[HarpsichordConcerto]

I enjoy Vivaldi's music. Unfortunately, he seems to be the most "bashed" Baroque composer around, often criticised for writing "the same concerto a few hundred times". Needless to say, people who make those type of comments never really had any sense of music history. The Vivaldian three movement concerto format was one of the single most influential layouts in western classical music history, and the Vivaldian-Italian concerto idiom was entirely new and original in its day impressing listeners all over Europe, which was precisely he wrote so many. His listerners were dazzled by the very original and new sounds before them. Even Bach transcribed many, many pieces of Vivaldi three movement concertos for various instruments/solo. Like him or not, credit would be at least given to writing one of the most popular tunes in all repertoire, the Four Seasons concerti.

The big winner for me are his operas in terms of discovery. Many are now recorded/performed.

 

[presto]

Though as much as I love Vivaldi, there are many equally fine if not better Baroque composers that don’t get the attention the Red Priest gets.
Maybe his popularity is owed to the fact his concertos are instantly appealing because they’re short and light weight.
............That should set the cat about the pigeons!

 

[haydnfan]

Maybe his popularity is owed to the fact his concertos are instantly appealing because they're short and light weight.

Oh except all baroque concertos are short and light, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE! Did you know that Vivaldi also wrote something like 50 operas? By the way his vocal and choral works are excellent as well as his chamber works.

 

[kv466]

I luckily have a gigantic collection of records that was given to me, mostly consisting of his concerti; for this, for that...it's pretty great coz I get to hear a new work almost any time i want...new to me, that is

 

[mmsbls]

I love his violin concertos and have no issues with viewing them as too similar. His Four Seasons is a remarkable work that never ceases to amaze and thrill me. It has always seemed vastly ahead of its time to me. No one has mentioned his cello concertos. I especially love the double concerto.

 

[Vaneyes]

Some similarities to Mozart's life. In favor, out of favor. Hard luck with sponsors. Infatuation with female voice/figure. Paupers grave burial.

Vivaldi works discovered in 1926. His popularity is re-boosted by a 1951 English festival, and continued to grow through LP, CD, DVD.

Two favorite recordings...

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

Though as much as I love Vivaldi, there are many equally fine if not better Baroque composers that don't get the attention the Red Priest gets.
Maybe his popularity is owed to the fact his concertos are instantly appealing because they're short and light weight.
............That should set the cat about the pigeons!

I have spent the last year and a half delving deep into the realm of the Baroque... fleshing out my collection so that it matches that of the Romantic era in terms of breadth and depth. I have discovered a number of marvelous and underrated composers... but honestly, anyone who dismisses Vivaldi as a lightweight simply hasn't listened to much of his finest work:

And yes... this is the same piece as in the first video... but I love both versions.

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

 

[presto]

Though as much as I love Vivaldi, there are many equally fine if not better Baroque composers that don't get the attention the Red Priest gets.
Maybe his popularity is owed to the fact his concertos are instantly appealing because they're short and light weight.
............That should set the cat about the pigeons!

I have spent the last year and a half delving deep into the realm of the Baroque... fleshing out my collection so that it matches that of the Romantic era in terms of breadth and depth. I have discovered a number of marvelous and underrated composers... but honestly, anyone who dismisses Vivaldi as a lightweight simply hasn't listened to much of his finest work:

It's the concertos that are light weight the vocal works seem to be more substantial.
Take Tartini, his concertos are almost twice in length and far more musically developed as with most German concertos of Vivaldi's time.
Vivaldi's concertos are ok, but too short winded for my liking, you just start getting into a movement and then it's all over and the next one starts!

 

[haydnfan]

Van Eyes I just listened to cd 1 of that Biondi set of Op 3 concerti just two days ago! Marvelous playing. And there you mention my favorite Vivaldi fiddler... Carmignola.

 

[neoshredder]

It's the concertos that are light weight the vocal works seem to be more substantial.
Take Tartini, his concertos are almost twice in length and far more musically developed as with most German concertos of Vivaldi's time.
Vivaldi's concertos are ok, but too short winded for my liking, you just start getting into a movement and then it's all over and the next one starts!

I think it's a positive. Vivaldi always leaves you wanting more rather than going on for too long. It is very lively music. But I guess for those looking for complexity, Vivaldi is not the best choice. Vivaldi - Concertos by The English Concert and Trevor Pinnock is what I got.

