Antonio Vivaldi is the first composer on this list whose name and music are likely familiar to everyone. That was not always the case. Despite his profound influence on Bach and many others, Vivaldi’s compositions fell out of a favor (his virtuosity as a violinist was his primary calling card, not his compositions) and were pretty … Continue reading Baroque Music VII: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Tag: violin
Baroque Music III: Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
History remembers Arcangelo Corelli as the first virtuoso of the violin, a 17th century Paganini: “I never met with any man that suffered his passions to hurry him away so much whilst he was playing on the violin as the famous Arcangelo Corelli, whose eyes will sometimes turn as red as fire; his countenance will … Continue reading Baroque Music III: Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Baroque Music II: Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
Enter the French. With the English School well-established since Dunstable and the German School developing in the wake of Martin Luther, the French School began to reassert its influence in the 17th and 18th centuries. First up, Jean-Baptiste Lully, court composer to the Sun King, Louis XIV. Born to humble origins, Lully would climb to … Continue reading Baroque Music II: Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)
A Gertus History of Music 