Vivaldi (Composers Across Cultures)

Adequate life history with useful appendix of works, though a little dry.

I love Vivaldi's music, and I always enjoy hearing any of his compositions; instrumental, vocal, doesn't matter; they're all beautiful and somehow all imbued with a bit of Vivaldi himself. He is an interesting character, and I hunted out this book especially to read about his life, as well as his music. There seem to be a whole series of these books, and I may well see if I can track down some more to read - Monteverdi and Dufay definitely appeal as topics of interest.This is a wonderful book; the first chapters take us on a journey through Vivaldi's life; in particular, I found Vivaldi's association with the Ospedale della Pieta to be of special interest. I knew that Vivaldi had been associated particularly with this institution, but the details seem to be a little harder to get hold of. I know the circumstances of the girls' lives at the Ospedale were generally sorrowful, but how wonderful to have had the opportunity to work with Vivaldi, and play his compositions!From there, chapters devoted to Vivaldi's musical style, his instrumental music, and his vocal music complete the book. A wonderful read, and one which is accessible to those familiar with musical notations and forms, and also to a more general reader with a ready interest.