- Biography
- Concerto for Two Trumpets and Strings
- Concerto for Violin in A Minor
- Concerto Grosso
- Concerto in C Minor
- Gloria in D
- Concerto for Violin and Strings in G Minor
- Four Seasons – Spring
- Four Seasons – Summer
- Four Seasons – Autumn
- Four Seasons – Winter
- Concerto for Flute and Strings in D Major
- Concerto for Viola d’amore
Biography
Born in Venice, Vivaldi appears to have been quite a remarkable character.
He started learning the violin at a very early age, being taught by his father and immediately showing great promise, and later became one of the most celebrated violinist/composers ever to have lived.
At the age of fifteen he started his training for the priesthood, which took almost ten years to complete, and when finally he had become a fully fledged priest, in 1703, he promptly decided to give up saying mass, on the rather spurious grounds of ill health.
Apparently it was not uncommon for him to leave a service in mid-celebration, complaining of chest pains, only to rush out and scribble down a new tune for a concerto.
Although Vivaldi’s main priorities were writing and performing music, he retained an almost life-long association with one of the major charitable institutions in Venice that was concerned with looking after and educating young orphaned girls – of which there were literally hundreds in Venice at the time.
This place, La Pietà, as it was known, was also to become something of a mini-conservatoire of music.
The children were educated with a definite bias towards music, all taking lessons on string instruments from Vivaldi and others.
This led to numerous concerts being given by the youngsters to a remarkably high standard, which became something of a regular attraction in Venice.
Vivaldi played a major role in the preparation and staging of these concerts and also brought in many other well-known composers and musicians of the day to take part.
From 1703, aged twenty-five, he concentrated on composing music.
His first pieces were published a couple of years later, and he embarked upon what turned out to be a highly successful and rewarding career.
Always travelling and extremely busy, Vivaldi liked not only to compose the music but to take an active part in rehearsing and conducting the performances as well.
He was an extremely prolific composer and during the period between 1703 and his death in 1741 he wrote an astonishing 750 works, most of which are of exceptional quality.
His most famous work is that for violin and orchestra, The Four Seasons, and he is, perhaps, best known for his pieces written in a similar vein – the concertos for violin, guitar, bassoon and cello.
There are, in addition, forty-six operas listed in the catalogue (although Vivaldi claimed to have written nearly a hundred, the remaining fifty or so of which are now lost), scores of works for miscellaneous wind instruments, trio sonatas, vocal pieces and a whole host of small chamber works.
Concerto for Two Trumpets and Strings
Concerti, Orchestral
Vivaldi was an amazing composer who could write an entire concerto in a day if necessary.
This particular one for Two Trumpets and Strings has the two lead instruments playing at different volumes (one quiet, one loud), constantly echoing each other, while backed by a galloping string ensemble.
Concerto for Violin in A Minor
Concerto for Violin in A Minor op. 3, No. 6: Allegro
Concerti, Orchestral
This is just one of the countless violin works Vivaldi wrote, many of which have been lost over the years.
It is typical not just of the man’s work, but of the man himself, as he was a bit of rogue and ‘man-about-town’ who could always be seen with a smile on his face and a devilish air.
Consequently his music is inevitably charming and delightful, with a strong sense of having been written purely to please.
Concerto Grosso
Concerto Grosso Op. 3, No. 8
Concerti, Orchestral
Vivaldi is reputed to have written over 450 concerti grossi. This one is a wonderful example of the man’s style.
Concerto in C Minor
Concerti, Orchestral
It is claimed that Vivaldi could write a concerto in a single day and an opera in a week. Many of his concerti were written for up to four soloists, as he enjoyed nothing more than performing with others.
Gloria in D
Gloria in D, RV 589
Choral
Vivaldi’s Gloria is probably his most popular piece of church music and can often be heard today.
Concerto for Violin and Strings in G Minor
Concerto for Violin and Strings in G Minor Op. 6, No. 1: Allegro
1717, Concerti, Orchestral
This violin concerto is one of a set of six that Vivaldi wrote between 1716 and 1717.
It is typical not just of the man’s work but the man himself, as he was a bit of rogue and ‘man-about-town’ who could always be seen with a smile on his face and a devilish air.
Consequently his music is inevitably charming and delightful, with a strong sense of having been written purely to please.
Four Seasons – Spring
Concerto for Violin in E Major Op. 8, No. 1: Allegro
1725, Chamber Music
This is quite possibly Vivaldi’s most famous work, notorious in the world of television and advertising for its subtle yet powerful portrayal of a year.
The arrival of spring is greeted with the twittering of birds and the gentle murmuring of streams. There is a pastoral tone with sheep-dogs barking in the slow movement and the sound of rustic bagpipes in the concluding allegro.
Written solely for strings, Vivaldi’s masterpiece has somehow managed to stand the test of time without losing its freshness and vitality.
Four Seasons – Summer
Concerto for Violin in G Minor Op. 8, No. 2: Allegro
1725, Chamber Music
This is quite possibly Vivaldi’s most famous work, notorious in the world of television and advertising for its subtle yet powerful portrayal of a year.
Summer begins in the lazy heat of the sun, but tension soon builds to a storm, which breaks out in the tempestuous presto.
Written solely for strings, Vivaldi’s masterpiece has somehow managed to stand the test of time without losing its freshness and vitality.
Four Seasons – Autumn
Concerto for Violin in F Major Op. 8, No. 3: Allegro
1725, Chamber Music
This is quite possibly Vivaldi’s most famous work, notorious in the world of television and advertising for its subtle yet powerful portrayal of a year.
Autumn, the season of mellow fruitfulness, begins with a celebration of the vine and drifts into fantasy as the revellers rest before jauntily setting out to hunt at dawn.
Written solely for strings, Vivaldi’s masterpiece has somehow managed to stand the test of time without losing its freshness and vitality.
Four Seasons – Winter
Concerto for Violin in F Minor Op. 8, No.4: Allegro
1725, Chamber Music
This is quite possibly Vivaldi’s most famous work, notorious in the world of television and advertising for its subtle yet powerful portrayal of a year.
Foot stamping and teeth-chattering, sitting by the fire and slipping on the ice:
these, Vivaldi tells us, are the joys of winter, and they are graphically re-created in musical terms.
Written solely for strings, Vivaldi’s masterpiece has somehow managed to stand the test of time without losing its freshness and vitality.
Concerto for Flute and Strings in D Major
Concerto for Flute and Strings in D Major Op. 10, No. 3: Allegro
1728, Concerti
Altogether Vivaldi composed thirteen flute concerti, the opus 10 set being written in 1728. At the time, it created something of a small record, as it was the first ever publication of music composed for a solo flute accompanied by strings and there was no dedication on the title page, the implication being that Vivaldi had written them purely for pleasure.
Concerto for Viola d’amore
Concerto for Viola d’amore RV 540
1740, Concerti, Orchestral
A viola d’amore was a six-stringed bowed instrument that was roughly equivalent to a combination of a violin and a viola. It also possessed a set of ‘sympathetic’ strings that would resonate under the main six to produce a silvery sweet sound. This particular work is really a double concerto for the viola d’amore and lute.