Antonio Vivaldi and the Baroque Tradition

Booklist, April 04Gr. 6-10. It was rags to riches and then back to rags again for the composer Vivaldi, who started as a sickly little boy playing music in his fathera?s barbershop in the late seventeenth century, became a priest, and rose to world renown, supported by kings and the church. Then he fell out of fashion and died a pauper. He was buried in an unmarked grave, his music lost for 200 years. The authors dona?t sensationalize; in fact, the writing style is sometimes dull. But they give a strong sense of Venice as a thriving music center at the time, and there are lots of period illustrations in postcard size, reproduced in rich, clear color. Readers will appreciate the honesty about the genius who worked the system, fawning over rich benefactors, turning out four operas a year and two concertos a month, beset by rumors that he was having an affair with a student. Best of all is the discussion of the music, especially The Four Seasonsa?music that was, fortunately for us, rediscovered.Getzinger, Donna is the author of 'Antonio Vivaldi and the Baroque Tradition', published 2004 under ISBN 9781931798204 and ISBN 1931798206.