Donald Satz writes:

>I don't really want to write about Vivaldi anymore than I want to listen to
>his music, But I feel I've been challenged to point out differences in the
>music of these two composers.  The best I can do is explain the basic
>differences as I subjectively identify them.
>
>Most important, I hear in Vivaldi "surface" music with little underneath.
>With Bach, I hear a great deal below the surface.  This "giant" difference
>alone makes it reasonable to like one composer's music and not the music of
>the other.

It is true that Vivaldi's music does not usually have the depth of Bach's.
The exceptions usually come in his religious works.  The attractiveness
comes in the thematic material.  Also I understand that some virtuosity
is required by the performers.

>Further, Vivaldi's "surfaces" do not appeal to me.  They don't enter me at
>all, just bouncing off me in quick succession.

I mentioned the briefness of the movements as a problem in another post.
So I have to concur with the second sentence here.

>Third, I find in much of Vivaldi's music a significant degree of
>"note-spinning." By that I mean that I get the strong impression that
>Vivaldi provides "notes" simply for the purpose of putting them on the
>page.  With that impression comes a feeling that Vivaldi's music does not
>connect well within a work.

So, Vivaldi as well has "too many notes"!  This seems at odds with the
statement above about only one layer.

>However, I also feel, objectively, that the premise that it is somehow
>natural to like Vivaldi if Bach is liked (because of the transcription
>business) represents faulty and illogical thinking.

Actually you are probably right there.  In making my original remark I
wanted to explore how Bach fans who disliked Vivaldi thought.  There is
nothing wrong with them thinking this way per ce.

>Gerardo brought up the preimise of "links" between Bach and Vivaldi.
>Well, there are links between every composer under the sun.  That does not
>mandate that all "linked" composers must be liked or disliked.  ...

Isn't it strange how we all have different takes on these things.  When
I bought the Antal Dorati boxed set of Haydn opera (8 operas 16 cds) the
assistant said "You've got some heavyweight Haydn there".  I said "Yes I'm
a Haydn nut but I don't like Mozart much".  He said "That's OK they're
completely different composers".  Again in a private post a list member
recently made the same point.

My feeling is that Mozart was heavily influenced by Haydn (and CPE Bach) at
the beginning (mostly).  So many of his early works are Haydnish.  After
that the composers were more on separate tracks and it becomes easier to
justify a preference.

Back to Vivaldi.  There is an excitement in his works that I find difficult
to describe.  (Indeed I am danger of contradicting previous statements I've
made about Mozart here.) One can almost sense the atmosphere of Venice in
this music.  The style is distinct, the style is Italian.  Is that the
problem some people have, Vivaldi is not Austro-German?

Personally, I love his music.

Bob Draper
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