short biography of vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi was a 17th and 18th century composer who’s become one of the most renowned figures in European classical music.

(1678-1741)

Who Was Antonio Vivaldi?

Antonio Vivaldi was ordained as a priest though he instead chose to follow his passion for music. A prolific composer who created hundreds of works, he became renowned for his concertos in Baroque style, becoming a highly influential innovator in form and pattern. He was also known for his operas, including Argippo and Bajazet .

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678, in Venice, Italy. His father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, was a professional violinist who taught his young son to play as well. Through his father, Vivaldi met and learned from some of the finest musicians and composers in Venice at the time. While his violin practice flourished, a chronic shortness of breath barred him from mastering wind instruments.

Vivaldi sought religious training as well as musical instruction. At the age of 15, he began studying to become a priest. He was ordained in 1703. Due to his red hair, Vivaldi was known locally as "il Prete Rosso," or "the Red Priest." Vivaldi's career in the clergy was short-lived. Health problems prevented him from delivering mass and drove him to abandon the priesthood shortly after his ordination.

Musical Career

At the age of 25, Vivaldi was named master of violin at the Ospedale della Pietà (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice. He composed most of his major works in this position over three decades. The Ospedale was an institution where orphans received instruction -- the boys in trades and the girls in music. The most talented musicians joined an orchestra that played Vivaldi's compositions, including religious choral music. Under Vivaldi's leadership, the orchestra gained international attention. In 1716, he was promoted to music director.

In addition to his choral music and concerti, Vivaldi had begun regularly writing opera scores by 1715; about 50 of these scores remain. His two most successful operatic works, La constanza trionfante and Farnace, were performed in multiple revivals during Vivaldi's lifetime.

In addition to his regular employment, Vivaldi accepted a number of short-term positions funded by patrons in Mantua and Rome. It was during his term in Mantua, from around 1717 to 1721, that he wrote his four-part masterpiece, The Four Seasons . He paired the pieces with four sonnets, which he may have written himself.

Vivaldi's fans and patrons included members of European royal families. One of his cantatas, Gloria e Imeneo , was written specifically for the wedding of King Louis XV. He was also a favorite of Emperor Charles VI, who honored Vivaldi publicly by naming him a knight.

Later Life and Death

Vivaldi's renown as a composer and musician in early life did not translate into lasting financial success. Eclipsed by younger composers and more modern styles, Vivaldi left Venice for Vienna, Austria, possibly hoping to find a position in the imperial court located there. He found himself without a prominent patron following the death of Charles VI, however, and died in poverty in Vienna on July 28, 1741. He was buried in a simple grave after a funeral service that proceeded without music.

Musicians and scholars revived Vivaldi's music in the early 20th century, during which time many of the composer's unknown works were recovered from obscurity. Alfredo Casella, a composer and pianist, organized the Vivaldi Week revival in 1939. The music of Vivaldi has been performed widely since World War II. The choral composition Gloria , re-introduced to the public at Casella's Vivaldi Week, is particularly famous and is performed regularly at Christmas celebrations worldwide.

Vivaldi's work, including nearly 500 concertos, have influenced subsequent composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
• Birth Year: 1678
• Birth date: March 4, 1678
• Birth City: Venice
• Birth Country: Italy
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Antonio Vivaldi was a 17th and 18th century composer who’s become one of the most renowned figures in European classical music.
• Christianity
• Education and Academia
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Nacionalities
• Death Year: 1741
• Death date: July 28, 1741
• Death City: Vienna
• Death Country: Austria

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Antonio Vivaldi Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/musicians/antonio-vivaldi
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• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: July 20, 2020
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014

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Antonio Vivaldi

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Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an Italian violin virtuoso and composer of baroque music (c. 1600-1750). Best known for his violin concertos, notably The Four Seasons , Vivaldi made a significant contribution to the evolution of instrumental music, influencing Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) amongst many others, particularly in the concerto form.

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice on 4 March 1678. His father was a professional violinist (but had been a baker before that) who was a member of the orchestra of St. Mark 's in Venice. Antonio, the eldest of six children, was taught by his father to play the same instrument. The family home still stands today on the Fondamenta del Dose canal. Antonio also studied to become a priest from 1693 and was ordained in 1703. Vivaldi had red hair which led to his nickname il prete rosso (‘the Red Priest'). The decision to join the priesthood did no harm to his musical career as, from 1709, Vivaldi also worked as a violin teacher in a Venetian orphanage for girls, the Conservatorio Pio Ospedale della Pietà. The Conservatorio attracted talented solo musicians to its regular orchestra and choir for which Vivaldi composed pieces for performance in special services like Lent. Vivaldi gained more time for composing when he was exempted from joining Mass on medical grounds; he had what he called stretezza di petto ('a tightness of the chest'), an ailment that never went away. Vivaldi returned frequently to the Conservatorio throughout his career and was appointed its concert director in 1735.

Early Works

Vivaldi had to look after the instruments besides his teaching duties at the Conservatorio in Venice, but he found time over the next six years to write a group of solo violin sonatas and 12 trio sonate di camera . It was the concerto format, though, that most attracted Vivaldi, and here he was influenced by the work of Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), another composer who gave great prominence to violin soloists.

Vivaldi's first major work was his 12 concertos, published in Amsterdam in 1711 by Estienne Roger. These are collectively known as L'estro armonico ( Harmonic Inspiration ), and they were a huge success. Vivaldi dedicated the work to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1716, the composer came up with 12 more concertos, collectively titled La stravaganza ( The Extravaganza ), a title which is indicative of their variety and invention. Vivaldi's reputation was now firmly established as a composer to be listened to across Europe . From 1718 to 1720, he worked as the maestro di capella da camera (the chapel master) in the ducal court of Mantua. In 1729, he showed his versatility and composed 12 concertos for the flute.

Intermittently returning to his old Conservatorio (he had a contract for concertos which kicked in whenever he was in Venice), Vivaldi continued to write sacred music, too, such as his well-received Gloria . Vivaldi wrote around 60 concerti grossi which are "characterized by the interplay between a large and a small group of instruments" (Wade-Matthews, 44). The larger group is called the ripieno and the smaller group (or even soloist), the concertino . Vivaldi's concerti grossi employ strings and bass and are the forerunner of the later Classical concerto.

Vivaldi's own violin playing was as playful and innovative as his compositions, fully exploiting the possibilities of the instrument and the bow. He often astounded his audiences, as one eyewitness remembered:

Vivaldi performed a solo accompaniment admirably, and at the end he improvised a fantasy which quite confounded me, for such playing has not been heard before and can never be equalled, he played his fingers but a hair's breadth from the bridge, so that there was hardly room for the bow. He played thus on all four strings, with imitations and at an unbelievable speed. (Arnold, 1937-8)

Personal Life & Character

In 1725, Vivaldi began a romantic relationship with Anna Giraud (aka Girò), one of his vocal students. This was despite still being a member of the priesthood, and the liaison was the source of much gossip. Vivaldi often wrote parts in his operas (see below) with Anna specifically in mind. In 1737, Vivaldi was formally censured by the Church for his conduct.

"His arrogance and egotism had made many enemies" reports one historian (Wade-Matthews, 53). "Vain and conceited" reports another (Steen, 27). Certainly, Vivaldi was not lacking in confidence in his abilities, once noting that he could "compose a concerto in all its parts more quickly than a copyist could write them down" (Stegemann). This may have been no idle boast either for a handwritten note on one of Vivaldi's complete opera scores, an especially thick one, records: "Music by Vivaldi, done in 5 days" ( ibid ).

The Four Seasons

Le quattro stagione or The Four Seasons is undoubtedly Vivaldi's most popular composition. Published around 1725 in Amsterdam, The Four Seasons are actually only the first four concertos of the 12 that make up the Il cemento dell'armonia e dell'inventione ( The Test of Harmony and Invention ). The work was dedicated to Wenzel von Morzin, a Bohemian count. Vivaldi was keen to give descriptive titles to his work to aid the listener in identifying the mood and scenes he hoped to suggest with his music. Vivaldi's 'Spring' in E major reminds of birdsong, his 'Summer' in G minor of gentle winds, his 'Autumn' in F major of hunting, and 'Winter' in F minor reminds of walking through snow and ice. Each section of each 'season' is given a further subtitle such as: Scorrono i fonti ( The springs come forth ), Tuoni ( Thunder ), Il capraro che dorme ( The sleeping goatherd ), and Mormorio di fronde e piante ( Rustling of foliage and plants ).

Vivaldi's Operas

Vivaldi wrote around 45 operas (although he himself once put the figure at 94), but only 16 survive today. Opera was created as a genre of the music repertoire in the late 16th century by a group of musicians known as the Camerata. Based in Florence, members included Jacopo Peri (1561-1633) and Giulio Caccini (c. 1550-1618). Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) further developed this new format of musical drama, which came to be split into two distinct types: oratorio, which was based on biblical themes, and secular stories based on ancient historical events and figures from mythology .

Vivaldi's first opera, Ottone in Villa , was written in 1713 and first staged in Vicenza. He travelled about Italy putting on more operas in various ducal courts and opera houses in cities like Rome , Venice, and Mantua. Venice seemed to get most of his attention, and he spent time as the musical director of the Teatro S. Angelo there. Other cities outside Italy which staged Vivaldi operas in his lifetime include Prague, the Bohemian capital. Vivaldi's operas, so different from the German and Italian popular styles, are rarely performed today even though they "are generously provided with beguiling melodies and opportunities for vocal display" (Sadie, 145).

Vivaldi's Most Famous Works

Vivaldi composed music in a period where musical works are loosely categorised into what we today call baroque music, that is, many varieties of music but with a collective identity of "mysticism, exuberance, complexity, decoration, allegory, distortion, the exploitation of the supernatural or grandiose…movement, disturbance, doubt" (Schonberg, 30).

A prolific writer of music, Antonio Vivaldi's major works include:

• 3 piccolo concertos
• 12 concertos for flute
• 20 oboe concertos
• 27 cello concertos
• 29 bassoon concertos
• 250+ violin concertos

Notable individual works or groups with specific titles include:

• E minor concerto for four violins, Op. 3 No. 4
• L'estro armonico (1711)
• La Stravaganza (1716)
• Juditha triumphant cantata (1716)
• Il cemento dell'armonia e dell'inventione which includes Le quattro stagioni (1725)
• La Cetra (1727)

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Death & legacy.

In 1739, Vivaldi was invited to compose music for the grand festival that year in Venice; he was at the height of his fame, but just two years later it all came to an end. Antonio Vivaldi died of unknown causes in Vienna on 28 July 1741. The composer had only been in the city for a month, and the purpose of his visit is unclear; he may have been accompanying his lover Anna while she performed in an opera there. Reportedly penniless, Vivaldi was buried in a simple grave in Vienna. It was a sad end for a man who had once been hailed as "the Maestrissimo [Grand Master] of Venice".

