Doodlewatch

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso (“The Red Priest”), was an Italian baroque composer and priest, as well as a famous virtuoso violinist, born and raised in theRepublic of Venice. The Four Seasons, a popular series of four violin concerti, is his best-known work and is representative of the baroque period in European art music.

Vivaldi’s music was innovative in its time, breaking a consolidated tradition in schemes; he gave brightness to the formal and the rhythmic structure of the concerto, repeatedly looking for harmonic contrasts and innovative melodies and themes; many of his compositions reflect a flamboyant, and almost playful exuberance.

Vivaldi is considered one of the composers who brought baroque music (with its typical contrast among heavy sonorities) to evolve into a classical style. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi’s concertos and arias (recalled in his Johannes Passion, Matthäuspassion, and cantatas). Bach transcribed six of Vivaldi’s concerti for solo keyboard, three for organ, and one for four harpsichords, strings, and basso continuo (BWV 1065) based upon the concerto for four violins, two violas, cello, and basso continuo (RV 580).

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldi