Happy birthday Vivaldi

Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678, and became master of the violin at the age of 25. Vivaldi was a celebrated musical figure during his lifetime, but his fame has only risen since his death in July 28th, 1741.

Despite his immense popularity, Vivaldi passed away in 1741 a poor man. Like many other older composers of the time, his music was becoming outdated, and he was forced to sell many of his manuscripts to support himself when he failed to maintain a steady source of income. He died of “internal infection” and was buried in a grave supplied by the public hospital fund in Vienna.

My favorite of his compositions, The Four Seasons. Not just the beautiful music but the way it incorporates God’s creation into a true masterpiece. The Four Seasons’ Represented A New Way Of Writing Music and drew inspiration from Vivaldi’s time in the rural region of Mantua, Italy. The music depicts the varying auditory experiences of winter, spring, summer and fall. In it, Vivaldi managed to give individual voices to the landscape (creeks, frozen bodies of water, crackling fires), the wildlife (various species of birds, dogs, and insects) and the people, at one point musically illustrating a hunting party from both the perspective of the predators and the prey. Other sound effects that he replicated included the buzzing of mosquitoes and the chattering of teeth in the winter.
Click this link to enjoy listening to “The Four Seasons”.          
 And as you listen click this link to read…