Vivaldi’s Winter & Baroque Music: Vivaldi, Pergolesi, Monteverdi, Bach
Winter (The Four Seasons) by Antonio Vivaldi
Author: Antonio Vivaldi
Country: Italy
Period: Baroque (17th century and the mid-18th century)
Musical Form: Concerto Grosso
Comment: This work is a concerto grosso, a musical form for orchestras that consists of three movements: fast-slow-fast. The orchestra is divided into two groups: a small one of three instruments (in this case, only a single violin) and another comprising the rest of the orchestra (tutti). In each movement, there is a dialogue between the solo instrument and the tutti. The most prominent instruments in this period are those of the violin family, improved through the work of the best luthiers. The Amati and Stradivarius violins were highly regarded, with approximately 400 Stradivarius instruments still existing worldwide.
The Four Seasons is Vivaldi’s most popular concerto grosso, composed for four stringed instruments that tell the story of time on Earth. This piece uses the concerto style, based on the contrasts between sound blocks, as in the concerto grosso.
About the Author: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Antonio Vivaldi, an Italian composer and violinist, is the main representative of instrumental music of the 18th century. He was a violin teacher, choir master, and opera entrepreneur. He composed 450 concertos and 30 operas. His most outstanding work is The Four Seasons.
La Serva Padrona by Pergolesi
Author: Pergolesi
Period: Baroque (16th century and the mid-18th century)
Musical Form: Opera
Country: Italy
Orpheus by Claudio Monteverdi
Author: Claudio Monteverdi
Period: Baroque (16th century and the mid-18th century)
Musical Form: Opera
Country: Italy
Comment: This opera is based on mythology and tells the adventure of Orpheus, who goes to the world of the dead to retrieve his wife, Eurydice. The only condition is that he must not look back, but he fails, and Eurydice is lost forever. The developments presented in this play, in comparison with Florentine contemporaries, are:
- The opening (an instrumental introduction)
- Instrumental interludes
- Large Orchestra
- Alternating recitatives and arias
- Duos, trios, and quartets vocal
- Songs and Dances
The opera is like a play, with a storyline and characters that dialogue, but the actors sing, and there is an orchestra.
About the Author: Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Claudio Monteverdi was an Italian composer who provided the characteristics of the current opera. He lived between two ages, the last Renaissance and early Baroque.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by Johann Sebastian Bach
Author: Johann Sebastian Bach
Period: Baroque (16th century and the mid-18th century)
Musical Form: Concerto Grosso
Country: Germany
Comment: Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 is a concerto grosso with the following characteristics:
- It is a concerto for orchestra.
- It has three movements in the order fast-slow-fast.
- The orchestra is divided into the solo and tutti sections in dialogue.
In this work, the tutti is formed by strings and consists of four solo instruments: the trumpet, violin, flute, and oboe.
Dedicated to Louis of Brandenburg, who was invited to listen to music by Prince Leopold. He liked it so much that he asked Bach to compose a concerto grosso.