He studied violin with his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, violinist at St. brand; perhaps composition - with Giovanni Legrenzi, perhaps also studied with Arcangelo Corelli in Rome.
September 18, 1693 Vivaldi was tonsured a monk. On September 18, 1700, he was elevated to the rank of deacon. March 23, 1703 Vivaldi was ordained a priest. The next day he celebrated the first independent mass in the church of San Giovanni in Oleo. For the color of his hair, unusual for the Venetians, he was nicknamed the red priest. On September 1, 1703, he was admitted to the Pieta Orphanage as a maestro in the violin class. Order from Countess Lucrezia Trevisan to serve 90 votive matins in the Church of San Giovanni in Oleo. August 17, 1704 receives an additional reward for teaching the game on the viola d'amore. After serving half of the votive matins, Vivaldi refuses for health reasons from the order of Lucrezia Trevisan. 1706 first public performance in the palace of the French embassy. Edition of the "Guide to Venice", prepared by the cartographer Coronelli, which mentions the father and son of Vivaldi as violin virtuosos. Moving from Piazza Bragora to a new, larger house in the neighboring parish of San Provolo.
In 1723 the first trip to Rome. 1724 - the second trip to Rome for the premiere of the opera Giustino. Audience with Pope Benedict XIII. 1711 publication of 12 concertos "L'estro armonico" ("Harmonic inspiration") Op. 3.1725 op. VIII "Il Cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Invenzione. In this cycle "The Art of Harmony and Invention" or ("The Dispute of Harmony with Invention"), Op. 8 (approximately 1720), which already then made an indelible impression on the listeners with its violent passion and innovation, now includes four world-famous concerts "The Seasons". Jean Jacques Rousseau, who worked at that time in the French embassy in Venice, highly appreciated the music of Vivaldi and liked to perform some of this cycle on his favorite flute himself. Vivaldi’s concertos are also widely known - “La notte” (night), “Il cardellino” (finch), for flute and orchestra, concerto for two mandolins RV532, distinguished by artistic depiction and harmonic generosity inherent in his works, as well as spiritual works: “ Gloria", "Magnificat", "Stabat Mater", "Dixit Dominus".
In 1703-1725 he was a teacher, then an orchestra conductor and head of concerts, and also from 1713 he was the head of the orchestra and choir in the "della Pieta" in Venice, an orphanage, which was famous as one of the best music schools for girls. In 1735 he was again a bandmaster for a short time.
Vivaldi - the largest representative of the Italian violin Art XVIII century, which approved a new dramatized, so-called "Lombard" style of performance. He created the genre of solo instrumental concerto, influenced the development of virtuoso violin technique. Master of the ensemble and orchestral concert - concerto grosso (concerto grosso). Vivaldi established a 3-part cyclic form for the concerto grosso, singled out the virtuoso part of the soloist.
Even during his lifetime, he became known as a composer, capable of creating a three-act opera in five days and composing many variations on one theme. He became famous throughout Europe as a virtuoso violinist. Although the kindly Vivaldi Goldoni, after the death of the red-haired priest, spoke of him in his memoirs as a rather mediocre composer. For a long time, Vivaldi was remembered only because J.S. Bach made a number of transcriptions of the works of his predecessor, and only in the 20th century was the publication of a complete collection of Vivaldi's instrumental opuses undertaken. Vivaldi's instrumental concertos were a stage on the way to the formation of a classical symphony. In Siena, the Italian Institute named after Vivaldi was created (headed by F. Malipiero).
In mid-May 1740 the musician finally leaves Venice. He arrived in Vienna at an unfortunate time, Emperor Charles VI had just died and the War of the Austrian Succession had begun. Vienna was not up to Vivaldi. Forgotten by everyone, sick and without a livelihood, he died in Vienna on July 28, 1741. The quarterly doctor recorded the death of "Reverend Don Antonio Vivaldi from internal inflammation." He was buried in a cemetery for the poor for a modest fee of 19 florins 45 kreuzers. A month later, sisters Margherita and Zanetta received notice of Antonio's death. On August 26, the bailiff described his property in payment of debts.
Contemporaries often criticized him for his excessive enthusiasm for the opera stage and the haste and illegibility shown at the same time. It is curious that after the production of his opera "Furious Roland", friends called Vivaldi, none other than Dirus (lat. Furious). The operatic legacy of the composer (about 90 operas) has not yet become the property of the world opera scene. Only in the 1990s, Furious Roland was successfully staged in San Francisco.
