Antonio Vivaldi was a Baroque composer: Baroque began 1600 until about 1750. The wealthy played in their living rooms as man made more instruments nifty. There’s George Frideric Handel, George Frideric Handel! Johann Sebastian Bach; Georg Philipp Telemann. Antonio Vivaldi, Antonio Vivaldi! We all know his “Autumn” song. At first this music raised a brow as much too complicated, but masterpiece after masterpiece it’s now quite sophisticated. Ohhhh, this is the musical timeline! It starts with the Early Age. Then it’s Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical, Romantic, and not to forget the Modern Day!
It’s ILS tradition to feature Vivaldi’s “Summer” for the last week of school. The summer solstice, the official start of the summer season, is on Saturday, June 20, 2020. Vivaldi describes summer this way:
Beneath the blazing sun's relentless heat
men and flocks are sweltering,
pines are scorched.
We hear the cuckoo's voice; then sweet songs of the turtle dove and finch are heard.
Soft breezes stir the air….but threatening north wind sweeps them suddenly aside. The shepherd trembles, fearful of violent storm and what may lie ahead.
Vivaldi uses string instruments in this piece to aurally depict the words he uses to describe summer. Do you hear the slow beginning and how it sounds like the “blazing sun’s relentless heat”? Or how the violin makes the sounds of the birds described in the poem? Do you hear the slow middle section that sounds like soft breezes? Or the fast ending and how it sounds like the north wind sweeping in a storm? Vivaldi wanted his music to make you think of the way each season feels. Have fun listening to this exciting piece and the final comp. of the week for the year!
Review questions:
1. Who is the composer and which musical era is he from?
2. What is the name of this piece?
3. Can you recite the poem about summer like it is a formal recitation?
4. What does the composer want his music to sound like?
5. Which instruments does he use?
6. What was your favorite comp. of the week from this year?