Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741) was an Italian
composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque
music. Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and George
Frideric Handel, Vivaldi ranks amongst the greatest
Baroque composers and his influence during his lifetime
was widespread across Europe, giving origin to many
imitators and admirers. He pioneered many developments
in orchestration, violin technique and programmatic
music. He consolidated the emerging concerto form into
a widely accepted a...(+)
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 – 1741) was an Italian
composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque
music. Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and George
Frideric Handel, Vivaldi ranks amongst the greatest
Baroque composers and his influence during his lifetime
was widespread across Europe, giving origin to many
imitators and admirers. He pioneered many developments
in orchestration, violin technique and programmatic
music. He consolidated the emerging concerto form into
a widely accepted and followed idiom. He composed many
instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of
other musical instruments, as well as sacred choral
works and more than fifty operas. His best-known work
is a series of violin concertos known as the Four
Seasons. Many of his compositions were written for the
all-female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà,
a home for abandoned children. Vivaldi began studying
for the priesthood at the age of 15 and was ordained at
25, but was given dispensation to no longer say public
Masses due to a health problem. Vivaldi also had some
success with expensive stagings of his operas in
Venice, Mantua and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor
Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna, hoping for royal
support. However, the Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's
arrival, and Vivaldi himself died in poverty less than
a year later.
After almost two centuries of decline, Vivaldi's
musical reputation underwent a revival in the early
20th century, with much scholarly research devoted to
his work. Many of Vivaldi's compositions, once thought
lost, have been rediscovered – in one case as
recently as 2006. His music remains widely popular in
the present day and is regularly played all over the
world.
L'Olimpiade is a 'Dramma per musica' (musical drama) in
three acts that was composed by Antonio Vivaldi. The
opera uses an Italian libretto by Pietro Metastasio
that was originally written for Antonio Caldara's 1733
opera of the same name. Vivaldi's version premiered in
Venice at the Teatro Sant'Angelo on 17 February 1734.
The libretto is in three acts by Metastasio originally
written for an operatic setting by Antonio Caldara of
1733. Metastasio’s plot draws upon the narrative of
"The Trial of the Suitors" provided from Book 6 of The
Histories of Herodotus. The story, set in Ancient
Greece at the time of the Olympic Games, is about
amorous rivalry and characters' taking places to gain
the loved one. The story ends with the announcement of
two marriages.
Although originally composed for strings and
accompainment (Harpsichord and Basso Continuo), I
created this arrangement of the Sinfonia for String
Quartet (2 Violins, Viola & Cello)..
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Vivaldi).
Although originally scored for chorus & baroque
orchestra, I created this arrangement of "Sta piangendo
la tortorella" (The turtledove is crying) from
"L'Olimpiade" (RV 725) for Winds (Flute, Oboe, French
Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
