MUSIC

Vivaldi’s Most Carnal and Mesmerizing Piece of Music

Figuring out why I’m so obsessed with the first movement of “Winter.”

Photo by Jeffrey Blum on Unsplash

There are days I’ll stay up all night listening to Vivaldi’s “L’inverno” (“Winter”). But just the first movement and nothing past it. Something about that specific section holds me like a warm shawl I never get tired of wearing, even out of season.

I’ll find myself searching for the best, interesting, and most unique versions of it available online. From classic orchestrations featuring solo violinists to experimental performances using only drums, no interpretation is off-limits for my curiosity.

Are some performances better than others? Yes. But no matter how weak they are, my love for the piece is endless. I’ve yet to grow tired of it. I don’t think I ever will.

So, why does this section of music cause such an obsession in me?

A Brief Bio of the Composer

Antonio Vivaldi lived from 1678 to 1741. He had red hair and was nicknamed the “Red Priest.”

He worked on and off as the violin master and director of instrumental music at a girl’s orphanage in Venice, the Ospedale della Pieta, from 1703 to 1740. The orphanage specialized in musical…