‘Spring’ from “the Four Seasons” by Vivaldi

I selected Antonio Vivaldi as from the list of composers due to his vast influence in the development of music, including current popular styles such as the double violin concertos and ritornellos, and his influence on future composers such as Bach. Vivaldi’s significance to the music world is further emphasized by the introduction and popularization of concepts such as his usage of rhythm to create escalating tension and the application of motivic elements as themes for his pieces. Vivaldi’s life was set out to pursue priesthood from a young age yet, ironically, an illness allowed him to follow his true passion as both a violinist and composer. Antonio Vivaldi remained pious throughout his life and it was his particular education as a priest

The trio sonata leaves on an incomplete cadence which causes the expectancy of more, it is later completed in the other movements. The piece seems to cut off the melody and start back over from the beginning.

Music during the Baroque era was regarded as a powerful form of communication that could invoke any emotion in the audience members. This philosophical belief was derived from a revival of the ideas of the Greco-Roman culture. As a result of these ideas, composers believed that they could also affect their listeners through the power of melody, harmony, rhythm, and stylistic details. The emphasis on communication was reflected in the major styles and components that were used throughout Baroque compositions. Baroque music is characterized by the composers’ attention to detail, such as contrast in dynamics, ornamentation, and the emphasis on bass line. These characteristics of the Baroque era of music are reflected in Antonio Vivaldi’s compositions. Known as one of the most popular pieces in Baroque repertoire, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons reveals how composers of the Baroque period used different techniques, such as ritornello and contrast, to invoke emotion through the powerful communication of music. The Four Seasons perfectly represents the Baroque period because of Vivaldi 's style, techniques, and theme.

Baroque music is characterized through contrasts as dramatic elements, monody and the advent of the basso continuo, and different instrumental sounds. Contrast is an essential feature in the production of baroque arrangements. The alternations between bold and flamboyant and soft, solo and ensemble, different instruments and timbres all constitute a key portion in various baroque compositions. Composers similarly created more precise instrumental arrangements regularly stipulating the instruments on a musical piece that ought to be executed instead of allowing the performing musician to select.

The first piece, Allegro Ma Non Troppo, un Poco Maestoso, which starts at one minute and thirty-nine seconds, and ends at nineteen minutes and fourty-one seconds in the symphony, started with an accelerando as the starts quite slow and with a gradual pitch, then the music gradually became faster. The movement starts as a D

Also he had composed keyboard pieces, oratorios, symphonies, and operas. He performed his first major opera when he was fourteen it was staged in Milan in 1770 the style of the opera was opera seria, Mitriade.

Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4th, 1678. He was born in Venice Italy, where his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, was a professional violinist who taught Antonio to play too. Through his father, Vivaldi met and learned from some of the greatest musicians and composers in Venice at that time. Vivaldi tried very hard to get religious training and musical instruction. At the age of 15, he started studying to become a priest. He was officially confirmed as a priest in 1703. Due to his red hair, Vivaldi was ultimately known as "the Red Priest." Vivaldi's career in the clergy was very short-lived. His health problems had prevented him from delivering mass at church and it drove him to leave behind the priesthood he had shortly after his ordination. When Antonio reached the age of 25, he became named as the master of violin at the Devout Hospital of Mercy that was in Venice. He had composed most of his major pieces while he was named this, in over three decades. This hospital was an institution where orphans were taught. The boys were in trades

Corelli's fame as a violinist was measured up to by his approval as an arranger. His music was performed and regarded all through all Europe, his was the most prevalent instrumental music. One of Corelli's celebrated understudies, Geminiani, thought such a large amount of the Opus 5 Sonatas that he masterminded every one of the works in that gathering as Concerti

Vivaldi grew up in a Catholic family. His father was a talented violinist and would be his first teacher. This allowed them to perform together. He also took lessons from a choral teacher who knew violin. Vivaldi loves speed. At age 15, he began studying for the priesthood, which gave him 10 years to study and develop the musical and composing talents that is displayed in his works. Vivaldi spent his entire life, other than the last six or so years, with his father. As a child, they toured Venice together. Then, later on as a man, he toured Italy and later Europe. Vivaldi and his father were a pair and it seems that they held a good relationship. His father helped to write out some of the pieces that Vivaldi would think of. He preferred a combination of the choral religious music, dramatic-operatic, and classics of Italy. His most influential works were written for the orchestra of a Venetian girls’ orphanage where he was music director. It was for them that he wrote his famous concertos. Vivaldi also invented the concerto-grosso.

Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678 in the town of Venice, Italy. His father was quite the musician and helped his son master the violin and also helped him get find lessons from some the best composers in Italy. Sadly, do to his symptoms that were similar to asthma often causing him to have severe shortness of breath he was unable to master several instruments. At one point in his early life he even became a priest but this was short lived do to his continuing health issues therefore he had to give up his priesthood. “At the age of 25, Antonio Vivaldi was named master of violin at the Ospedale della Pietà (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice” (). This is where he spent in upwards of thirty years teaching his students and only having

Beethoven’s symphony No. 5 in c minor, Op. 67, I has four movements allegro con brio, andante con moto, scherzo allegro, and allegro. The first movement is a sonata that contains a motif and fortissimo phases using imitation and sequence with a constant flowing melody. The second movement contains two themes in alternation. The first theme starts later followed by the second which later dies of as a third theme is born followed by fortissimo The third movement contains a scherzo and trio and is in ternary form the theme is immediately stated and continually gets revived. The fourth and final movement starts immediately after the third and is a variation of a sonata. The piece has strong cadence and recapitulates only to finish in an extremely

In his compositions, as with this work, Vivaldi often borrowed chord patterns and structure from his other pieces.  Unlike the other movements, which are in A minor, the second movement changes key to D minor.  In this way there is a modulation between movements, however, within the movement there are no modulations.  There are several variant qualities of the leading tone and dominant triads; both normally appearing in the same measure throughout the piece.  Examples of these variant qualities are in measures 2, 6, and 10.  Interestingly, several times throughout the piece, the violin will play a C# against a variant quality dominant triad in the piano.  An example of this is in measure 10.  In the

Baroque Period, during which a few of the greatest composers on this planet were born, brought classical music onto a whole new level. The word “Baroque”, which came from the Portuguese for “the imperfect pearl”, implies strange, extravagant and overblown. Toccata, fugue, chorale, ortario, and the concerto Grosso, all of these special musical forms were created and represent this period. The six main characteristics: increased emotional expression, contrast, use of basso continuo, continued harmonic development, use of ornament, and the emphasis of improvisation, molded the unique style of music of the Baroque period.

The baroque period of music commenced in the year 1600 and ended around 1750 (Fuller – “Baroque”). Its texture was mainly polyphonic (Fuller – “Classical”). Polyphonic means that two or more different melodies are played simultaneously (McComb). This provides an energetic rhythm, long melodies, and many ornaments. The most famous composers of this time period were Vivaldi, Corelli, Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel, J.S. Bach, and Couperin. Many new styles of music were introduced, such as operas, sonatas, oratorios, suites, fugues, and concertos. Orchestras began to develop, but it was not until the classical period when orchestral music was perfected (Fuller – “Baroque”).

The Baroque Period (1600-1750) was mainly a period of newly discovered ideas. From major new innovations in science, to vivid changes in geography, people were exploring more of the world around them. The music of the baroque period was just as extreme as the new changes. Newly recognized composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi were writing entirely new musical ideas and giving a chance for new voices to be heard that were normally not thought of sounds. Their musical legacy is still recognized today, and is a treasured discovery of outstanding compositions being reiterated with every performance of them.