Table of Contents

Antonio Vivaldi

Earthquake At Birth

A big earthquake struck Venice on the day of his birth, March 4, 1678.1)

Giovanni Battista Vivaldi

Antonio learned to play the violin from his father, a professional violinist who also happened to be a barber. Playing violin together, father and son explored Venice. 2)

Red Priest

He began his studies to become a priest at the age of 15, earning the moniker Il prĂȘt Rosso, or The Red Priest. It's thought that his red hair, which was a family feature, was to blame. 3)

Asthma

Vivaldi suffered from asthma, which reduced his ability to deliver Mass but allowed him to devote more time to compose music.4)

Master Violonist

He composed several of his greatest compositions while working as a master violinist at the Ospedale della Pieta, a shelter for abandoned children, for over 30 years. A trade was taught to the lads. The orphaned girls were given skilled musical training and were able to join the chorus and orchestra. Their performances were well respected all around the region. 5)

The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons (1723), a classic collection of four violin concertos, is regarded as an exemplary example of program music. Each concerto is accompanied by a textual description and presents a scenario suited for each season. 6)

Bach

Vivaldi's music was a favorite of J.S. Bach. Several of Vivaldi's concerti were transcribed for piano, strings, organ, and harpsichord by him. 7)

Compositions

Vivaldi composed 500 concertos, 90 sonatas, 46 operas, as well as a huge collection of religious choral pieces and chamber music. 8)

Nobility And Royalty

Vivaldi was tasked with writing music for European aristocracy and nobles. Gloria, a well-known Cantata, was composed for the celebration of Louis XV's marriage in 1725. Vivaldi received the title of knight from Emperor Charles VI of Vienna, and further pieces were written for the birth of the French royal princesses. 9)

Lost Music

Vivaldi moved to Vienna at the request of Charles VI, who died soon after, leaving Vivaldi without a patron. However, he was obliged to sell his songs in order to survive because his music did not keep up with the times.10)

Pauper

Vivaldi, unfortunately, died a pauper and was buried in a humble grave. Only the peeling of bells at St. Stephen's Cathedral marked the departure of the renowned musician, who was not even given music at his own burial.11)

Haydn

The young musician Joseph Haydn, who worked at the cathedral, had nothing to do with the funeral because no music was played.12)

Recovered Catalogue

It took until 1926 for his whole musical oeuvre to be accomplished. Dr. Alberto Gentili, a music historian at the University of Turin, uncovered a vast collection of manuscripts in a Piedmont boarding school and meticulously examined and purchased them.13)

Festival Of Britain

By 1951, London had hosted the magnificent postwar Festival of Britain, which included a concert season devoted almost entirely to the baroque master, solidifying his place in music history.14)

Argippo

The most recent discovery of a lost work, Vivaldi's opera Argippo, which was last performed in 1730, took place in 2006.15)