Google’s Tribute to Composer Vivaldi… Happy 332nd Birthday, Antonio! (video)
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on March 4, 2010
Antonio Vivaldi would have been 332 today, and as is Google’s custom, a special logo commemorating the composer on his birthday is on Google’s home page today.
A bit of biographical info from Wikipedia:
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso (“The Red Priest”), was a Venetian Baroque composer, priest, and famous virtuoso violinist. He was born and raised in the Republic of Venice. The Four Seasons, a popular series of four violin concerti, is his best-known work. His other compositions include over 500 instrumental concertos, sacred choral works and over 40 operas.
Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage for poor and illegitimate children where Vivaldi worked between 1703 and 1740. Vivaldi also had some success with stagings of his operas in Venice, Mantua and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna hoping for preferment. The Emperor died soon after Vivaldi’s arrival, and the composer died a pauper, without a steady source of income.
My favorite portion from what is considered Vivaldi’s most famous classical work, Four Seasons, is featured in the video below. This is the lilting, inspiring “Spring”… magnificent.
Crank up the volume, sip some steaming java, and enjoy.
SPRING (VIVALDI’S “FOUR SEASONS”)
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Ah, I love Vivaldi. I drove to work listening to this in the morning. It was such a pleasant communte. Thank you.
You’re very welcome, Mcnorman. This is one of my favorite classical pieces – it makes me feel hopeful… and inspired… and CLEAN.
With all the vile sleaze oozing like infected pus out of DC these days, we all need Vivaldi on occasion to cleanse our hearts, minds, and souls.