Vivaldi, Bach and Handel - Their Compositions of the 1720s

Come and enjoy outstanding works by Vivaldi, Bach and Handel composed during the 1720s, a decade that witnessed many masterpieces written by these composers, including Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’, which were first published in 1725 at Amsterdam. These celebrated concertos were only a small part of Vivaldi’s works at this time. During this decade Bach was appointed as Kantor at Leipzig and his compositions included his two great Passion settings, his Magnificat, many cantatas and diverse instrumental works. At the same time Handel was resident in London, concentrating on the composition of Italian operas and other colourful vocal and instrumental works.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

COURSE OUTLINE

• Vivaldi’s career and the composition and publication of his ‘Four Seasons’ concertos as well as his other works of the 1720s, both instrumental and vocal
• Bach at Leipzig – his large-scale vocal compositions, his cantatas, and his instrumental works of the 1720s
• Handel in London – Italian operas, occasional works for the royal family, and instrumental and vocal chamber music written during the 1720s

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Distinguish the major characteristics of the music of each of the composers written during this decade
2. Appreciate the differences in the circumstances of each composer which led to their varied compositional emphases
3. Be aware of the equally strong personalities of each of these composers and their distinctive working methods
4. Assess the importance of appropriate and authentic performance styles in the appreciation of this music