Vivaldi's influence went far beyond his own lifetime. He developed the format of the concerto towards its more familiar three movements (fast-slow-fast) of Classical music, giving soloists (even when there is more than one) a full exposure where the orchestra is used sparingly to provide introductions and harmonic support (Armold, 1938). In addition, Vivaldi provided a driving force based upon an introductory theme which returns again and again through the concerto ( ritornello ). Vivaldi's music was greatly admired by and influenced Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Bach transcribed ten of Vivaldi's violin concertos for keyboard, and Vivaldi's influence can be heard in his Brandenburg Concertos . Indeed, as the celebrated music historian D. Arnold notes regarding Vivaldi's powerful influence: "few instrumental composers of the early 18th century could avoid it" ( ibid ).

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Bibliography

• Arnold, Denis. The New Oxford Companion to Music . Oxford University Press, 1983.
• Sadie, S. et al. Classical Music Encyclopedia& Expanded Edition . Flame Tree Music, 2014.
• Schonberg, Harold C. The Lives of the Great Composers. Time Warner Books Uk, 1998.
• Steen, Michael. The Lives and Times of the Great Composers. Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Stegemann, Michael. "Liner notes Vivaldi Stravaganza CD Boxset." Archiv , 2012.
• Thompson, Wendy. Illustrated History of Great Composers. Lorenz Books, 2022.
• Wade-Matthews et al. The Encyclopedia of Music. Lorenz Books, 2020.

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Antonio Vivaldi - Biography

Antonio Vivaldi Biography

Antonio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678, Venice – July 28, 1741, Vienna ), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso , meaning 'The Red Priest,' was an Italian priest and baroque music composer.

His father, a barber and a talented violinist himself (some have said he was a virtuoso ), had helped him in trying a career in music and made him enter the Cappella di San Marco orchestra, where he was an appreciated violinist.

In 1703 Vivaldi became a priest, soon nicknamed Il Prete Rosso , 'The Red Priest', probably because of his red hair. Not long after, in 1704, he was given a dispensation from celebrating the Holy Mass because of his ill-health (he apparently suffered from asthma ), and became a violin teacher at an orphanage for girls called the Pio Ospedale della Piet� in Venice . Shortly after his appointment, the orphans began to gain appreciation and esteem abroad too; Vivaldi wrote for them most of his concertos, cantatas, and sacred music. In 1705 the first collection ( raccolta ) of his works was published. Many others would follow. At the orphanage he covered several different duties, with the only interruption for his many travels, and in 1713 became responsible for the musical activity of the institute.

Not so well known is the fact that most of his repertoire was re-discovered only in the first half of the 20th century in Turin and Genoa , but was published in the second half. Vivaldi's music is innovative, breaking a consolidated tradition in schemes; he gave brightness to the formal and the rhythmic structure of the concerto, repeatedly looking for harmonic contrasts, and invented innovative melodies and themes. Moreover, Vivaldi was able to compose non-academic music, particularly meant to be appreciated by the wide public, and not only by an intellectual minority. The joyful appearance of his music reveals in this regard a transmissible joy of composing. These are among the causes of the vast popularity of his music. This popularity soon made him famous also in countries like France , at the time very closed into its national schemes.

He is considered one of the composers who brought Baroque music (with its typical contrast among heavy sonorities) to evolve into an impressionist style. Vivaldi has been also indicated as a precursor of romantic musicians. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi's concertos and arias (recalled in his Passions and cantatas ). Bach transcribed a number of Vivaldi's concertos for solo keyboard, along with a number for orchestra, including the famous Concerto for Four Violins and Violoncello, Strings and Continuo ( RV 580). However, not all the musicians showed the same enthusiasm: Igor Stravinsky provocatorily said that Vivaldi had not written hundreds of concertos, but one concerto, repeated hundreds of times.

Despite his saintly status, he is supposed to have had many love affairs, one of which was with the singer Anna Giraud , with whom he was suspected of using materials from old Venetian operas that he only slightly adapted to the vocal capabilities of his mistress. This business caused him some troubles with other musicians, like Benedetto Marcello , who wrote a pamphlet against him.

Vivaldi's life, like those of many composers of the time, ended in poverty. His compositions no longer held the high esteem they once did in Venice; changing musical tastes quickly made them outmoded, and Vivaldi, in reponse, chose to sell off sizeable numbers of his manuscripts at paltry prices to finance a migration to Vienna . Reasons for Vivaldi's departure from Venice are unclear, but it seems likely that he wished to meet Charles VI , who adored his compositions (Vivaldi dedicated La Cetra to Charles in 1727), and take up the position of royal composer in his Imperial Court. But shortly after Vivaldi's arrival at Vienna, Charles died. This tragic stroke of bad luck left the composer without royal protection and a source of income. Vivaldi had to sell off more manuscripts to make ends meet, and eventually died not long after, in 1741. He was given an unmarked pauper's grave (the assumption that the young Joseph Haydn sang in the choir at Vivaldi's burial was based on the mistranscription of a primary source and has been proven wrong). Equally unfortunate, his music was to fall into obscurity until the 1900s .

The resurrection of Vivaldi's works in the 20th century is mostly thanks to the efforts of Alfredo Casella , who in 1939, organised the now historic Vivaldi Week . Since then, Vivaldi's compositions have enjoyed almost universal success, and the advent of historically informed performance has all but catapulted him to stardom once again. In 1947, the Venetian businessman Antonio Fanna founded the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi , with the composer Gian Francesco Malipiero as its artistic director, with the purpose of promoting Vivaldi's music and putting out new editions of his works.

Vivaldi's music, together with Mozart 's, Tchaikovsky 's and Corelli 's, has been included in the theories of Alfred Tomatis on the effects of music on human behaviour, and used in music therapy .

He was a prolific composer and is most well-known for composing:

• over 500 concertos (210 of which for violin or violoncello solo ),
• 46 operas ,
• 73 sonatas,
• chamber music (even if some sonatas for flute , as Il Pastor Fido , have been erronously attributed to him, but were composed by Cedeville ) and
• sacred music ('oratorio' Juditha Triumphans , written for Piet�, two Glorias , the Stabat Mater , the Nisi Dominus , the Beatus Vir , the Magnificat , the Dixit Dominus and others);
• his most famous work is perhaps 1723's Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons). In essence, it resembled an early example of a tone poem , where he attempted to capture all the moods of the four seasons without the use of percussion to dramatize the effects he sought to portray.

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Antonio Vivaldi Biography

Born: March 4, 1678 Venice, Italy Died: July 26, 1741 Vienna, Austria Italian composer, violinist and priest

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian violinist and composer whose concertos—pieces for one or more instruments—were widely known and influential throughout Europe.

Childhood and early career

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy, on March 4, 1678. His first music teacher was his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi. The elder Vivaldi was a well-respected violinist, employed at the church of St. Mark's. It is possible, though not proved, that as a boy Antonio also studied with the composer Giovanni Legrenzi (1626–1690).

Antonio was trained for a clerical (religious service) as well as a musical life. After going through the various introductory stages, he was ordained (authorized) a priest in March 1703. His active career, however, was devoted to music. In the autumn of 1703 he was appointed as a violin teacher at the Ospitale della Pieta in Venice. A few years later he was made conductor of the orchestra at the same institution. Under Vivaldi's direction, this orchestra gave many brilliant concerts and achieved an international reputation.

Vivaldi remained at the Pietà until 1740. But his long years there were broken by the numerous trips he took, for professional purposes, to Italian and foreign cities. He went, among other places, to Vienna, Italy, from 1729 to 1730 and to Amsterdam, Netherlands, from 1737 to 1738. Within Italy he traveled to various cities to direct performances of his operas. He left Venice for the last time in 1740. He died in Vienna on July 26 or 27, 1741.

Vivaldi's music

Vivaldi was very productive in vocal and instrumental music, sacred and secular (nonreligious). According to the latest research, he composed over seven hundred pieces—ranging from sonatas (instrumental compositions usually with three or four movements) and operas (musical dramas consisting of vocal and instrumental pieces) to concertos (musical compositions for one or two vocal performers set against a full orchestra).

Today the vocal music of Vivaldi is little known. But in his own day he was famous and successful as an opera composer. Most of his operas were written for Venice, but some were performed throughout Italy in Rome, Florence, Verona, Vicenza, Ancona, and Mantua.

Orchestral music

Vivaldi's concertos are generally in three movements, arranged in the order of fast, slow, fast. The two outer movements are in the same key; the middle movement is in the same key or in a closely related key. Within movements, the music proceeds on the principle of alternation: passages for the solo instrument(s) alternate with passages for the full orchestra. The solo instrument may extend the material played by the orchestra, or it may play quite different material of its own. In either case, the alternation between soloist and orchestra builds up a tension that can be very dramatic.

The orchestra in Vivaldi's time was different, of course, from a modern one in its size and constitution. Although winds were sometimes called for, strings constituted the main body of players. In a Vivaldi concerto, the orchestra is essentially a string orchestra, with one or two harpsichords or organs to play the thorough-bass.

Some of Vivaldi's concertos are pieces of program music, for they give musical descriptions of events or natural scenes. The Seasons, for instance, consists of four concertos representing the four seasons. But in his concertos the "program" does not determine the formal structure of the music. Some musical material may imitate the call of a bird or the rustling of leaves; but the formal plan of the concerto is maintained.

Vivaldi's concertos were widely known during and after his lifetime. They were copied and admired by another musician, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750). In musical Europe of the eighteenth century Vivaldi was one of the great names.

For More Information

Heller, Karl. Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice. Portland, OR: Amadeus Press, 1997.

Kolneder, Walter. Antonio Vivaldi: His Life and Work. Edited by Bill Hopkins. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970.

Landon, H. C. Robbins. Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Morgenstern, Sheldon. No Vivaldi in the Garage: A Requiem for Classical Music in North America. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2001.

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Antonio Vivaldi summary

Antonio Vivaldi , (born March 4, 1678, Venice, Republic of Venice—died July 28, 1741, Vienna, Austria), Italian composer. He was taught violin by his father. In 1703 he was ordained a priest (and later became known as the “Red Priest” for his red hair). He spent most of his career teaching violin and leading the orchestra at a Venetian girls’ orphanage. After c. 1718 he became more involved in opera as both composer and impresario. His concertos were highly influential in setting the genre’s three-movement (fast-slow-fast) form, with a returning theme ( ritornello ) for the larger group set off by contrasting material for the soloists, and he popularized effects such as pizzicato and muting. His L’estro armonico (1711), a collection of concerti grossi, attracted international attention. His La stravaganza ( c. 1714) was eagerly awaited, as were its successors, including The Four Seasons (1725). In all he wrote more than 500 concertos. His most popular sacred vocal work is the Gloria (1708). Though often accused of repeating himself, Vivaldi was in fact highly imaginative, and his works exercised a strong influence on Johann Sebastian Bach .

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Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was one of the most productive composers of the Baroque era. His vast output included substantial quantities of chamber and vocal music, some 46 operas and a remarkable 500 concertos...

