Antonio Vivaldi

March 1678 – July 1741Myra White

HUM 120Stacy Taylor

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy in 1678. He was baptized in the church below, named the San Giovanni Battista in Bragora, Sestiere di Castello, Venice.

Vivaldi was ordained a priest in 1703 at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice (above). Though he did not wish to become a priest, he knew the only way to get a free education was to join the church.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

The Early Years

Soon after becoming a priest Vivaldi developed a medical condition that made it difficult for him to perform mass. Some say it was asthma or a nervous disorder, while others say it was so he could write down musical ideas.

Unable to conduct mass, Vivaldi became the violin

teacher at Pio Ospedale della Pieta in Venice,

an orphanage for girls.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

The Working Days

Vivaldi was also nicknamed il Prete Rosso ,

"The Red Priest“ because of his auburn hair.

It has also been said that the Priest once wrote the note “If you don’t like this, I’ll stop writing music.” on an opera named "Orlando Furioso”.

Maybe his auburn hair was a sign of his fiery character.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

Vivaldi The Red Priest

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was composed in 1723. These violin concertos are along the most well known pieces of Baroque music, even today.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

Vivaldi’s Most Famous Work

Many of Vivaldi’s concerti seemed to be written for his students to use as exercises. Five-finger

exercises are still common in today's music world.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

The Vivaldi “Five Finger” Exercise

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

For the Love of Vivaldi!

Vivaldi was never able to marry due to being and ordained priest. But he was said to have

had a romantic relationship with

Anna Giraud (Giro). She was a former student and

was 30 years his junior! Scandalous!!

230 violin concertos200 various instrument concertos 90 sonatos 46 operas 40 concertos for two instruments & strings

30 concertos for three or more instruments & strings

*He also produced numerous sinfornias (symphonies), a large body of sacred choral music and chamber music

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

Vivaldi by the Numbers

Vivaldi was a busy man, he produced the following during his lifetime.

Antonio Vivaldi, a Prince of Venice was released in 2006 and

directed by Jean Louis Guillermou.

Other films have been produced, with a forthcoming one starring Joseph Fiennes and Jacqueline Bissett, is scheduled to be

released in 2012 hopefully.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

Vivaldi the Movie

Have you ever heard the phrase, “often replicated, never duplicated”? Well that’s the case for Vivaldi. His works have been

remade for centuries by men and women alike. Johann Sebastian Bach is even said to have admired the work of Vivaldi.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

The Inspiring Vivaldi

Vivaldi died in July 1741 at the age of 63. It is said that he probably died of complications from his asthma, something

that had initially taken him out of the pastoral life and into the life of teacher and musical genius. Like Mozart, he received a modest burial and only really received notoriety after his death. After his death, his “love” Anna Giraud returned to Venice, where she was laid to rest in 1750, next to Vivaldi.

Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

The Loss of Vivaldi

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Antonio Vivaldi - HUM 120 - Myra White

Bibliography