Can you recognize Vivaldi by ear?
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was an Italian Baroque composer and violinist from Venice, known for The Four Seasons and hundreds of concertos. In Guess the Composer, you hear up to 30 seconds of music and name the composer.
How to recognize Vivaldi
Listen for bright strings, fast repeated figures and a solo violin trading passages with the orchestra. A forceful opening idea tends to return between the solos, and the energy comes more from rhythm than from dense counterpoint.
Who can Vivaldi be mistaken for?
Listeners may confuse this music with that of Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel or Arcangelo Corelli.
How hard is Vivaldi in the game?
The game has up to 110 excerpts by Vivaldi, depending on your country, and most are at the Very hard level.
Pieces you may hear
- The Four Seasons: Autumn, RV 293
- Concerto in F major, op. 8 no. 3, RV 293 “L’autunno”
- Concerto in F minor, op. 8 no. 4, RV 297 “L’inverno”
- Concerto in G minor, op. 8 no. 2, RV 315 “L’estate”
- Concerto in E major, op. 8 no. 1, RV 269 “La primavera”
- Concerto for Lute in D major, RV 93
- Gloria in D major, RV 589
- Concerto for Two Cellos in G minor, RV 531
Portrait: Unknown author, Public domain; background removed.