Life and Music A colourful character with an eye for the ladies, Vivaldi defied a lifetime of ill-health by regularly absenting himself from his home base of Venice in a desperate attempt to establish an international reputation. The exact date of Vivaldi's birth (4th March 1678) confounded scholars for many years, although it was known that following his delivery the midwife performed an emergency baptism. The reason for his emergency baptism is not known for certain but is likely due to his poor health or to an earthquake that shook Venice on that day. Vivaldi's father, Giovanni Battista, was a violinist at St Mark's Cathedral, and although he taught the prodigiously gifted Antonio to play from early childhood, a musical career seemed unlikely, especially when, aged 15, he was shunted off to join the priesthood. He studied for 10 years, received Holy Orders in 1703 and earned the nickname "il prete rosso" (the red priest) from the distinctive colour of his hair. By September 1703 Vivaldi had already secured his first professional appointment as maestro di violino at the Pio Ospedale della Pieta, one of four orphanages for girls in Venice. Remarkably, this was to remain his base for the greater part of his life, from 1703 to 1740, though with several prolonged 'leaves of absence'. Throughout the 1730s Vivaldi continued to travel widely - to Bohemia, Austria and throughout Italy - despite the fact that his worsening health meant taking an expensive entourage of carers. Destitute and alone, he passed away in Vienna in 1741 and was buried cheaply the same day in a hospital cemetery which sadly no longer exists. Did you know? Because Vivaldi was a priest, he was not allowed to marry or have a girlfriend, but it was largely believed that both Anna and Paolina Giro were Vivaldi's girlfriends at the same time!

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Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and beyond

The composer of The Four Seasons was also one of the Baroque era's busiest and most influential musicians. Meet Antonio Vivaldi

BBC Music Magazine

Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most important composers of the Baroque era, and also one of the best Italian composers of all time.

Among his many achievements, Vivaldi d eserves credit for bringing the emerging concerto form into the mainstream of classical music. He was also a virtuoso violinist and a busy concert impresario.

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But how much more do we know about the life and times of this hugely influential composer?

Who was Vivaldi?

Vivaldi must rank alongside Bach and Handel as one of the greatest Baroque composers. What's more, his was not a reputation gained posthumously: Vivaldi was a much sought-after and extremely busy composer and performer during his lifetime.

Vivaldi was also a key figure in the development of classical music, pioneering many changes in orchestral playing and violin technique. He also had a huge effect on the development and popularisation of the new concerto form.

What music did Vivaldi compose?

Vivaldi is most famous for his many concertos, composed for a variety of musical instruments. Of course the violin, Vivaldi's own instrument, took precedence here.

How many violin concertos did Vivaldi compose?

Of the nearly 500 Vivaldi concerti that have survived, more than 300 are for a solo instrument and string orchestra accompaniment. Of these, around 230 are for solo violin. That figure dwarfs the numbers composed for bassoon (40), cello (25), oboe (15), and flute (ten).

What is Vivaldi's most famous work?

Vivaldi's compositions extended well beyond the developing concerto form. He also wrote sacred choral works, plus more than 50 operas. His most famous work, however, is the set of four violin concertos known as Le quattro stagioni ( The Four Seasons ), a signature work for violinist Nigel Kennedy and many others.

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What was the Ospedale della Pietà?

Vivaldi wrote a large number of pieces for the all-female orchestra at the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children in Venice.

Where was Vivaldi born?

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on 4 March 1678 in Venice.

Did Vivaldi become a priest?

Vivaldi began studying for the priesthood at the age of 15 and was ordained at 25, but was given dispensation to no longer say public Masses due to a health problem: strettezza di petto , literally ‘tightness in the chest’.

Where did Vivaldi live?

Vivaldi spent his first three decades in his hometown of Venice. In 1717 or 1718, it was time for a change, as thez composer and conductor was offered the job of maestro di cappella of the court of prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, governor of the city of Mantua, 100 miles west of Venice.

It was in Mantua that Vivaldi wrote The Four Seasons , whose musical depictions are likely inspired by the countryside around the city. In this way, The Four Seasons can be considered among the earliest musical tone poems .

Then, later in life, Vivaldi moved to Vienna, hoping for royal support from the Emperor Charles VI. This turned out not to be a fruitful move, however: the Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and the composer himself died in poverty less than a year later.

What was Vivaldi's nickname?

Vivaldi's red hair and brief career in the priesthood earned him the nickname Il Prete Rosso ('the Red Priest').

What was Vivaldi's famous letter?

Vivaldi’s most famous surviving letter, the one in which, four years before his death in 1741, the composer mounts a defence of his artistic and moral reputation, is viewable only on the rare occasions when it goes on view in auction rooms prior to sale.

Fortunately, this letter was one of six written by Vivaldi to his noble patron Guido Bentivoglio d’Aragona that were published privately in 1871, so it has been used by biographers ever since to establish facts about the composer’s life.

In one paragraph Vivaldi writes of travelling during the previous 14 years to countless European cities in the company of his pupil, friend and assistant, the contralto Anna Girò.

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European travels

He identifies some of the cities. Ferrara, where he had previously directed operas and was attempting, in the teeth of a ban by the city’s Cardinal, Tomaso Ruffo, to do the same again. Mantua, where he had been musical director to the Austrian governor from 1718 to 1720. Rome, where he had resided during three carnival seasons (including those of 1723 and 1724) and had played the violin in private to the Pope. Finally, Vienna, where he had been summoned, presumably by the imperial court, on some prior occasion still unidentified.

All these ventures to distant cities would, at the time, have seemed perfectly natural for a violinist-composer who was also a composer of operas and who doubled as an impresario.

To acquire fame and patrons outside his native Venice, Vivaldi had to appear in public as a virtuoso of his instruments (violin and viola d’amore) and to perform concertos and sonatas of his own composition that were more challenging than those he chose to release for publication and circulation.

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To ensure his operas were produced to his satisfaction, he had to be present at the theatres where they were staged and would ingratiate himself with the local nobility and supervise the box office.

What did Vivaldi suffer from?

Elsewhere in the same letter, however, Vivaldi mentions a fact that seems utterly incompatible with the life of a travelling virtuoso-cum-impresario. Ever since birth, he suffered badly from bronchial asthma, for which he uses the term strettezza di petto , literally ‘tightness in the chest’.

Around 1706 asthmatic attacks forced him, as a newly ordained priest, to give up the lucrative practice of reciting Mass for the souls of benefactors of the Ospedale della Pietà, the home for foundlings whose all-female orchestra he directed.

In fact, as he writes, he gave up saying Mass in public for good. His medical condition caused him to stay at home, and to use a gondola or a carriage for locomotion rather than his own two feet.

A composer's entourage

So how did Vivaldi manage to travel around so freely outside Venice, in an age when such activity was slow, uncomfortable and often perilous? A large part of the credit must go to his loyal entourage. His chief assistant was his father, Giovanni Battista, who stayed at his side until his own death in 1736.

We know that Giovanni Battista accompanied him on a visit to Bohemia in 1729, since the elder Vivaldi obtained leave from his post as a violinist at St Mark’s specifically to join him.

Then there were Anna Girò and her half-sister Paolina, who acted as her companion and chaperone. Perhaps Vivaldi’s brothers and one or two family servants sometimes joined the party.

After 1713, when Antonio’s first opera, Ottone in villa , got a staging in Vicenza, it was his operatic commitments that governed his movements.

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He might have to ‘up sticks’ two or three times in a year: once for a carnival season in a city centre, and again for a spring or summer opera in a provincial centre. Vivaldi died, as he so often lived, in transit.

When did Vivaldi die?

Arriving in Vienna in 1740 to take command at the Kärntnertor theatre, he was prevented from giving his opera L’oracolo in Messenia there in the following season on account of the public mourning and closure of all theatres decreed after the death of Emperor Charles VI.

Perhaps this setback brought on his death in July 1741.

Vivaldi didn't reconcile himself to his chronic illness, and it seems his wanderlust was – quite literally – a displacement activity to compensate for the frustrations of his limited mobility in daily life.

In fact, one can argue that Vivaldi had a general preoccupation with mobility that left a distinct mark on his activities as violinist and composer.

'One in the eye for his disabiility'

Every demonstration of mobility was, as it were, one in the eye for his disability. Feeble though his legs and body may have been, Vivaldi’s fingers leaped up and down the violin’s fingerboard further and more rapidly than any of his contemporaries could manage.

Even his musical handwriting conveys the impression of abnormal speed and fluency.

But it was as a composer that Vivaldi gave vent to his obsession with mobility most forcefully.

The very layout of his scores expresses vigorous movement. Voices and instruments operate within unusually wide compasses, darting up and down, criss-crossing and causing the texture to transform itself constantly.

Instead of bunching his parts close together, Vivaldi likes to spread them wide open and thereby create extra room for manoeuvre.

In his melodic and accompanimental lines alike, Vivaldi privileges wide intervals – typically, compound intervals (those more than an octave). For example, the hiccupping ninths at the start of his Concerto funebre , RV 579.

We will understand Vivaldi better if we remember that he was a lifelong invalid who refused a sedentary existence, whether physical or psychical.

His ambition, his brazen self-confidence, his self-pity whenever his plans went awry, his suspicion of all but the favoured few, his resistance to collaborating with other musicians, his money-mania: all stemmed from a repressed insecurity born of a bodily ailment.

Every new composition, every successful operatic production, every demonstration of violinistic pyrotechnics was for him a token of his triumph over the odds.

Where is Vivaldi buried?

The great composer was buried next to Vienna's Karlskirche. This Baroque church is now part of the site of Vienna's TU Wien university.

Michael Talbot

Vivaldi also features in our list of the 50 greatest composers of all time .

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Antonio Vivaldi

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Did you know this about Vivaldi?

The “chest ailment” that greatly limited Vivaldi’s physical ability was probably asthma.

Much of Vivaldi’s music has been lost, but some of his compositions have recently been discovered.

J.S. Bach was a big fan of Vivaldi’s music, even transcribing several of his concertos for other instruments.

By the end of his life, Vivaldi was living in poverty, and was buried in a pauper’s grave.

For thirty years, Vivaldi worked as a music teacher at an orphanage, composing much of his music for the school’s all-female ensemble.

At fifteen, Vivaldi began studying for the priesthood, and was ordained at twenty-five.

Vivaldi’s red hair earned him the nickname “The Red Priest.”

Vivaldi’s father, a barber and a violinist, taught his son to play the violin.

The day Vivaldi was born in Venice, an earthquake rocked the city.

• Vivaldi’s best-known work is his Four Seasons , a series of violin concertos.

Antonio Vivaldi, known by the moniker “The Red Priest,” owing to his fiery red hair, was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, and clergyman who left an indelible mark on the music world with his prowess in Baroque composition.

Early Life and Upbringing

Born Antonio Lucio Vivaldi on the 4th of March in 1678, in the romantic city of Venice, Italy, he was the eldest of six children. His father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, was a proficient violinist who played at San Marco Basilica’s orchestra. It’s believed that his father’s influence sparked Antonio’s interest in music and the violin.

However, Antonio had health issues from a young age. He suffered from what’s assumed to have been bronchial asthma, a condition that restricted his activities but did not deter his passion for music. Despite his health challenges, Antonio learned the violin, composing music, and partaking in musical activities with fervor.

