Week 1 LO Learn about famous composers

and their music – Vivaldi

Read through this PowerPoint and have fun joining in the activities

Background

Antonio VIVALDI

(1678–1741)

• Vivaldi was an Italian composer, teacher and violinist

• He was as superstar among baroque composers, he wrote mostly concertos ( pieces for orchestra and a solo instrument ) and operas( plays that were sung in the theatre)

• Vivaldi lived over 300 years ago

Background to the music

‘Winter’ from ‘The Four Seasons’, Allegro non molto (1st mvt)• The 4 seasons is a group of four violin concertos

written around 1721

• It was inspired by anonymous sonnets( poems ) , each one describes a season. The sonnets were possibly also written by Vivaldi

• They are one of the first examples of ‘programme’ music – i.e. music that tells a story

• Each ‘season’ has three movements – fast: slow: fast

• They are his most famous works and among the most famous pieces in the history of music

Trailblazer

Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi was one of the very

first composers to write programme music – music

designed to evoke thoughts of places and things in the

world around us.

This piece describes the weather in winter

How might you feel in cold weather, and what would you do to warm up?

Follow this link to the BBC 10 pieces website https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/ten-pieces/classical-music-antonio-vivaldi-winter-from-the-four-

seasons/zf98bdm

Watch the first video where Stephanie Childess introduces Vivaldi

Then watch the second video where she plays “ Winter “ with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Now have fun watching the video called “ l’hivern “

• Download your music map worksheet and you can start the activity

• You need colouring crayons• Green ( trees) orange(wind) yellow( clouds ) • blue( rain ) purple(water )brown (mountaintops and river)

• Watch the video and enjoy colouring the map • You might want to do this a few times , its good fun and helps you

to hear when the same tunes come back in the music .• You have made a drawing of the music• Well Done !