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Throughout history there have been many distinct periods of time.
These various eras are all alike in a way because they all slowly flow
into each other. One of these unique times was called the Baroque
period. The Baroque time began during the 1600's and ended early during
the early 1700's. The way Baroque music was looked at was varied
depending on where you looked at it from. In Italy, it was largely
energetic and spectacular. Yet, if you were to travel North, you would
encounter the "gloom's of muted firelight." This, along with the
"shadowy pales of another world," simply means that this music wasn't
greatly appreciated in Southern Italy, as it was more towards the
North. The people of the North were not as affectionate towards this
type of music. Although, the more time that had passed in the 1600's,
the more popular the baroque music became. It was greatly adored by the
listeners. The beauty that this type of music contained was extremely
astonishing. Also the drama in this type of music and theatre was what
made this time stand out from the rest. The actual term "baroque" is
extracted from "baroco" which is a name used by medieval philosophers
to identify a reasoning that writers of the 16th century found absurd
and pointless. On the contrary, Baroque music is far from being absurd
or pointless. The word "baroque" is derived from that or from the word
"barrochio" that is an Italian word used since the middle ages to
indicate shifty or tricky procedures. Wherever it's beginnings, the
word "baroque" had been used since the 18th century to indicate
paintings, poems, architecture, literature, and all else that is
dynamic, dramatic, and to some eyes, astonishing and incredibly even
ugly. This really comes to a surprise to me because I've listened to
baroque music like Antonio VivaldI and Johann Sebastian Bach and none
of the music struck me as being "ugly." The first word that came to
mind when I was listening was "relaxing."
Like all other music, there are some people that think higher of it
then others. Sir Francis Bacon said, "I cannot but be raised to this
persuasion, that this third period of time will far surpass that of the
Grecian and Roman learning" After reading this quotation you can
clearly see that Sir Francis Bacon thinks the Baroque time is far
superior to the Grecian and Roman periods. The basis of his opinion
probably rests on the fact that he has seen artwork, or heard music
from the other two times he had compared to the Baroque period (the
Grecian and the Roman.)
The Baroque time itself was filled with musical geniuses. People
like Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Philip Telemann, Johann Pachelbel,
Franz Josef Haydn, and Georg Frideric Handel. All of these people, were
amazing when holding an instrument, sitting at a piano, or writing on
manuscript paper, but the finished products (whatever they might be)
were and always will be superb. Among these people, was Antonio
Vivaldi.
Antonio VivaldI was born on March 4, 1678, and on May 6, 1678 he was
baptized by a mid-wife, because she was afraid he might die. This
woman's name was Madama Margarita. Antonio Vivaldi's mother Camilla,
the daughter of a Venetian tailor Camillo Calicchio, marries
Gianbattista VivaldI on August 6, 1677. Due to the stato libero,
Antonio was presumably born prematurely, and declared to be free from
any impediment from matrimony, also because he was not baptized in
church until two months after his birth. Antonio Vivaldi, being a
sickly child from the very start was ill, and in fear of his death
before being baptized, Madama Margarita had had him baptized. The
people, who studied and researched Antonio Vivaldi, in trying to trace
back his family history, could not trace back any farther than his
paternal grandparents, who lived in Brescia. Their son GiovannI
Battista (or Gianbattista) was born in 1665, and when he was ten, his
mother took him to Venice, presumably on the death of his father.
Originally Vivaldi's dad had become a barber, but he was also an
accomplished violinist. Which makes it easy to understand where Antonio
got his musical talent from (especially with the violin.)
Antonio Vivaldi's output was enormous. He wrote 94 operas, and
although theses are rarely revived, 19 of them are preserved. He had
written around 500 concertos. It is said that he invented the
ritornello form. This is where varied restatements in different keys of
a refrain, alternate with modulating episodes of free thematic
character, where a soloist predominates. If he did not invent this, he
was certainly the first to use this technique . If can be found in
almost all of his works. The same is true with the three-movement plan.
Several occasional features of Vivaldi concertos were taken farther and
standardized by his successors. Some of his successors were the
northern Italians, including TartinI and Locatelli. These men often
used Antonio Vivaldi's techniques and strategies for their own personal
musical interpretations.
Roughly 350 concertos are for one solo instrument and strings, over
230 of them were made for the violin (this alone, shows Antonio
Vivaldi's love for the instrument.) Other solo instruments (in
descending order of frequency) are bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, viola
d'amore, recorder, and mandolin. There are 40 double concertos (meaning
it was written for two different instruments in particular,) mostly for
two similar instruments but including such rare combinations as viola
d'amore and lute. He also really liked, and wrote often, ensemble
concertos, in which three or more soloists participate, number over 30
and introduces, among other instruments, clarinets, therbos, horns and
timpani, also did this.
Antonio VivaldI also has his own original way of interpreting his
thoughts into his music. He will start out with an idea. Then, think of
the music in his head,which comes to mind when thinking of his idea.
After that, he writes down his ideas on manuscript paper and changes
voices and other noises into instrumental riffs and parts in the piece.
For example, in the central movement of the "Spring" concerto, we hear
simultaneously a sleeping shepherd (solo violin,) a rippling brook
(orchestral violins,) and a vigilant sheepdog (a viola.) This is just
one of many examples of his outer surroundings interpreted into his
music.
Going back to the baroque period, this is how that period of time
and Antonio VivaldI tie together. Approximately 90 of his sonatas are
by in form and style reflecting the life and culture of Italy during
the time of Baroque. The special role of what was going on in Italy
could easily be interpreted through his music. His most interesting
sonatas are probably the ones written for groups of two violins
performable without bass. These are the ones that sound the most
acoustic. It sounds like this because of the absence of the bass.
Antonio VivaldI died in July of 1741. The exact day of his death is
unknown (like his birth date) but he was buried on July 28, 1741. The
Italian composer was a major figure in Baroque music and he exercised a
big influence on the development of the concerto. His techniques and
strategies will be looked at and admired for years. His style has and
will be mimicked and redone. Antonio Vivaldi's music was forgotten for
a century after his death. Yet, after his death, Johann Sebastian Bach
had arranged a number of Antonio Vivaldi's concertos for the keyboard.
As predicted, before his death, his work was copied. Johann Sebastian
Bach, a talented composer need not use the work of others yet took it
upon himself to use the previously done work of Antonio Vivaldi, and
arrange what he had done, for the keyboard. Large quantities of Antonio
Vivaldi's works have been found since the 1920's and they are now
widely published, performed, and recorded. Even though directly after
his death Antonio VivaldI was in a way forgotten about, he will always
be remembered and honored as his works play throughout churches,
studios, and homes throughout the globe.
Endnotes
1) http://www.islandnet.com/~arton/baroque.html
2) http://www.columbia.edu/~ijhl/vol1no1.html
3) http://www.islandnet.com/~arton/baroque.html
4) http://www.columbia.edu/~ijhl/vol1no1.html
5) http://weber.u.washington.edu/~acamp/music/baroque.html
6) Vivaldi, Alan Kendall, p.13, 1978
7) Baroque, Harold Kellwroth, p.212,
1982
8) Baroque, Harold Kellwroth, p.245, 1982
9) Vivaldi, Alan Kendall,
p.11, 1978
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