Journey to Priesthood and Musical Career

At the age of 15, Antonio embarked on his religious studies, intending to become a priest. Ten years later, in 1703, he was ordained and earned the nickname “il Prete Rosso,” or “The Red Priest,” an allusion to his vibrant hair color. His tenure as a priest was short-lived due to his chronic ailment, which prevented him from celebrating mass. Although he withdrew from official religious duties, he remained a priest throughout his life, often drawing criticism for his religious fervor.

In the same year of his ordination, Antonio secured the position of master of violin at the Ospedale della Pieta, an orphanage in Venice that provided musical education to its wards. Despite being a place for the less fortunate, the institution was known for its excellent choir and orchestra comprised of talented girls. Vivaldi’s association with the Ospedale spanned several years, during which he composed numerous concertos, sacred music, and cantatas for the orchestra and choir.

The Red Priest’s Rise to Fame

Vivaldi’s career reached its pinnacle in the 1720s. Based in Venice, he frequently traveled, supplying instrumental music to patrons throughout Europe. He found success in various genres of music, from instrumental concerts and sacred choral works to operas. His compositions were well-received, earning him commissions from other institutions, and his operas were performed in theaters across Italy.

His set of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons , composed around 1717-1721 during his term in Mantua, is considered a masterpiece that beautifully represents the seasons of the year. These concertos were revolutionary in their musical conception, depicting an array of scenes from singing birds and flowing creeks to wintry landscapes and vibrant festivities.

Operatic Ventures and Royal Patronage

In addition to his instrumental compositions, Vivaldi also delved into the realm of opera. His first opera, Ottone in Villa , premiered in 1713 in Vicenza. Back in Venice, he continued to compose and produce operas, often acting as an impresario. His operatic works, such as Farnace  and La constanza trionfante , were celebrated during his lifetime and performed in several revivals.

Vivaldi’s impressive repertoire earned him the admiration of European royalty. One of his cantatas, Gloria e Imeneo , was commissioned for the wedding of King Louis XV. He also enjoyed the patronage of Emperor Charles VI, who honored Vivaldi with a knight’s title.

A Storied Relationship: Antonio and Anna Giro

In 1726, a young contralto singer named Anna Giro debuted in a Vivaldi opera. Born in Mantua, Anna had moved to Venice to advance her singing career. Although her voice was not strong, her charm and acting skills captivated the audience. She soon became part of Vivaldi’s circle, featuring as the prima donna in his subsequent operas. Despite the rumors about their relationship, there’s no concrete evidence to suggest anything beyond a professional camaraderie.

Later Life and Death

By the 1730s, Vivaldi’s prominence began to wane. His operatic ventures were increasingly met with failure, and his music was deemed out of fashion. In 1740, he left Venice for Vienna, hoping to secure a position in the imperial court. However, the death of his patron, Charles VI, left him without support. On July 28, 1741, the celebrated “Red Priest” died in poverty and was buried in a simple grave in Vienna.

The Legacy of Antonio Vivaldi

Although Vivaldi’s music declined in popularity after his death, it was revived in the 20th century. His extensive collection of musical manuscripts, including autograph scores of his works, was rediscovered in the 1920s. His music, particularly the violin concertos and the choral composition Gloria, is performed widely and continues to influence composers worldwide.

The journey of Antonio Vivaldi, from a priest to one of the most influential figures in Baroque music, is a testament to his indomitable spirit and passion for music. Despite his health challenges, he composed hundreds of works, leaving a rich legacy that continues to inspire musicians to this day. His life and works embody the essence of Baroque music, marked by grandeur, emotion, and technical brilliance.

Vivaldi’s influence on the development of Baroque music was immense. He ignited transformations in music for the church, the opera house and the concert hall. But his most important achievement was in his music for strings. He introduced a range of new styles and techniques to string playing and consolidated one of its most important genres, the concerto. Vivaldi’s concertos became a model for his contemporaries, and the form was soon one of the most important in eighteenth century Europe. Vivaldi played the violin from an early age, probably taking lessons with his father. He trained for the priesthood and was ordained in 1703. His red hair earned him the nickname ‘il prete rosso’ (the red priest). In the same year as his ordination, he was appointed to the Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian convent for orphaned or illegitimate girls. He taught the violin there, organised services with music, composed and gave concerts. Publications of his works began appearing in 1705: trio sonatas, violin sonatas and concerto sets. Prior to these, he had disseminated a number of concertos in manuscript form. He also wrote two oratorios for the Pietà, the most significant being Juditha triumphans (1716).  Opera became an increasingly important part of Vivaldi’s output in the second decade of the 18th century. His first opera, Ottone in villa, was premiered in Vicenza in 1713. He also wrote for theatres in Venice and Mantua, where the Habsburg governor, Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, was a famous music lover. Following the success of Vivaldi’s opera Armida al campo d’Egitto there, the prince appointed Vivaldi as maestro di cappella da camera. Vivaldi remained in Mantua for two years from 1718, writing cantatas and serenatas for the court. Rome was Vivaldi’s main base from 1720. Here he composed more operas under the patronage of Cardinal Ottoboni. Further opera work took him back to Venice, where he was involved with the Teatro San Angelo from 1726 to 1728. During his travels, Vivaldi retained a position with the Pietà, regularly providing the school with concertos. From 1730, he visited Vienna and Prague, trying with mixed success to stage his operas in those cities. He hoped to become composer to the Imperial court in Vienna. But the death of Emperor Charles VI in 1740 left him without even a prospective patron.  Vivaldi died in poverty the following year. Among the works he left, the most significant are his concertos, about 500 in all. Around half of these are for solo violin and strings. About forty are for two soloists, and thirty for three or more. The solo instruments in these categories include bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, viola d’amore, recorder, trumpet and mandolin. Vivaldi had injected the concerto form with a remarkable variety of structure, originality of scoring and imagination of conception. His standard model was the three movement design, with two allegros framing a slow movement in the same, or a closely related, key. These concertos alone show him to be one of the most important composers of the late Baroque. His innovations here anticipate the early Classical style. He has even been credited as a precursor of musical Romanticism. The pictorial dimensions of Vivaldi’s concertos, most notably Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) and La Caccia, RV362, anticipate 19th-century developments. So too do his unusual combinations of instruments, his chromaticism and his use of special effects such as scordatura (in RV348 and RV391). He also composed around 90 sonatas, which maintain traditional formal designs and stylistic traits. The Trio Sonatas op.1 and op. 5 are modelled after those of Corelli and are in a chamber music style. In other sonatas, the previously distinct genres of church and chamber music are subtly merged. Of the forty or so operas Vivaldi composed, only twenty-one have survived, and many of these are incomplete. Vivaldi’s operas are among the few from the period to use obbligato instruments in arias, sometimes borrowing arias from other composers such as Handel and Pergolesi. Sacred genres are also opened up to external influences in his work. Musical ideas from operatic and orchestral music make regular appearances. Most of his cantatas are for solo voice (soprano or alto) and continuo, based on the model established by composer Alessandro Scarlatti. Vivaldi’s serenatas, composed to celebrate a particular event or honour a special person, are more expansive works. Among other prominent sacred pieces are his Gloria, RV589, and Magnificat, RV611. Vivaldi’s music suffered a century of neglect after his death. It was rediscovered thanks to a resurgence of interest in the music of JS Bach. While preparing a complete edition of Bach’s music in the nineteenth century, scholars came across his transcriptions of ten of Vivaldi’s concertos. It is ironic that Vivaldi’s ‘resurrection’ came about via a composer on whom he had been a crucial influence.

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(1678–1741). The most influential and innovative Italian composer of his time, Antonio Vivaldi was an accomplished violinist who wrote music for operas, solo instruments, and small ensembles. His finest work was thought to be his concerti in which virtuoso solo passages alternate with passages for the whole orchestra. He orchestrated in new ways and prepared the way for the late baroque concerto.

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678, in Venice, Italy. When he was born he looked so frail that the midwife baptized him immediately. He grew to love the violin and played along with his father at St. Mark’s Basilica. The young Vivaldi studied for the priesthood and was ordained in 1703. The same year, he was given a teaching position at the Pio Ospedale della Pietà, where he gave music lessons to those among the resident orphan girls who showed musical aptitude. Their Sunday concerts, for which Vivaldi composed many orchestral and choral works, gained renown, until no visit to Venice was considered complete without hearing a performance.

Vivaldi taught there until 1709, when for financial reasons the school voted not to renew his post. Two years later he was reappointed, however, and he remained as a teacher until 1716, when he was appointed to the higher position of maestro. In his later years Vivaldi traveled widely, living for extended periods in Vienna and Mantua, where he was the director of secular music for the city’s governor, Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt. He probably also performed and composed in Prague, Dresden, and Amsterdam. His popularity declined at the end of his life, and he died in Vienna on July 28, 1741.

Early in his life Vivaldi’s operas were performed throughout Italy and in Vienna. More than 750 works are known to exist, and researchers have long struggled with the task of identifying and cataloguing them. Vivaldi’s original musical style had wide influence on later composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach , who transcribed some of Vivaldi’s concerti for keyboard. His operas are seldom heard now, but his orchestral and chamber music are performed frequently, as is his popular sacred Gloria .

