I recently started listening to classical music again. I made it a goal to acquaint myself with all the great composers. I fell in love with Beethoven's 7th Symphony because of its intelligence. I pondered the meaning and mystery behind Mozart's Requiem. However, it was only until I started listening to Vivaldi's famous "Four Seasons" piece when I came to appreciate this man I knew very little about.
Vivaldi was born during an earthquake. If that doesn't spell "symbolism" then I don't know what does. In his early childhood he learned how to play violin. I suppose saying "he learned how to play the violin" doesn't do him justice. The young Vivaldi mastered the instrument. If that wasn't enough, he was ordained a priest at the age of 25. Unfortunately (or fortunately) he became ill and had to abandon the priest life, which caused him to focus more on his music.
After becoming well known, and much later in his life, Vivaldi began composing one of the most famous pieces ever known, the Four Seasons. This brilliant piece depicts each season by emphasizing certain characteristics such as rain, thunder, and ice. If you haven't listened to this piece then you truly haven't lived. In fact, I once heard a pastor who jokingly made an argument for God's existence based on Vivaldi's Four Seasons. He put it simply:
1. Vivaldi composed the Four Seasons.
2. Therefore, God exists.
I don't think this argument is to be understood as a valid argument, but it brings up an interesting point. There are just some things that are "beautiful." No amount of scientific language can ever give you that simple word. Only the human element, whether philosophy or theology, can adequately describe such works of art. I think that most people, whether scientifically minded or existentially minded, view Vivaldi's piece without using emotional words.
It is for this reason that I salute Vivaldi as one of my favorite Italians!