“It’s My Nature”

ANTONIO VIVALDIART AND MUSIC

Created By Leonardo Quaglia

III G

Antonio

Art & Music

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

Created By

Leonardo Quaglia

III G School A. Balzico

Cava dè tirreni

ANTONIO VIVALDIARTS AND MUSIC

Short Biography

Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italyon March 4, 1678.

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

About the Composer

Vivaldi grew up in Venice and learned to play the violin as a boy, probably from his father, who was both a violinist and a barber.

He began his career as the music master at an orphanage and school for girls, but soon became known for his compositions, many of which became bestsellers.

Vivaldi was taught at violin at a young age by his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi.

• Antonio Vivaldi was the oldest of nine children

Vivaldi is best known for the Four Seasons, which, like the year, contains four parts, each

divided into three small parts. Vivaldi published the score of the Four Seasons with sonnets for his audience and cues for

his musicians so that they would precisely know what sounds they were hearing or playing.

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

About the Composer

• Father and son toured Venice together playing the violin.

• Entered priesthood in 1693 but left in 1706 due to asthma (some say it was his interest and musical aspirations that lead to his withdrawal from the church).

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

About the Composer

• Vivaldi was promoted to maestro de’ concert in 1716.

• It was during these years the Vivaldi wrote much of his music, including many operas and concertos.

• Vivaldi began to travel in 1718, and during this time, he wrote his music.

• Pietà paid him to write two concerto’s a month for the orchestra.

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

“The Four Seasons”• The Four Seasons” (“Le quattro

stagioni”) were written in 1723, and were Vivaldi’s popular pieces of Baroque Music.

• Each “season” has three parts: fast-slow-fast. • The seasons each have their

different textures used to depict the different seasons.

• Vivaldi wrote four sonnets that are to be read with the four concertos.

The Winter The Winter Listen to the piece as you look at the picture

. .

You Can hear…The solo violin plays the skater, using quick notes to show the gliding motion. clumsy skater, turning, crashing, and falling, played by the strings quickly moving all the way down the scale.The north wind blowing hard, played by the solo violin going quickly up and down the scale.

The SpringThe SpringListen to the piece as you look at the picture…

You Can hear…the strings play the thunder at the start of the piece, repeating the same low note. trees being blown by the wind, played by the violins going quickly down the scale. A bird trying to find shelter, played by the solo violin playing very high.

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

The SummerListen to the piece as you look at the picture…

You Can hear…the solo violin trilling the same high note over

and over, playing the bird’s song.

You Can hear…the mountain stream,

played by the entire violin section, softly

repeating many short, connected

notes.

You can hear…the thunder, played by the strings quickly repeating the same

low note.02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G

The AutumnListen to the piece as you look at the picture…

You can hear…the solo violin song

slowly as you look the yellows tree.

You can look…the white sheepes while the violin section go in softly repeating longt, connected

notes.

02/01/2013 Leonardo Quaglia III G