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A portrait of Antonio Vivaldi in 1725 (March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741), nicknamed ("The Red Priest") was an Italian composer, , and , born in . Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over . Vivaldi is known mainly for composing instrumental , especially for the , as well as sacred choral works and over 40 . His best known work is a series of known as . Many of his compositions were written for the female music ensemble of the , an orphanage for poor and illegitimate children where Vivaldi worked between 1703 and 1740. Vivaldi also had some success with stagings of his operas in Venice, and . After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna hoping for preferment. The Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and the composer died a pauper, without a steady source of income. Though Vivaldi's music was well received during his lifetime, it later declined in popularity until its vigorous revival in the first half of the 20th century. Today, Vivaldi ranks among the most popular and widely recorded Baroque composers. Childhood At the Conservatorio dell'Ospedale della Pietà Opera impresario Mantua and The Four Seasons Later life and death Style and influence Posthumous reputation Works Notes References and further reading External links Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice , the capital of the Republic of Venice in 1678. He was baptized immediately after his birth at his home by the midwife, which led to the belief that his life was somehow in danger. Though not known for certain, the immediate baptism was most likely due either to his poor health or to an earthquake that shook the city that day. In the trauma of the earthquake, Vivaldi's mother may have dedicated him to the priesthood. [ 1 ] Vivaldi's official church baptism (the rites that remained other than the baptism itself) did not take place until two months later. [ 2 ] Vivaldi's parents were Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, as recorded in the register of San Giovanni in Bragora. [ 3 ] Vivaldi had five siblings: Margarita Gabriela, Cecilia Maria, Bonaventura Tomaso, Zanetta Anna, and Francesco Gaetano. [ 4 ] Giovanni Battista, a barber before becoming a professional violinist , taught Antonio to play the violin, and then toured Venice playing the violin with his young son. He probably taught him at an early age, judging by Vivaldi's extensive musical knowledge at the age of 24 when he started working at the Ospedale della Pietà. [ 5 ] Giovanni Battista was one of the founders of the Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia , an association of musicians. [ 6 ] The president of the Sovvegno was Giovanni Legrenzi , a composer of the early Baroque and maestro di cappella at St. Mark's Basilica . It is possible that Legrenzi gave the young Antonio his first lessons in composition. The Luxembourg scholar Walter Kolneder has discerned in the early liturgical work Laetatus sum ( RV Anh 31, written in 1691 at the age of 13) the influence of Legrenzi's style. Vivaldi's father may have been a composer himself: in 1689, an opera titled La Fedeltà sfortunata was composed by a Giovanni Battista Rossi, and this was the name under which Vivaldi's father had joined the Sovvegno di Santa Cecilia: [ 7 ] "Rossi" is Italian for "Red", and would have referred to the colour of his hair, a family trait. Vivaldi's health was problematic. His symptoms, strettezza di petto ("tightness of the chest"), have been interpreted as a form of asthma. [ 2 ] This did not prevent him from learning to play the violin, composing or taking part in musical activities, [ 2 ] although it did stop him from playing wind instruments. In 1693, at the age of 15, he began studying to become a priest. [ 8 ] He was ordained in 1703, aged 25. He was soon nicknamed il Prete Rosso , "The Red Priest", because of his red hair. [ 9 ] Not long after his ordination, in 1704, he was given a reprieve from celebrating the Holy Mass because of his ill health. Vivaldi only said mass as a priest a few times. He appears to have withdrawn from priestly duties, but he remained a priest. [ citation needed ] At the Conservatorio dell'Ospedale della Pietà In September 1703, Vivaldi became maestro di violino (master of violin) at an orphanage called the Pio Ospedale della Pietà (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice. [ 10 ] While Vivaldi is most famous as a composer, he was regarded as an exceptional technical violinist as well. The German architect Johann Friedrich Armand von Uffenbach referred to Vivaldi as "the famous composer and violinist" and said that "Vivaldi played a solo accompaniment excellently, and at the conclusion he added a free fantasy [an improvised cadenza] which absolutely astounded me, for it is hardly possible that anyone has ever played, or ever will play, in such a fashion." [ 11 ] Vivaldi was only 25 when he started working at the Ospedale della Pietà. Over the next thirty years he composed most of his major works while working there. [ 12 ] There were four similar institutions in Venice; their purpose was to give shelter and education to children who were abandoned or orphaned, or whose families could not support them. They were financed by funds provided by the Republic. [ 13 ] The boys learned a trade and had to leave when they reached 15. The girls received a musical education, and the most talented stayed and became members of the Ospedale's renowned orchestra and choir. Shortly after Vivaldi's appointment, the orphans began to gain appreciation and esteem abroad, too. Vivaldi wrote concertos, cantatas and sacred vocal music for them. [ 14 ] These sacred works, which number over 60, are varied: they included solo motets and large-scale choral works for soloists, double chorus, and orchestra. [ 15 ] In 1704, the position of teacher of viola all'inglese was added to his duties as violin instructor. [ 16 ] The position of maestro di coro , which was at one time filled by Vivaldi, required a lot of time and work. He had to compose an oratorio or concerto at every feast and teach the orphans how to play certain instruments and theory. [ 17 ] His relationship with the board of directors of the Ospedale was often strained. The board had to take a vote every year on whether to keep a teacher. The vote on Vivaldi was seldom unanimous, and went 7 to 6 against him in 1709. [ 18 ] After a year as a freelance musician, he was recalled by the Ospedale with a unanimous vote in 1711; clearly during his year's absence the board realized the importance of his role. [ 18 ] He became responsible for all of the musical activity of the institution [ 19 ] when he was promoted to maestro di' concerti (music director) in 1716. [ 20 ] In 1705, the first collection ( Connor Cassara ) of his works was published by Giuseppe Sala: [ 21 ] his Opus 1 is a collection of 12 sonatas for two violins and basso continuo, in a conventional style. [ 16 ] In 1709, a second collection of 12 sonatas for violin and basso continuo appeared, his Opus 2. [ 22 ] A real breakthrough as a composer came with his first collection of 12 concerti for one, two, and four violins with strings, L'estro armonico Opus 3, which was published in Amsterdam in 1711 by Estienne Roger , [ 23 ] dedicated to Grand Prince Ferdinand of Tuscany. The prince sponsored many musicians including Alessandro Scarlatti and Handel. He was a musician himself, and Vivaldi probably met him in Venice. [ 24 ] L'estro armonico was a resounding success all over Europe. It was followed in 1714 by La stravaganza Opus 4, a collection of concerti for solo violin and strings, [ 25 ] dedicated to an old violin student of Vivaldi's, the Venetian noble Vettor Dolfin. [ 26 ] In February 1711, Vivaldi and his father traveled to Brescia , where his setting of the Stabat Mater ( RV 621 ) was played as part of a religious festival. The work seems to have been written in haste: the string parts are simple, the music of the first three movements is repeated in the next three, and not all the text is set. Nevertheless, perhaps in part because of the forced essentiality of the music, the work is one of his early masterpieces. Despite his frequent travels from 1718, the Pietà paid him to write two concerti a month for the orchestra and to rehearse with them at least five times when in Venice. The Pietà's records show that he was paid for 140 concerti between 1723 and 1733. Opera impresario In early 18th century Venice, opera was the most popular musical entertainment. It proved most profitable for Vivaldi. There were several theaters competing for the public's attention. Vivaldi started his career as an opera composer as a sideline: his first opera, Ottone in villa (RV 729) was performed not in Venice, but at the Garzerie Theater in Vicenza in 1713. [ 28 ] The following year, Vivaldi became the impresario of the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice, where his opera Orlando finto pazzo (RV 727) was performed. The work was not to the public's taste, and it closed after a couple of weeks, being replaced with a repeat of a different work already given the previous year. In 1715, he presented Nerone fatto Cesare (RV 724, now lost), with music by seven different composers, of which he was the leader. The opera contained eleven arias , and was a success. In the late season, Vivaldi planned to put on an opera composed entirely by him, Arsilda regina di Ponto (RV 700), but the state censor blocked the performance. The main character, Arsilda, falls in love with another woman, Lisea, who is pretending to be a man. [ 24 ] Vivaldi got the censor to accept the opera the following year, and it was a resounding success. At this period, the Pietà commissioned several liturgical works. The most important were two oratorios . Moyses Deus Pharaonis , (RV 643) is lost. The second, Juditha triumphans (RV 644), celebrates the victory of the Republic of Venice against the Turks and the recapture of the island of Corfù . Composed in 1716, it is one of his sacred masterpieces. All eleven singing parts were performed by girls of the Pietà, both the female and male roles. Many of the arias include parts for solo instruments—recorders, oboes, clarinets [ citation needed ] , violas d'amore, and mandolins—that showcased the range of talents of the girls. [ 29 ] Also in 1716, Vivaldi wrote and produced two more operas, L'incoronazione di Dario (RV 719) and La costanza trionfante degli amori e degli odi (RV 706). The latter was so popular that it performed two years later, re-edited and retitled Artabano re dei Parti (RV 701, now lost). It was also performed in Prague in 1732. In the following years, Vivaldi wrote several operas that were performed all over Italy. His progressive operatic style caused him some trouble with more conservative musicians, like Benedetto Marcello , a magistrate and amateur musician who wrote a pamphlet denouncing him and his operas. The pamphlet, Il teatro alla moda , attacks Vivaldi without mentioning him directly. The cover drawing shows a boat (the Sant'Angelo), on the left end of which stands a little angel wearing a priest's hat and playing the violin. The Marcello family claimed ownership of the Teatro Sant'Angelo, and a long legal battle had been fought with the management for its restitution, without success. The obscure writing under the picture mentions non-existent places and names: ALDIVIVA is an anagram of A. Vivaldi . In a letter written by Vivaldi to his patron Marchese Bentivoglio, he makes reference to his "94 operas". Only around 50 operas by Vivaldi have been discovered, and no other documentation of the remaining operas exists. Vivaldi may have exaggerated, but it is possible that he did write 94 operas. [ 30 ] While Vivaldi certainly composed many operas in his time, he never reached the prominence of other great composers like Alessandro Scarlatti, Leonardo Leo, and Baldassare Galuppi, as evidenced by his inability to keep a production running for any period of time in any major opera house. [ 31 ] His most successful operas were La constanza trionfante and Farnace which garnered six revivals each. [ 31 ] Mantua and The Four Seasons In 1717 or 1718, Vivaldi was offered a new prestigious position as Maestro di Cappella of the court of the prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt , governor of Mantua . [ 32 ] He moved there for three years and produced several operas, among which was Tito Manlio (RV 738). In 1721, he was in Milan , where he presented the pastoral drama La Silvia (RV 734, 9 arias survive). He visited Milan again the following year with the oratorio L'adorazione delli tre re magi al bambino Gesù (RV 645, also lost). In 1722 he moved to Rome , where he introduced his operas' new style. The new pope Benedict XIII invited Vivaldi to play for him. In 1725, Vivaldi returned to Venice, where he produced four operas in the same year. During this period Vivaldi wrote the Four Seasons , four violin concertos depicting scenes appropriate for each season. Three of the concerti are of original conception, while the first, "Spring", borrows motifs from a Sinfonia in the first act of his contemporaneous opera " Il Giustino ". The inspiration for the concertos was probably the countryside around Mantua. They were a revolution in musical conception: in them Vivaldi represented flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each specifically characterized), barking dogs, buzzing mosquitoes, crying shepherds, storms, drunken dancers, silent nights, hunting parties from both the hunters' and the prey's point of view, frozen landscapes, ice-skating children, and warming winter fires. Each concerto is associated with a sonnet , possibly by Vivaldi, describing the scenes depicted in the music. They were published as the first four concertos in a collection of twelve, Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione , Opus 8, published in Amsterdam by Le Cène in 1725. During his time in Mantua, Vivaldi became acquainted with