISTENING GUIDE TO THE FOUR SEASONS
CONCERTO NO. 3: AUTUMN IN F MINOR
Movement I – Allegro
 RITORNELLO – “The country folk celebrate the good harvest with dances
and joyful songs.”
 SOLO VIOLIN passage.
 RITORNELLO
 Exchange between “drunken” SOLO VIOLIN and other intoxicated
individuals.
 RITORNELLO
 More drunken bragging.
 RITORNELLO
 The party-goers, “having consumed much wine, begin to nod out.”
 RITORNELLO
A LISTENING GUIDE TO THE FOUR SEASONS
CONCERTO NO. 3: AUTUMN IN F MINOR
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 LISTENING GUIDE TO THE FOUR SEASONS
CONCERTO NO. 3: AUTUMN IN F MINOR
Movement III – Allegro
 RITORNELLO – “The hunter goes forth at daybreak with horns, guns and
ferocious dogs!”
 SOLO VIOLIN plays HUNTING HORN calls.
 RITORNELLO
 SOLO 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.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldi
 http://www.classicalarchives.com/vivaldi.html
 http://www.classicalnotes.net/classics/vivaldi.html
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA