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Varèse
Edgard Varèse was born in Paris, December 22, 1885 and died in New York, November 6, 1965.
Although born in France, Varèse lived and worked most of his life in the United States. A pioneer of
the avant-garde movement in music, Varèse experimented with electronic music, musique
concréte;, and some highly original experimentation in the uses and organization of rhythm.
The works for which he is best known are those in which he completely rejects traditional melody and
harmony, instead building these compositions from blocks of sounds, relying on tone color, texture and
rhythm. Varèse's most original work exemplifying this technique is probably Ionisation, which is scored
for a huge percussion ensemble, piano, and sirens.
Varèse's birthday
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Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams lived between 1872 and 1958. He is considered to be a romantic composer.
Vaughan Williams's birthday
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Verdi
Guiseppe Verdi lived between 1813 and 1901. He is considered to be a romantic composer. He was an Italian operatic composer who achieved his first major success with Nabucco (1842). He was the leading figure of Italian music in the
nineteenth century and made important contributions to the development of
opera.
The singing melodies of
his popular operas, like
Rigoletto, La Traviata,
Il Trovatore, Aida,
have come to represent
Italian opera to much of
the world. The late
operas Otello and
Falstaff crowned his
achievement.
Verdi's birthday
anniversary of Verdi's death
Read quotes by and about Verdi
Information about Verdi's opera, Aida.
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de Victoria
One of the works of Tomás Luis de Victoria was chosen in
Best 100 Classical Pieces of the Millenium
Books and CD's by de Victoria
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Villa-Lobos
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Villa-Lobos' birthday
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Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi lived from 1678 until 1741 and was considered to be a baroque composer. He was an Italian composer of instrumental music and opera. He
was important in the development of the concerto. Vivaldi was ordained as a priest in 1703, but gave up saying Mass due to a chest illness. From 1704 until 1740, he taught violin at an orphanage, gave recitals, played the violin in operatic performances and produced some operas of his own.
The concertos that Vivaldi wrote helped define the genre in the Baroque and into
the Classical era. These normally comprised three movements (fast, slow, fast);
the fast movement regularly employed a ritornello form. In this form, an orchestral
melody alternates with the freer sections that feature the soloist or soloists. The
repetition of the ritornello provides a point of reference for the listener, allowing the
soloist to stand out. It also allows the composer a greater degree of freedom in
how the soloist's material is treated.
Vivaldi's concertos also stand out for the degree of inventiveness that he brought
to them. While challenging the player, they also engage the listener. One of his
most famous groups of concertos, The Four Seasons, demonstrates this well, and
shows the more dramatic and colorful potential of the genre. Each concerto
represents a different season, and the music illustrates in sound a picture created
by an accompanying poem. Vivaldi uses his ingenuity to take the mundane sounds
of daily life (the barking of a dog, the buzzing of flies), along with more dramatic
sounds (a violent spring storm), and portray them in purely musical language that
stands on its own merit. These early examples of program music well deserve their
place in the popular canon of classical music.
Works:
- Orchestral music, including over 239 violin concertos, including Le quattro
stagioni (The Four Seasons), Op.8, Nos.1-4, c.1725), other solo concertos
(bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, recorder), double concertos, ensemble
concertos, sinfonias
- Chamber music, including sonatas for violin, cello and flute, trio sonatas
- Vocal music, including oratorios (Juditha triumphans, 1716), Mass movements
(Gloria), Magnificat, psalms, hymns and motets
- Secular vocal music, including solo cantatas and operas
His most famous work, The Four Seasons, was written in 1725.
Vivaldi was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach
Vivaldi's birthday
anniversary of Vivaldi's death
News Item about an unknown Vivaldi Manuscript, now for sale.
Books and CD's by Vivaldi
Vivaldi for Children
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