an aspiring young singer Anna Tessieri Giro who was to become his student, protégée, and favorite prima donna. [ 33 ] Anna, along with her older half-sister Paolina, became part of Vivaldi's entourage and regularly accompanied him on his many travels. There was speculation about the nature of Vivaldi's and Giro's relationship, but no evidence to indicate anything beyond friendship and professional collaboration. Although Vivaldi's relationship with Anna Giro was questioned, he adamantly denied any romantic relationship in a letter to his patron Bentivoglio dated November 16, 1737. [ 34 ] Later life and death During the height of his career, Vivaldi received commissions from European nobility and royalty. The wedding cantata Gloria e Imeneo (RV 687) was written for the marriage of Louis XV . Vivaldi's Opus 9, La Cetra , was dedicated to Emperor Charles VI . In 1728, Vivaldi met the emperor while he was visiting Trieste to oversee the construction of a new port. Charles admired the music of the Red Priest so much that he is said to have spoken more with the composer during their one meeting than he spoke to his ministers in over two years. He gave Vivaldi the title of knight , a gold medal and an invitation to Vienna . Vivaldi gave Charles a manuscript copy of La Cetra , a set of concerti almost completely different from the set of the same title published as Opus 9. The printing was probably delayed, forcing Vivaldi to gather an improvised collection for the emperor. Accompanied by his father, Vivaldi traveled to Vienna and Prague in 1730, where his opera Farnace (RV 711) was presented. [ 35 ] Some of his later operas were created in collaboration with two of Italy's major writers of the time. L'Olimpiade and Catone in Utica were written by Pietro Metastasio , the major representative of the Arcadian movement and court poet in Vienna. La Griselda was rewritten by the young Carlo Goldoni from an earlier libretto by Apostolo Zeno . Like many composers of the time, the final years of Vivaldi's life found him in financial difficulties. His compositions were no longer held in such high esteem as they once were in Venice; changing musical tastes quickly made them outmoded. In response, Vivaldi chose to sell off sizeable numbers of his manuscripts at paltry prices to finance his migration to Vienna . [ 36 ] The reasons for Vivaldi's departure from Venice are unclear, but it seems likely that, after the success of his meeting with Emperor Charles VI, he wished to take up the position of a composer in the imperial court. On his way to Vienna Vivaldi may have stopped in Graz to see Anna Giro. [ 37 ] It is also likely that Vivaldi went to Vienna to stage operas, especially since he took up residence near the Kärntnertortheater . Shortly after Vivaldi's arrival in Vienna, Charles VI died, a stroke of bad luck that left the composer without royal protection or a steady source of income. Vivaldi died a pauper [ 38 ] [ 39 ] not long after the emperor, on the night between July 27 and 28, 1741 at the age of 63, [ 40 ] of "internal infection", in a house owned by the widow of a Viennese saddlemaker. On July 28 he was buried in a simple grave at the Hospital Burial Ground in Vienna. Vivaldi's funeral took place at St. Stephen's Cathedral, where the young Joseph Haydn was then a choir boy. The cost of his funeral included a Kleingeläut (pauper's peal of bells). [ 41 ] He was buried next to Karlskirche , in an area now part of the site of the Technical Institute . The house Vivaldi lived in while in Vienna was torn down; the Hotel Sacher is built on part of the site. Memorial plaques have been placed at both locations as well as a Vivaldi "star" in the Viennese Musikmeile and a monument at the Rooseveltplatz. Only three portraits of Vivaldi are known to survive: an engraving, an ink sketch and an oil painting. The engraving, by Francois Morellon La Cave, was made in 1725 and shows Vivaldi holding a sheet of music. The ink sketch was done by Ghezzi in 1723 and shows only Vivaldi's head and shoulders in profile. The oil painting found in the Liceo Musicale of Bologna gives us possibly the most accurate picture and shows Vivaldi's red hair under his blond wig. [ 42 ] Style and influence Vivaldi's music was innovative. He brightened the formal and rhythmic structure of the concerto, in which he looked for harmonic contrasts and innovative melodies and themes; many of his compositions are flamboyantly, almost playfully, exuberant. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi's concertos and arias (recalled in his St John Passion , St Matthew Passion , and cantatas ). Bach transcribed six of Vivaldi's concerti for solo keyboard, three for organ, and one for four harpsichords, strings, and basso continuo (BWV 1065) based upon the concerto for four violins, two violas, cello, and basso continuo ( RV 580). Posthumous reputation During his lifetime, Vivaldi's popularity quickly made him famous in other countries, including France where musical taste was less dictated by fashion than elsewhere. [ citation needed ] This popularity dwindled. After the Baroque period, Vivaldi's published concerti were relatively unknown, and largely ignored, even after Felix Mendelssohn rekindled interest in Bach. Even Vivaldi's most famous work, The Four Seasons , was unknown in its original edition. In the early 20th century, Fritz Kreisler 's Vivaldi-styled concerto (which he passed off as an original Vivaldi work) helped revive Vivaldi's reputation. This impelled the French scholar Marc Pincherle to begin an academic study of Vivaldi's oeuvre. Many Vivaldi manuscripts were rediscovered, and were acquired by the National University of Turin Library with generous sponsorship of Turinese businessmen Roberto Foa and Filippo Giordano, in memory of their sons. This led to renewed interest in Vivaldi by, among others, Mario Rinaldi , Alfredo Casella , Ezra Pound , Olga Rudge , Desmond Chute , Arturo Toscanini , Arnold Schering , and Louis Kaufman . These figures were instrumental in the Vivaldi revival of the 20th century. In 1926, in a monastery in Piedmont, researchers discovered 14 folios of Vivaldi's work, previously thought lost during the Napoleonic wars. Some volumes in the numbered set were missing; these turned up in the collections of the descendants of the Grand Duke Durazzo who had acquired the monastery complex in the 18th century. The volumes contained 300 concertos, 19 operas and over 100 vocal-instrumental works. [ 43 ] The resurrection of Vivaldi's unpublished works in the 20th century is mostly due to the efforts of Alfredo Casella , who in 1939 organised the historic Vivaldi Week , in which the rediscovered Gloria (RV 589) and l'Olimpiade were first revived. Since World War II, Vivaldi's compositions have enjoyed wide success. In 1947, the Venetian businessman Antonio Fanna founded the Istituto Italiano Antonio Vivaldi , with the composer Gian Francesco Malipiero as its artistic director, having the purpose of promoting Vivaldi's music and publishing new editions of his works. Historically informed performances seem to have increased Vivaldi's fame further. Unlike many of his contemporaries, whose music is rarely heard outside an academic or special-interest context, Vivaldi is popular among modern audiences. Recent rediscoveries of works by Vivaldi include two psalm settings of Nisi Dominus (RV 803, in eight movements) and Dixit Dominus (RV 807, in eleven movements), identified in 2003 and 2005, respectively, by the Australian scholar Janice Stockigt . Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot called RV 803 "arguably the best nonoperatic work from Vivaldi's pen to come to light since... the 1920s". [ 44 ] Vivaldi's lost 1730 opera Argippo (RV 697) was re-discovered in 2006 by harpsichordist and conductor Ondřej Macek, whose Hofmusici orchestra performed the work at Prague Castle on May 3, 2008, its first performance since 1730. A movie titled Vivaldi, a Prince in Venice was completed in 2005 as an Italian-French co-production under the direction of Jean-Louis Guillermou , featuring Stefano Dionisi in the title role and Michel Serrault as the bishop of Venice. Another film inspired by the life of the composer was in a preproduction state for several years and has the working title Vivaldi . Filming was scheduled to begin in 2007, but was canceled and tentatively rescheduled for 2009. The music of Vivaldi, Mozart , Tchaikovsky , and Corelli , has been included in the theories of Alfred Tomatis on the effects of music on human behaviour and used in music therapy . A Vivaldi work is identified by RV number , which refers to its place in the "Ryom-Verzeichnis" or "Répertoire des oeuvres d'Antonio Vivaldi", a catalog created in the 20th century by musicologist Peter Ryom . Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) of 1723 is his most famous work. It is part of Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione ("The Contest between Harmony and Invention"). It depicts moods and scenes from each of the four seasons. This work has been described as an outstanding instance of pre-19th Century program music . [ 45 ] Vivaldi wrote more than 500 other concertos. About 350 of these are for solo instrument and strings, of which 230 are for violin, the others being for bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, viola d'amore, recorder, lute, or mandolin. About 40 are for two instruments and strings, and about 30 are for three or more instruments and strings. As well as about 46 operas, Vivaldi composed a large body of sacred choral music. Other works include sinfonias, about 90 sonatas, and chamber music. Some sonatas for flute , published as Il Pastor Fido , have been erroneously attributed to Vivaldi, but were composed by Nicolas Chédeville . ^ Walter Kolneder, Antonio Vivaldi: Documents of his life and works (Amsterdam: Heinrichshofen's Verlag, Wilhelmshaven, Locarno, 1982), 46. ^ a b c Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1978), 39. ^ H.C. Robbins Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 15. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 37. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 41. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd., 1978), 36. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 40. ^ H.C. Robbins Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 16. ^ Marc Pincherle, Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque (Paris: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1957), 16. ^ Michael Talbot, Grove online ^ H.C. Robbins Landon, V ivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 49. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 51. ^ Marc Pincherle, Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque (Paris: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1957), 18. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 77. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 78. ^ a b H.C. Robbins Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 26. ^ Marc Pincherle, Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque (Paris: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1957), 24. ^ a b Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 48. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 54. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 59. ^ Marc Pincherle, Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque (Paris: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1957), 38. ^ H.C. Robbins Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 31. ^ H.C. Robbins Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 42. ^ a b Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 54. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 58. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 58 ^ Baroque Music As far as his theatrical activities were concerned, the end of 1716 was a high point for Vivaldi. In November, he managed to have the Ospedale della Pietà perform his first great oratorio, Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernis barbaric. [ sic ] This work was an allegorical description of the victory of the Venetians over the Turks in August 1716. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 98. ^ H.C. Robbins Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1991), 52. ^ Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 97. ^ a b Karl Heller, Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice (Hong Kong: Amadeus Press, 1997), 114. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 64. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 66. