Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque [Paperback]

H. C. Robbins Landon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1996

Vivaldi boasted that he could compose a concerto faster than a scribe could copy one. Despite his prolificacy, The Four Seasons, and the majority of his already published work had fallen into obscurity by the time of his death in poverty in 1741. Most of his music-concertos, sonatas, operas, and sacral music-has been published only recently.

Very little has been written on Vivaldi for the nonspecialist, especially in English. Landon rediscovers the composer in this accessible and musically informed biography while presenting documentation of the musician's life discovered after the Baroque revival in the 1930s. This book includes illustrations of eighteenth-century Venice and several newly translated letters, thoroughly evoking the style of the time and revealing some of the more personal aspects of Vivaldi's life.

"Belongs on the shelf of every serious music student."—Kirkus

"Gives a good feel for Vivaldi's life and times . . . and describes particularly well how Vivaldi has been revived."—Booklist

"Robbins Landon is marvelously entertaining, extravagantly learned."—The Independent

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

If Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741) were living today, he would be comfortably fixed through royalties from recordings and other performances of his The Four Seasons. The "red priest," so-called for his red hair, spent many years in an insecure position as music master for a charitable school. Eventually, Vivaldi moved on to concentrate primarily on opera composition and production, but his financial demands and questionable relationship with the prima donna Anna Giraud stymied his efforts. In this compact yet illuminating book, Landon explores why Vivaldi's music, with the exception of The Four Seasons and the second Gloria in D, has been largely ignored. The inclusion of newly discovered correspondence and other documents pertaining to Vivaldi and his music is the most significant aspect of this book. Landon contemporizes the life and contributions of Vivaldi in a succinct and attractive style. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.
- Kathleen Spark man, Baylor Univ., Waco, Tex.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Short in length but long on scholarship, a ``life and works'' of the 18th-century Venetian master that belongs on the shelf of every serious music student. Robbins Landon, the distinguished musical archaeologist whose labors led to the rediscovery of much of Haydn's lost or neglected music, has also turned his attention recently to Mozart (1791, etc.). He now skips back a generation to focus on the composer whose name has become synonymous with the Italian baroque--not wholly new territory, since Robbins Landon also coauthored Five Centuries of Music in Venice (1991--not reviewed), but what prompted him to attempt a complete life of Vivaldi was the worldwide fascination with The Four Seasons. Prior to the 1950 Cetra recording of those four violin concerti, Vivaldi had been virtually forgotten for 200 years after having been buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in Vienna; today, he's one of the immortals. Yet Robbins Landon chooses not to speculate about the cause of the amazing ``Vivaldi renaissance.'' He's content to present a detailed, chronological, strictly factual biography, including Vivaldi's years as violin virtuoso and teacher of gifted orphan girls; his growing list of compositions; and his travels around Italy and, ultimately, Vienna--almost all undertaken in connection with his frustrated attempts to become established as an opera composer. Robbins Landon's method is to quote verbatim documents, letters, and dedicatory inscriptions in the original language (most are then translated): This exact but stern presentation may not appeal to the casual reader. The author inserts himself only long enough to recount his unsuccessful attempt to edit some of Vivaldi's many operas for modern presentation; he soon decided that the attempt was doomed. He notes that, unlike Haydn's operas and surely unlike Vivaldi's instrumental and religious music, Vivaldi's operas seem to offer little to contemporary listeners. But the author also has the good grace to hope that he'll be proved wrong. No fluff--just the facts and an invitation to explore the music. (Thirty illustrations) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (August 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226468429
• ISBN-13: 978-0226468426
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Composers > Vivaldi
  • #29 in Books > Arts & Photography > Schools, Periods & Styles > Baroque

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Viva Vivaldi!, January 31, 2005

By 

Sacerdos Atque Discipulus (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Paperback)

There are not many biographies about Vivaldi because, unfortunately, only a scetch of his life is known. This biography is probably the best contemporary book on him. It is not only a good synopsis of his life but it also has very good insights on his life and music. Landon's insights are especially good when he comments on specific works of Vivaldi. Vivaldi is rightly known as a master concerto composor. However, his voluminous output also included other genre, notably many beautiful operas and sacred works. Landon does a fine job in his book of commenting on these works also and proposing that, epsecially the sacred works, need to be better appreciated and popularized. As a Vivaldi buff (and there are very few of us) I highly recommend this book.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Baroque favourite!!, December 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Paperback)

If you love baroque music and are a fan of Vivaldi you will enjoy this book! H.C. Robbins Landon has really shown alot of research in this book and gives you details about Vivaldi's work and place in society. When I read the book I was amazed at the documents and letters written by Vivaldi. The illustrations provided in this text gave me a clearer insight as to how things were like in 18th century Italy.
Also when I was read this book I now have more respect for Vivaldi's work. The amount of work he did when he was alive was amazing.(Basically, he was a workaholic!). I am glad that his works have not been neglected and are now preserved.

Bravo Landon for showing us that there is more to Vivaldi than just the 4 seasons!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lively and informative, August 10, 2009

By 

Sarah Bruce Kelly "Author of VIVALDI'S MUSE, ... - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Paperback)

Landon's lively biography is by far the most entertaining and readable of the scholarly works on Vivaldi. Filled with colorful anecdotal stories about Vivaldi's fascinating, and in some ways enigmatic life, this book is fun to read as well as informative. There are also excellent translations of many of Vivaldi's letters and an extremely helpful list of appendices, including a schedule of Vivaldi's opera productions.

Perhaps best of all are the many sparkling descriptions of Vivaldi's music. Except for the operas, which are not covered in much depth, Landon brings to life the full spectrum of Vivaldi's brilliant and prolific musical output. Landon's book is a joy to read, rich with absorbing details about Vivaldi's life and music, and should be on the bookshelf of every serious Vivaldi enthusiast.

Sarah Bruce Kelly

Author of THE RED PRIEST'S ANNINA