Antonio Vivaldi (Hardcover)

Part of a series of biographies of famous composers and musicians, this book aims to introduce young readers to the world of music. The books tell the story of the life of different composers, but woven into each book are be educational themes such as the form of a symphony, the development of particular instruments and the techniques of composition. The books also cover the role that personal and political beliefs played in the lives of the composers. Antonio Vivaldi composed over 800 sonatas, concertos and operas for his home city of Venice, the heart of Europe's high life, full of the songs of gondoliers and the costumes of Carnival. But Vivaldi had trained as a priest, writing many serene and deeply religious music for the church. The speed at which he wrote his scores was known to be faster than any professional copyist. He inspired Haydn and Beethoven, and his development of the concerto form was picked up and expanded by Bach. Much of his work lay hidden in a monastery and a private collection for 200 years. Its discovery this century led to a huge increase in his popularity. He is perhaps most well known today for his "Four Seasons" - for many, this is often their first taste of classical music.