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 67. ^ Vivaldi's connections with musical life in Prague and his association with Antonio Denzio , the impresario of the Sporck theater in Prague are detailed in Daniel E. Freeman, The Opera Theater of Count Franz Anton von Sporck in Prague (Stuyvesant, N.Y.: Pendragon Press, 1992). ^ Walter Kolneder, Antonio Vivaldi: Documents of his life and works (Amsterdam: Heinrichshofen's Verlag, Wilhelmshaven, Locarno, 1982), 179. ^ Walter Kolneder, Antonio Vivaldi: Documents of his life and works (Amsterdam: Heinrichshofen's Verlag, Wilhelmshaven, Locarno, 1982), 180. ^ H.C. Robbins Landon supplies this assertion and furthermore quotes the report of Vivaldi's death which reached Venice in the Commemorali Gradenigo : "Abbe Lord Antonio Vivaldi, incomparable virtuoso of the violin, known as the Red Priest, much esteemed for his compositions and concertos, who earned more than 50,000 ducats in his life, but his disorderly prodigality caused him to die a pauper in Vienna." Landon, Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque Thames and Hudson 1993, p.166 ^ Marc Pincherle, Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque (Paris: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1957), 53. ^ Talbot (pg.69) gives the 27th as the day of death. Formichetti (pg.194) reports that he died during the night and his death was the first registered on the next day. Heller (pg.263) states: "The composer's death is noted in the official coroner's report and in the burial account book of St. Stephen's Cathedral Parish as having occurred on 28 July 1741". But the so-called Totenbeschauprotokoll is not a reliable source, since the date can refer to when the entry was made, not to the actual time of death. ^ Compared to a noble's funeral at upwards of 100 fl, this was meager treatment. ^ Michael Talbot, Vivaldi (London: J.M. Dent & Sons, Ltd, 1978), 93. ^ Antonio Vivaldi biography by Alexander Kuznetsov and Louise Thomas, a booklet attached to the CD "The best of Vivaldi", published and recorded by Madacy Entertainment Group Inc, St. Laurent Quebec Canada ^ Michael Talbot, liner notes to the CD Vivaldi: Dixit Dominus , Körnerscher Sing-Verein Dresden (Dresdner Instrumental-Concert), Peter Kopp, Deutsche Grammophon 2006, catalogue number 4776145 ^ Gerard Schwarz, Musically Speaking - The Great Works Collection: Vivaldi (CVP, Inc., 1995), 13. References and further reading Bukofzer, Manfred (1947). Music in the Baroque Era . New York, W. W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-09745-5 . Cross, Eric (1984). Review of I libretti vivaldiani: recensione e collazione dei testimoni a stampa by Anna Laura Bellina; Bruno Brizi; Maria Grazia Pensa in Music & Letters , Vol. 65, No. 1 (Jan., 1984), pp. 62–64 Formichetti, Gianfranco Venezia e il prete col violino. Vita di Antonio Vivaldi , Bompiani (2006), ISBN 88-452-5640-5 . Heller, Karl Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice , Amadeus Press (1997), ISBN 1-57467-015-8 Kolneder, Walter Antonio Vivaldi: Documents of His Life and Works , C F Peters Corp (1983), ISBN 3-7959-0338-6 Barbara Quick, Vivaldi's Virgins (novel), HarperCollins (2007), ISBN 978-0-06-089052-0 . André Romijn. Hidden Harmonies: The Secret Life of Antonio Vivaldi , 2007 ISBN 978-0-9554100-1-7 Eleanor Selfridge-Field (1994). Venetian Instrumental Music, from Gabrieli to Vivaldi . New York, Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-28151-5 . Michael Talbot, Antonio Vivaldi , Insel Verlag (1998), ISBN 3-458-33917-5 Michael Talbot: "Antonio Vivaldi", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (Accessed August 26, 2006), (subscription access) Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque , H. C. Robbins Landon, 1996 University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0226468429 Sarah Bruce Kelly: The Red Priest's Annina , 2009 Bel Canto Press, ISBN 978-0-578-02566-7 External links Catalog of instrumental works Complete works catalog Works by or about Antonio Vivaldi in libraries ( WorldCat catalog) Informations about the research project on the Saxon court's instrumental music collection in the Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden, in German (open source online publication of all Vivaldi manuscripts from the Pisendel collection) Michael Talbot: Recent Vivaldi Discoveries from the online magazine Goldberg . Antonio Vivaldi by Fréderic Délaméa (Translated by Kirk McElhearn) from Goldberg . Two Vivaldi biopics may duel at the box office Free scores by Antonio Vivaldi in the International Music Score Library Project Free scores by Antonio Vivaldi in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki) Free scores by Antonio Vivaldi in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA) The Mutopia Project has compositions by Antonio Vivaldi Vivaldi biography. Free English eBooks: 1. Talbot, M. Vivaldi. 1993; 2. Heller, K. Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice. 1997 The Seasons in interactive hypermedia Allegro , Largo , Allegro (Shockwave required) at the BinAural Collaborative Hypertext Video of ballet to music by Antonio Vivaldi NAME Vivaldi, Antonio Lucio ALTERNATIVE NAMES ("The Red Priest") SHORT DESCRIPTION , DATE OF BIRTH March 4, 1678(1678-03-04) PLACE OF BIRTH , DATE OF DEATH July 28, 1741 PLACE OF DEATH , Be the first to hear about new articles, published tracks, and the latest news. No thanks. I don't want to subscribe. Baroque Personal Trainer Mp3 play-along tracks for Recorder study No product in cart yet. Antonio Vivaldi “The red priest”, Biography, Style and Works Venetian musician, Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most fertile and original com posers of the eig hteenth century , especially in the field of instrumental music, so much so that he enjoyed the admiration of Johann Sebastian Bach . His very rich production, forgotten at his death and rediscovered two hundred years later, reveals inexhaustible skills of imagination, inventiveness, brilliance and cantability. Vivaldi Biography The rediscovery of vivaldi’s work, style and innovation. Instrumental Music Vocal Music Conclusions Instrumental music. Vivaldi ‘s invention is amazing in all of his 450 concerts but it is not easy to enter his world of “complex simplicity” and counter the idea that he always wrote the same concert. Vivaldi has not written more than 400 concerts, but four hundred times the same concert Vivaldi ‘s misunderstanding lies first of all in not deepening the writing and the musical texture. With the recurring presence of progressions and repeated notes, it is easy to dismiss his music as a mere compositional exercise and almost always the same. He is an author who apparently seems simple. It is much less so if we analyze how it should be performed. In Bach ‘s music, it is easier to understand the meaning, because the structures are extremely clear, but in Vivaldi there is often something that is hidden or is in the background and that must be highlighted through interpretation. The more the music seems horizontal and devoid of verticality and complexity, the more it is necessary to understand how to read between the lines, to rediscover the intermediate voices and the melodic lines or harmonies hidden in them. Musicologists often unify concert structures in the form of alternating fast and slow tempo , thus killing Vivaldi ‘s creativity. We have cases of small introductions (4 or 8 bars) that go beyond the context of the entire movement and that are often misinterpreted by both reviewers and performers. These are introductory themes, which sometimes recur later, written with large musical values ​​(which are therefore slower) used to introduce the harmony of the movement itself or to interrupt the rhythm of the Allegro theme and thus make it stand out more. Perhaps Vivaldi imitates the structure of the Gabrieli concerts where there was a great alternation of slow and fast musical passages. One example among all to illustrate Vivaldi ‘s genius is the Concerto for 2 oboes and orchestra in D minor . In the last movement, normally indicated with Allegro molto , there are 8 bars that form an introductory Adagio clearly indicated by the author with a “wide” writing, therefore forcing slowdown and then giving more prominence to the fast theme, proper of the Allegro . This Adagio is repeated, entirely or in part, also during the rest of the movement, creating a sudden break in the fast rhythm, with an effect that I would define as “Theatrical” but, alas, often ignored by the performers. Vocal music Vivaldi ‘s work also includes vocal music, such as melodramas and sacred works (46 known works), of a high level that is probably still to be discovered. About fifty melodramas documented between 1713 and 1739, two per year on average for twenty-seven years; nineteen scores preserved. These are the numbers of   Vivaldi ‘s musical work, of which we still know too little today because there are no critical editions or complete recording. Yet this important sector of Vivaldi ‘s catalog often contains sublime, incisive, colorful, iridescent music. This is the case of the “ Orlando falso pazzo “, the first opera written by the Red Priest for Venice, in November 1714, the second after his debut in the theater with Ottone in the Vicentine villa in 1713. Transposing the sapid and galvanizing language of revolutionary instrumental concerts: a challenge accepted and won, a last breath of life in the Venetian opera, before the definitive decline in the face of the spread of Neapolitan fashion. Among the sacred masterpieces of Vivaldi, perhaps the most recent discovery among his vast repertoire, it is a must to mention the magnificent “Gloria”. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The biographical mysteries, the gaps not yet filled on the priest who could not say mass because he had asthma attacks on the altar according to the rumors of the time, the fragile musician whom Venice considered a violin virtuoso but of which a satire (by Benedetto Marcello ) made a ruthless caricature of him, a “mediocre composer” for Goldoni , intertwined with the fascinating history and the discovery of manuscripts. On his death, in poverty in Vienna in 1741, his brother a barber Francesco sold the manuscripts to a bibliophile. Then another passage and another, up to the Durazzo family, with the inheritance of the library divided between two children, between Piemonte and Liguria. Finally, the discovery, in 1927, of a part, in the Collegio San Carlo of Borgo San Martino, founded by Don Bosco, thanks to a coincidence, that is, the renovation works that made it necessary to sell the books, and the wit of the then director of the National Library of Turin called as consultant, Luigi Torri , who with the help of the musicologist Alberto Gentili sought a patron who would buy the manuscripts and donate them to the State. Same procedure, although less fast, for the recovery of the other half of Vivaldi ‘s texts. The two buyers, the stockbroker Foà and the textile industrialist Giordano , the fathers of the rediscovered Vivaldi , both asked for the funds to be named after their children who died prematurely. An unusual and discussed interpretation of the Four Seasons Concerto in C per Mandolino, Archi e Cembalo RV 425 Subscribe to our newsletter You may also like. Georg Friedrich Händel, The great master of the Baroque era J. S. Bach Compositions, Style and Biography Baroque music through the main composers Art History U.S. History Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi Composer Born Mar. 4, 1678 Died Jul. 28, 1741 Nationality Italian Antonio Vivaldi was a popular Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist. He was nicknamed “The Red Priest” because of his red hair. His music and influence was widespread all over Europe. He is mainly known for composing instrumental concerts, sacred choral works, and more than 40 operas. Many also know him for his series of violin concerts entitled The Four Seasons . Antonio was born on July 28, 1678, in Venice, Italy. He was baptized immediately after he was born by a midwife. Many people thought the baptism at such an early age meant that he was either born in bad health or because there was an earthquake that day. His official church baptism, however, took place two months later. Antonio had five siblings. Antonio experienced health problems when growing up. However, this did not stop him from learning how to play the violin, composing music, or even taking part in musical activities. In 1693, at the age of 15, he went to school to become a priest. At the age of 25, in 1703, he was ordained and nicknamed il Prete Rosso (Red Priest). Just after his ordination in 1704, Vivaldi was given a dispensation from celebrating Mass because he was sick. He only said Mass as a priest very few times before withdrawing from his priestly duties. However, he still remained a priest. Vivaldi’s Career Highlights In September of 1703, Antonio Vivaldi became master of the violin at an orphanage named the Pio Ospedala della Pieta (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice. He was only 25 years when he started working in this orphanage and he spent the next 30 years working here. During this time, there were four similar institutions in Venice which gave shelter and education to abandoned and orphaned children. The institutions were financed by the Republic and the boys learned a trade before they left when they turned 15. The girls were taught music and the talented ones joined a renowned orchestra and choir. After Antonio was appointed to this institution, the children started to gain appreciation and esteem abroad. He wrote concertos, sacred vocal music, and cantatas for them to perform together. The sacred works, of which there are over 60, included large scale choral works, solo motets, orchestra and double chorus. Antonio’s relationship with the board of directors of the orphanage was in most cases strained. The board took a vote each year to decide whether to keep a teacher or not. In 1709, the board decided not to keep Vivaldi. However, after one year of being away, the board recalled him. When he returned, the board made him responsible for all musical activities in the institution. In 1716, he was promoted to music director. Major Works Apart from working at the institution, Antonio Vivaldi also accepted several short-term positions that were funded by patrons in Rome and Mantua. During his term in Mantua, between 1717 and 1721, he wrote a four-part masterpiece entitled The Four Seasons . Vivaldi’s fans and patrons included the European royal families. One of his cantatas, entitled Gloria e Imeneo , was specifically written for the wedding of King Louis XV. Emperor Charles VI was also a great fan of Antonio and even named him a knight. Later Years and Legacy After his popularity declined, Antonio Vivaldi left Venice for Vienna in Austria. He went to look for a position in the imperial court located there. However, he was not successful. He died in poverty on July 28, 1741 and was buried in a very simple grave after a funeral service that proceeded without music. Most of Vivaldi’s compositions were written for female music ensembles of the Ospedale della Pieta, which is a home for abandoned children where he was employed between the years 1703 and 1715 and again from 1723 to 1740. Although his music was well-received during his lifetime, it declined in popularity over the years. However, he still ranks among the most popular and widely recorded