 

[GoneBaroque]

Here are two delightful interpretations of some Vivaldi from the Cincinnati based ensemble "Apollo's Fire lead by Harpsichordist Jeanette Sorrell.

 

[Tapkaara]

Vivaldi. A composer I used to despise. The sound of the Four Season would drive me up a wall. But I discovered that my hatred came from the decades of misuse of his music in the commercial world. I learned to accept him at face value and I discovered how great he was.

His flute concerto La Notte is amazing.

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

Apollo's Fire is certainly a delightful orchestra specializing in the Baroque repertoire. Indeed, they are one of the best Baroque orchestras currently performing in the US. However... they most certainly are NOT based in Cincinnati. They are based in Cleveland:

http://www.apollosfire.org/index.html

 

[presto]

Apollo's Fire is certainly a delightful orchestra specializing in the Baroque repertoire. Indeed, they are one of the best Baroque orchestras currently performing in the US. However... they most certainly are NOT based in Cincinnati. They are based in Cleveland:

http://www.apollosfire.org/index.html

Wow! They are good, very good indeed.
I just searched them on youtube and fascinated to see they seem to be an all women band, they certainly have a flair for Vivaldi.

 

[GoneBaroque]

Apollo's Fire is certainly a delightful orchestra specializing in the Baroque repertoire. Indeed, they are one of the best Baroque orchestras currently performing in the US. However... they most certainly are NOT based in Cincinnati. They are based in Cleveland:

http://www.apollosfire.org/index.html

StlukesguildOhio. I knew that. You are correct, of course. Don't know why I said Cincinnati. That is what I get for relying on my memory and not checking the facts. Please accept my apology for the incorrect information.

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

StlukesguildOhio. I knew that. You are correct, of course. Don't know why I said Cincinnati. That is what I get for relying on my memory and not checking the facts. Please accept my apology for the incorrect information.

I'll forgive you just this once, but be careful next time. Remember that we Ohioans have a real rivalry between Cleveland and Cincinnati. (And don't even get us started on that upstart "city", Columbus... let alone Pittsburgh.:lol

 

[Sid James]

I like his music, but tend to have long spells between them.

Last year I heard his Gloria - the famous one, you know what I mean? - live, and it was very enjoyable. I like how he blended the voices with the chamber ensemble, and he bought the text to life in an interesting way.

Then this year I heard a number of his concertos on a bill of Baroque and Classical composers. The one for two cellos was quite memorable, it was quite expressive, the slow movement actually made me think a bit of Elgar's. My review of that concert HERE, which included another less travelled Vivaldi concerto, for two oboes.

Closer to now, I missed a few performances of the ubiquitous Four Seasons, I haven't heard it live yet, I do want to do that at some stage (I'd rather do that than hear it on disc, it's that kind of work for me). A bit of heresy here maybe, but I think I like Raymond Fol's arrangement of it for jazz band better than the original, with the amazing Johnny Griffin on tenor saxophone, it was originally made in the late 1960's but reissued 10 years ago on the Jazz in Paris series on Gitanes/Universal which I got a whole heap of.

Now, I'm enjoying more of his concertos, esp. those for mandolin and guitar. His music is very bright and atmospheric - Canaletto's images of Venice instantly come to my mind - but yes it can get quite repetitive if I listen to too much of his music. He was one of the first tone poets and minimalists, apart from being a big innovator in the solo concerto genre...

 

[GoneBaroque]

StlukesguildOhio. I knew that. You are correct, of course. Don't know why I said Cincinnati. That is what I get for relying on my memory and not checking the facts. Please accept my apology for the incorrect information.

I'll forgive you just this once, but be careful next time. Remember that we Ohioans have a real rivalry between Cleveland and Cincinnati. (And don't even get us started on that upstart "city", Columbus... let alone Pittsburgh.:lol

How can a place named after an upstart who did not know where he was when he got there be a city? Lief Eriksonn, Henry Sinclair and possible the Chinese were here first.

 

[StlukesguildOhio]

The rivalry between Cleveland and Cincinnati (both major cities and major American cultural centers at the time) was the reason for the choice of Columbus as the state capital. Political maneuvering and annexing of adjacent cities has resulted in Columbus' growth until it is now the largest city in Ohio in terms of population... but the city still pales in terms of culture in contrast with its two older, and rougher sisters.