Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Live)

Featuring

Davide Toso
Volker Hartung
Cologne New Philharmonic Chorus
Antonio Vivaldi

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Composition History

In 1926, musicologist Alberto Gentili discovered a wealth of Vivaldi's unpublished manuscripts, including almost 300 concertos and numerous operas, previously thought lost during the Napoleonic Wars.

Cultural Impact

Vivaldi's music, particularly 'The Four Seasons,' has become synonymous with Venice in music, much like the paintings of Antonio Canaletto are in visual arts.

Composer Biography

Antonio Vivaldi, born in Venice in 1678, was known as the 'red-hair priest' due to his red hair and his ordination to the priesthood in 1703.

Composer Biography

Vivaldi spent 30 years teaching at the 'Ospedale della Pietà,' a home for abandoned children in Venice, where he composed most of his major works.

Historical Context

After Vivaldi's death, his music fell into obscurity until a vigorous revival in the 20th century, making him one of the most popular Baroque composers today.

Compositional Technique

Vivaldi's influence on the solo concerto was widespread, notably through his use of three movements (fast, slow, fast) and the 'ritornello form,' which inspired later composers.

Interpretation

The Cologne New Philharmonic Orchestra performs with modern instruments, believing it is their duty to use improved mechanisms to do full justice to Vivaldi's works, as stated by Ralph Vaughan Williams.