of Baroque composers. Since WWI, his music has been widely performed. His work, which included about 500 concertos, has greatly influenced many composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach and other recognizable names. Newest Additions Malala Yousafzai Greta Thunberg Frederick Douglass Wangari Maathai Copyright © 2020 · Totallyhistory.com · All Rights Reserved. | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us Antonio Vivaldi 1678-1741 Italian Composer, Violinist, Teacher and Priest Biography, Fun Facts, Gallery, Quotes and Works of Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678, in Venice, Italy. He was the eldest of nine children born to Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio. Giovanni, a professional violinist, introduced Antonio to music at a young age, which profoundly influenced his future career. Vivaldi's health was frail from birth, possibly suffering from asthma, which led to his immediate baptism. Despite these health issues, he demonstrated exceptional musical talent early on. His father’s connections and reputation in Venice's musical circles provided young Antonio with opportunities to develop his skills. VIVALDI Portrait of an 18th century Venetian violinist by François Morellon de La Cave 1723 In 1703, Vivaldi was ordained as a priest, but his poor health prevented him from fulfilling many of his clerical duties. His nickname, "Il Prete Rosso" (The Red Priest), came from his distinctive red hair, a family trait. That same year, he began working at the Ospedale della Pietà, a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice, where he taught violin and composed music for the institution's all-female music ensemble. Vivaldi's tenure at the Pietà was incredibly productive. He composed many of his works for the talented students, many of whom became renowned musicians. His compositions for the Pietà include concertos, sacred choral works, and operas. Despite his success in Venice, Vivaldi sought opportunities elsewhere. He traveled extensively across Europe, gaining fame and influence. He worked in Mantua and Rome and visited cities like Vienna and Prague. His operas, in particular, were well-received in various European courts and theaters. However, towards the end of his life, Vivaldi's fortunes waned. Changing musical tastes and economic difficulties led to a decline in his popularity. He moved to Vienna in hopes of securing a position in the court of Emperor Charles VI, who was an admirer of his work. Unfortunately, Charles VI's death in 1740 left Vivaldi without patronage. He died in poverty on July 28, 1741, and was buried in a modest grave in Vienna. Multitalented : Besides being a composer and violinist, Vivaldi was also a teacher and impresario, organizing and managing opera productions. Operatic Success : Although less remembered today, Vivaldi was a successful opera composer in his time, producing nearly 50 operas. Concertos for Orphaned Girls : Vivaldi composed many of his works for the orphaned girls at the Ospedale della Pietà, who performed them to great acclaim. Asthmatic Priest : His health issues, likely asthma, were so severe that they prevented him from delivering Mass, leading him to focus entirely on his music. Forgotten and Rediscovered : After his death, Vivaldi's music was largely forgotten until a revival in the early 20th century, when scholars and musicians began to uncover and perform his works again. "There are no words, there is only music there." – Reflecting Vivaldi's belief in the power of music to convey emotions beyond the capability of words. "Music is the expression of harmony in sound. Love is the expression of harmony in life." – Vivaldi's thoughts on the relationship between music and life. "The four seasons are the four parts of the year, but they are also the four parts of life." – Vivaldi on his most famous work, "The Four Seasons." The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni) : This set of four violin concertos, composed in 1723, is Vivaldi's best-known work. Each concerto represents a season of the year and is accompanied by a sonnet, possibly written by Vivaldi himself, that describes the scenes and moods depicted in the music. Spring (La Primavera) : Celebrates the arrival of spring with bright, cheerful melodies. Summer (L'Estate) : Portrays the heat and storms of summer. Autumn (L'Autunno) : Depicts harvest and hunting scenes. Winter (L'Inverno) : Conveys the chill and stark beauty of winter. Gloria (RV 589) : A sacred choral work composed for the Ospedale della Pietà, the "Gloria" is one of Vivaldi's most popular choral pieces, showcasing his skill in writing for voices. L'Estro Armonico : A collection of 12 concertos for one, two, and four violins, published in 1711. This set was highly influential and showcases Vivaldi's innovative approach to the concerto form. Stabat Mater (RV 621) : Composed around 1712, this sacred work for solo voice and orchestra is a poignant and expressive setting of the medieval hymn "Stabat Mater." Concerto for Strings in G Major (RV 151) : Known as "Alla Rustica," this lively and energetic piece is a fine example of Vivaldi's skill in writing for string instruments. Operas : Among Vivaldi's operas, "Orlando Furioso" (1714) and "La Constanza Trionfante" (1716) stand out. His operas were popular in his time and featured his signature style of energetic rhythms and vivid melodies. Antonio Vivaldi's contributions to the world of music are immense. His innovative approach to the concerto form, his vivid musical imagery, and his prolific output have ensured his place as a cornerstone of the Baroque music repertoire. His music continues to be celebrated and performed worldwide, a testament to his enduring influence and the timeless appeal of his compositions. The revival of interest in Vivaldi's work in the 20th century led to a reassessment of his importance and a renewed appreciation for his genius. Today, he is recognized as one of the greatest composers of all time, and his works are a staple of classical music repertoire. 303 IMAGES Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi Handout ANTONIO LUCIO VIVALDI BREVE BIOGRAFÍA Antonio Vivaldi (Composer) Antonio Vivaldi Biography Antonio Vivaldi COMMENTS Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi (born March 4, 1678, Venice, Republic of Venice [Italy]—died July 28, 1741, Vienna, Austria) was an Italian composer and violinist who left a decisive mark on the form of the concerto and the style of late Baroque instrumental music.. Life. Vivaldi's main teacher was probably his father, Giovanni Battista, who in 1685 was admitted as a violinist to the orchestra of the San ... Antonio Vivaldi QUICK FACTS. Name: Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. Birth Year: 1678. Birth date: March 4, 1678. Birth City: Venice. Birth Country: Italy. Gender: Male. Best Known For: Antonio Vivaldi was a 17th and 18th ... Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi [n 2] (4 March 1678 - 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. [4] Along with Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel, Vivaldi ranks amongst the greatest Baroque composers and his influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe, giving origin to many imitators and admirers. Antonio Vivaldi Definition. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an Italian violin virtuoso and composer of baroque music (c. 1600-1750). Best known for his violin concertos, notably The Four Seasons, Vivaldi made a significant contribution to the evolution of instrumental music, influencing Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) amongst many others, particularly in the ... Antonio Vivaldi biography Antonio Vivaldi Biography. Antonio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678, Venice - July 28, 1741, Vienna ), nicknamed Il Prete Rosso, meaning 'The Red Priest,' was an Italian priest and baroque music composer. His father, a barber and a talented violinist himself (some have said he was a virtuoso ), had helped him in trying a career in music and made him ... Antonio Vivaldi Biography Antonio Vivaldi Biography. Born: March 4, 1678. Venice, Italy. Died: July 26, 1741. Vienna, Austria. Italian composer, violinist and priest. Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian violinist and composer whose concertos—pieces for one or more instruments—were widely known and influential throughout Europe. Antonio Vivaldi summary Antonio Vivaldi, (born March 4, 1678, Venice, Republic of Venice—died July 28, 1741, Vienna, Austria), Italian composer. He was taught violin by his father. In 1703 he was ordained a priest (and later became known as the "Red Priest" for his red hair). He spent most of his career teaching violin and leading the orchestra at a Venetian ... Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was one of the most productive composers of the Baroque era in classical music, famous for the 'Four Seasons' violin concertos. ... Biography. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was one of the most productive composers of the Baroque era. His vast output included substantial quantities of chamber and vocal music, some ... Antonio Vivaldi: a detailed informative biography A fortuitous background indeed, into which Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4th, 1678. Though ordained a priest in 1703, according to his own account, within a year of being ordained Vivaldi no longer wished to celebrate mass because of physical complaints ("tightness of the chest") which pointed to angina pectoris, asthmatic bronchitis, or a nervous disorder. Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons and beyond The composer of The Four Seasons was also one of the Baroque era's busiest and most influential musicians. Meet Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi Biography, Facts, Videos, and Works Born Antonio Lucio Vivaldi on the 4th of March in 1678, in the romantic city of Venice, Italy, he was the eldest of six children. His father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, was a proficient violinist who played at San Marco Basilica's orchestra. It's believed that his father's influence sparked Antonio's interest in music and the violin. Antonio Vivaldi: A Guide to Antonio Vivaldi's Life and Music Antonio Vivaldi: A Guide to Antonio Vivaldi's Life and Music. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 4 min read. Italian composer and violinist Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most influential and enduring musicians of the Baroque era. Antonio Vivaldi Biography. Vivaldi's influence on the development of Baroque music was immense. He ignited transformations in music for the church, the opera house and the concert hall. But his most important achievement was in his music for strings. He introduced a range of new styles and techniques to string playing and consolidated one of its most ... Antonio Vivaldi (Composer) Died: July 27/28, 1741 - Vienna, Austria. Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest"), was a Venetian priest and Baroque music composer, as well as a famous virtuoso violinist; he was born and raised in the Republic of Venice. The Four Seasons, a series of four violin concerti, is his best-known work and a highly popular ... Vivaldi, the Red Priest: A Short Biography VIVALDI, THE RED PRIESTHello, everyone! In celebration of the utterly amazing milestone of 100 MILLION VIEWS on Vivaldi's Four Seasons, I decided to create a... Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Vivaldi. (1678-1741). The most influential and innovative Italian composer of his time, Antonio Vivaldi was an accomplished violinist who wrote music for operas, solo instruments, and small ensembles. His finest work was thought to be his concerti in which virtuoso solo passages alternate with passages for the whole orchestra. Antonio Vivaldi: Biography Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 - July 28, 1741), nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest") was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice.Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe.Vivaldi is known mainly for composing instrumental concertos, especially for the ... Antonio Vivaldi "The red priest", Biography, Style and Works Biography. Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678 and studied music with his father, a violinist in the Chapel of San Marco. He was ordained a priest in 1703, earning the nickname of the "Red Priest" for the color of his hair. Due to poor health, he soon obtained a dispensation from priestly practice and was thus able to devote himself entirely to music. Antonio Vivaldi Biography Antonio Vivaldi Composer Born Mar. 4, 1678 Died Jul. 28, 1741 Nationality Italian Antonio Vivaldi was a popular Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist. He was nicknamed "The Red Priest" because of his red hair. His music and influence was widespread all over Europe. He is mainly known for composing instrumental concerts, sacred choral Biography, Fun Facts, Gallery, Quotes and Works of Antonio Vivaldi Fun Facts. Multitalented: Besides being a composer and violinist, Vivaldi was also a teacher and impresario, organizing and managing opera productions. Operatic Success: Although less remembered today, Vivaldi was a successful opera composer in his time, producing nearly 50 operas. Concertos for Orphaned Girls: Vivaldi composed many of his ... Antonio Vivaldi Short biography introducing you to composer Antonio Vivaldi.=====FMM+=====DOWNLOAD FREE MUSIC THE... Vivaldi Vivaldi - Short BiographyAntonio Vivaldi, one of the most influential composers of the Baroque era, was born on March 4, 1678, in Venice, Italy. He was bapti... Short Biography of Antonio Lucio Vivaldi Biography of Vivaldi. A brief documentary about famous composer Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (Red Priest) (hotpot.ai/art-generator)-Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born o... essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis