Tuesday, April 26, 2016

V is for Vivaldi

 
              I am participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and my theme this year is classical music. Check out the list of other participants by clicking here! V is for Vivaldi. Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer who lived from 1678 to 1741. Today’s featured video is the first movement of Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, "L'autunno" (Autumn of the Four Seasons). It is performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell on the violin.


 


   ·   Antonio Vivaldi was taught to play the violin by his father. They toured Venice, performing together.
 
   ·   Vivaldi was ordained as a priest in 1703 and was given the nickname, “il Prete Rosso” (the red priest), due to his curly, red hair (he was wearing a customary wig in the painting).
 
   ·   He wrote over 500 concerti, and 230 of those pieces are for violin. He also wrote pieces for bassoon, mandolin, oboe, recorder, cello, flute, viola d’amore, and lute.
 
   ·   His most popular work is the Four Seasons, which includes four violin concerti, one representing each season. The concertos were innovative because they depicted scenes including flowing creeks, singing birds, barking dogs, storms, frozen landscapes, and winter fires. Vivaldi published the Four Seasons with accompanying sonnets that he may have written himself. Those poems were meant to point out the scenes the listener was to imagine.

Gaspar van Wittel - View of the San Marco Basin
View of Venice in 1697
   ·   After his death, many of Vivaldi’s works were locked away or lost until the 20th century. Alfredo Casella helped in the rediscovery efforts when he organized Vivaldi Week in 1939.

 
 
For this challenge, I’m keeping a playlist of the videos I’m using plus some extras for anyone who wants to hear more. I will update with the latest letter each day. I couldn’t let the letter V pass by without another Victor Borge video :) In this hilarious sketch I added, he is playing Caro nome from Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto with opera singer, Marilyn Mulvey. This one is priceless!
 

 
What is your favorite season of the year? Do you have a favorite season or movement in Vivaldi's Four Seasons (Spring is most often used in movies and media)?

19 comments:

  1. I know Four Seasons was his most popular--mostly because it's the only one I've heard of!

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    1. Stephanie, I think that is the case with most people :)

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  2. Interesting about his work being locked away for so long :) My favorite season is Spring :)

    betty

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    1. Betty, I'm glad some of his work has resurfaced, great music should not be hidden away. Spring is a lovely time of year!

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  3. Can you imagine touring with your parent?
    Another fun trailer. Thanks!

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    1. Sandra, I had a hard enough time vacationing with my parents! Glad you enjoyed :)

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  4. Just found your blog and I LOVE this theme. I'm a huge fan of classical music and Vivaldi is one of my favorites. The Four Seasons is indescribably beautiful. My favorites is his Fall and Spring. But I really love them all.

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    1. Luana, I'm glad you dropped by :) I do enjoy all of Vivaldi's Seasons, but his Fall is my favorite.

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  5. Vivaldi has been a favorite of mine listened often when the kids were little so when Carrie was in high school, she took the trip to Europe. She called me one night and had to tell me she was on her way to a Vivaldi concert! I was green with envy!

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    1. Mary, that would be amazing to attend, I can understand your envy!

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  6. Ah, Victor Borge...

    I actually played part of Spring in high school. Some sectional thing. It was fun.

    Liz A. from Laws of Gravity

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    1. Liz, Spring, or any of the Four Seasons, would be something I'd like to play if I played an instrument.

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  7. I had the amazing privilege to see a concert performed at Ste. Chapelle in Paris and they played the 4 seasons. It was a highlight of the trip. If you get a chance your should look up this cathedral which has beautiful stained glass windows and interior painting. Love, love, love Victor Borge and wish I could have seen him in concert. I love spring, when we have spring. Here, in Ontario, it seems to go from winter to July.

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    1. Birgit, winter to July, yikes! I just took a quick look at some pictures of Ste. Chapelle and those windows are breath-taking! Another place to add to my Europe trip list, if a Europe trip ever happens for me...

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  8. Though Classical Music is my weakness when it comes to music Vivaldi has always been one of my favorites

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