Antonio Vivaldi was a concerto factory, writing more than 500 of them in his 60-odd years, the most famous of which are The Four Seasons, impressionistic portraits of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. For example, sitting by the warm fire on a wet, cold, thoroughly miserable winter’s day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp52PCIk_1k
Most of his works are simpler and more standard: A jaunty melody introduced by the orchestra and then joined by the soloist(s), then a slow movement with both playing together, followed by an even jauntier finale. Always fun, sometimes memorable, occasionally indelible. Here’s one of my favorites, a concerto for guitar (or lute, or mandolin):
But this one is something else entirely. It grabs you by the throat and does not let go, even for a moment. Jaunty, hell. It’s furious.
JS Bach paid this piece the compliment of transcribing it, for four harpsichords. I think the original works better, but de gustibus.
Photo by Meredith Bell 
Thank you for posting this.
I was listening to The Four Seasons only last week, but am unfamiliar with the other works linked.Report
As well as a composer, Vivaldi was a virtuoso violinist who made dramatic expansions of technique for the instrument. I admit to a preference for Corelli myself, but I’m a concerti grossi kind of guy.Report
Looked out the front window before I pulled the shades. Across the yards that I can see, seven rabbits. Elmer Fudd had the right idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxiv3CBMS4MReport
One of the violinists playing the above RV 580 II (Concerto for 4 violins in B-minor) has a ponytail (seen at the 3:12 mark). I’m pretty sure that it is actually a mullet, probably put up at the insistence of the conductor. If the guy has a mullet, is he playing a violin or is he playing a fiddle?Report
I don’t know offhand. I’ll have to mullet over.Report
You win three Internets!
I was tempted to suggest that maybe someone with a mullet should be playing a piece written by somebody with a name like “Karl Jenkins” instead of “Antonio Vivaldi”.
BTW, Karl Jenkins reminds me a lot of Vivaldi. You’ve heard Palladio as the theme in De Beers diamond commercials for years.Report
Cognitive dissonance all over.
1. Your linking mullets with Karl Jenkins made me think he’s from West Virginia.
2. Looked him up: he’s a British knight from Wales.
3. He looks like Captain Kangaroo.Report
There have been some really exhilarating new recordings of The Four Seasons recently. Usually with smaller ensembles, obviously doing historically-informed interpretations, and playing with a kind of unguarded energy that I associate with Led Zeppelin or Guns n’ Roses, especially on the part of the ensemble players. You really hear the hunting hounds barking and so forth. Unfortunately they come and go on the radio too quickly for me to have gotten any names down. But they’ve led to a renewed interest in these classics, which were part of the soundtrack of my youth, on my part.Report