About half were for violin, including 37 for his most successful protege, a virtuoso known as Anna Maria dal Violin. Over the course of his career, Vivaldi wrote 500 concertos. His primary vehicle was the concerto, which is a work for an instrumental soloist accompanied by an orchestra. He not only taught them how to play their instruments but wrote music for them to play. Vivaldi was exceptionally good at his job, and soon the girls at the orphanage became the best musicians in the city. His job was to teach them the musical skills that would allow them to secure desirable husbands. The Devout Hospital of Mercy, at which Vivaldi took a position, was an orphanage for girls. Source: Wikimedia Commons Attribution: Pier Leone Ghezzi License: Public Domain The text refers to Vivaldi as “The Red Priest,” a nickname he was given due to his curly red hair. Image 6.11: This portrait of Antonio Vivaldi was completed by Pier Leone Ghezzi in 1723. The children were brought up with all of the advantages (except parents), and were prepared for comfortable lives. While not all of the surrendered infants were of high birth, the city’s noblemen took an interest in the welfare of their illegitimate children, which meant that the orphanages were always well-funded. Instead, unwanted infants were deposited at orphanages via the scaffetta, which was an opening just large enough to fit a newborn. It was common- even acceptable-for Venetian aristocrats to keep mistresses, but the children of these relationships could not be brought up in the marital home. Venetian orphanages were not the squalid workhouses we know from Victorian literature. However, he became highly skilled as a violinist and composer, and in 1703 he took the position of violin master at a local orphanage, the Devout Hospital of Mercy (Italian: Ospedale della Pietà note that Hospital at this time does not indicate a center for medical care). He initially trained as a Catholic priest, but ill health prevented him from performing many of his duties. Vivaldi spent his life in the city of Venice, which at the time was a wealthy and independent Republic. Watch a performance of Vivaldi's "Spring" from the The Four Seasons.\) Print the Meet Vivaldi | Free Video Music Lesson Study Guide to drill the facts. Learn about Antonio Vivaldi with this popsicle stick theater presentation from the Academy. Today Vivaldi is one of the most celebrated composers of the Baroque Era. Even his most famous work, The Four Seasons, was relatively unknown during the Classical and Romantic periods. However, after his death Vivaldi's popularity declined. His music is joyful, almost playful, and it revealed his joy of composing. The most popular concerto is "Spring."ĭuring his lifetime, Vivaldi was popular in many countries throughout Europe. The Four Seasons, written around 1716, is inspired by a poem for each season of the year. Vivaldi's most popular composition is a set of concertos for the violin. Vivaldi brought recognition to the Pietà through the concertos, cantatas, and sacred vocal music he wrote for the girls to perform. In 1703 Vivaldi was invited to teach violin lessons at Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage that taught boys a trade and gave girls a musical education. At the age of 25, he was ordained and was referred to as Il Prete Rosso, which means "The Red Priest." He got that nickname because of his red hair. When Antonio turned 15, he decided to become a priest and began his training. Soon Antonio and his father were performing together and touring Venice. He taught Antonio to play the violin, and he practiced very hard. Antonio's father was a barber and a professional violinist. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Italian Baroque Era ComposerĪntonio Vivaldi was born on Main Venice, Italy.
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