It is difficult at first to hear the element of surprise in this composer's language, because so many of his tricks have become clichés, but the tricks are still there to be savored: the harnessing of melody to primal rhythm the painterly use of the orchestra the celebration of plain chords, with wild harmonic adventures ensuing the sense of "Checkmate!" at the end, as everything falls beautifully in place. Most movements of Vivaldi concertos go on no longer than a fifties pop hit, but they are packed with information, invention, and emotion each work is a game of twists and turns, an arrangement of artful shocks. Put down the double latte and listen more closely. You may have pigeonholed Vivaldi as the manufacturer of five hundred sewing-machine concertos that all sound more or less the same. It won't be known until the twenty-third century whether the Beatles possess the same kind of pop appeal. I Did It Again." Adjust the chart to favor artists who have maintained their popularity over time, and Don Antonio, the Red Priest of Venice, who lived from 1678 to 1741, would sweep the field. If Billboard had an ur-chart that measured an artist's total exposure in the environment, "The Four Seasons" would probably land at No. In coffee shops, gourmet-food stores, and commuter rail stations across the land, he is the Muzak of the middle classes, the backbeat of the bourgeois bustle. If you are reading this magazine in a public space, there is a good chance that you are already listening to the music of Antonio Vivaldi.
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