The work of Vivaldi had a huge impact not only on contemporary Italian composers, but also on musicians of other nationalities, primarily German. Here it is especially interesting to trace the influence of Vivaldi's music on J.S. Bach, the greatest German composer of the 1st half of the 18th century. In the first biography of Bach, published in 1802, its author, Johann Nikolaus Forkel, singled out the name of Vivaldi among the masters who became the subject of study for the young Johann Sebastian. The strengthening of the instrumental-virtuosic nature of Bach's thematicism in the Köthen period of his work (1717-1723) is directly related to the study of Vivaldi's music. But its impact was manifested not only in the assimilation and processing of individual expressive techniques - it was much broader and deeper. Bach took Vivaldi's style so organically that it became his own musical language. The inner affinity with the music of Vivaldi is palpable in the most diverse works of Bach, right up to his famous “High” Mass in B minor. The influence exerted by Vivaldi's music on the German composer was undoubtedly enormous. According to A. Casella, “Bach is his greatest admirer and probably the only one who at that time could understand all the greatness of the genius of this musician”
Compositions
More than 40 operas, including "Roland - imaginary mad" (Orlando fiato pozzo, 1714, theater "Sant'Angelo", Venice), "Nero, who became Caesar" (Nerone fatto Cesare, 1715, ibid.), "Coronation of Darius "(L'incoronazione di Daria, 1716, ibid.), "Deception triumphant in love" (L'inganno trionfante in amore, 1725, ibid.), "Farnace" (1727, ibid., later also called "Farnace , ruler of Pontus"), Cunegonde (1727, ibid.), Olympias (1734, ibid.), Griselda (1735, San Samuele Theatre, Venice), Aristides (1735, ibid. ), "Oracle in Messenia" (1738, theater "Sant'Angelo", Venice), "Ferasp" (1739, ibid.); oratorios - "Moses, God of the Pharaoh" (Moyses Deus Pharaonis, 1714), "Triumphant Judith" (Juditha Triumphans devicta Holo-fernis barbarie, 1716), "Adoration of the Magi" (L'Adorazione delli tre Re Magi, 1722), etc. ;
Author of more than 500 concertos, including:
44 concertos for string orchestra and basso continuo;
49 concerti grossi;
352 concertos for one instrument accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo (253 for violin, 26 for cello, 6 for viol d'amore, 13 for transverse, 3 for longitudinal flutes, 12 for oboe, 38 for bassoon, 1 for mandolin );
38 concertos for 2 instruments accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo (25 for violin, 2 for cello, 3 for violin and cello, 2 for horns, 1 for mandolins);
32 concertos for 3 or more instruments accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo.
One of the most famous works- a cycle of 4 violin concertos "The Seasons" - an early example of a program symphonic music. Vivaldi's contribution to the development of instrumentation is significant (he was the first to use oboes, horns, bassoons and other instruments as independent, and not duplicating).
A crater on Mercury is named after Vivaldi.
Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, conductor, Catholic priest
short biography
Antonio Lucio (Lucio, Lucio) Vivaldi(Italian Antonio Lucio Vivaldi; March 4, 1678, Venice - July 28, 1741, Vienna) - Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, conductor, Catholic priest. Vivaldi is considered one of the largest representatives of the Italian violin art of the 18th century, during his lifetime he received wide recognition throughout Europe. Master of the ensemble and orchestral concert - concerto grosso, author of about 40 operas. Vivaldi is mainly known for his instrumental concertos, especially for the violin. One of his most famous works are the four violin concertos "The Seasons", which are part of the cycle "Dispute of Harmony with Invention".
Many of his compositions were written for the women's musical ensemble Ospedale della Pieta, where he (who was ordained a Catholic priest) worked from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740. Lush productions of Vivaldi's operas in Venice, Mantua were also successful. and Vienna. After meeting with Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna, hoping for a promotion. However, the emperor died shortly after Vivaldi's arrival, and the composer himself died less than a year later in poverty.
early years
Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678 in Venice, which at that time was the capital of the Republic of Venice. Until the middle of the 20th century, researchers of Vivaldi's biography assumed various dates of the composer's birth, there were statements that he was born in 1675, and other dates were given. Discovered in January 1963 by the English scientist Eric Paul ( Eric Paul) the records of the church parish of St. John the Baptist (San Giovanni in Bragora, Castello district) made it possible to finally establish the date of birth of the composer. He was baptized immediately after his birth in his home by a midwife who convinced everyone that the baby's life was in danger. Although it is not known for certain, the child's early baptism was most likely due to either his poor health or the earthquake that shook the city that day. Impressed by the earthquake, Vivaldi's mother already initially identified her son as a priest. The official baptism of Vivaldi in the church took place two months later.
Antonio's distant ancestors were respected people in Brescia, where the composer's father, Giovanni Battista (1655-1736), was also born in 1655. At the age of ten, Giovanni moved with his mother to Venice, where he studied hairdressing. At that time, in Italian barber shops, as a rule, they kept various musical instruments. Giovanni played the violin from time to time and subsequently devoted himself entirely to music.
In 1677, Giovanni marries Camilla Calicchio (1655-1728) and a year later they have a son, Antonio. According to church records, Antonio had three sisters - Margarita Gabriela, Cecilia Maria and Zanetta Anna, and two brothers - Bonaventure Tomaso and Francesco Gaetano, who continued their father's work and later became barbers.
In 1685, the name of Giovanni Battista was on the list of founders of the musical community. "Sovvegno dei Musicisti de Santa Cecilia", whose director was the famous composer, author of a number of operas, Giovanni Legrenzi. Subsequently, Giovanni became the chief violinist in the chapel of St. Mark's Cathedral. It is noteworthy that in those years full name Giovanni Vivaldi was listed as Giovanni Battista Rossi. For the unusual red hair color for the Venetians, which Antonio inherited from his father, he was subsequently called the "red priest" (Italian: il prette rosso). In 1689, an opera was staged called "La Fedeltà sfortunata", which was composed by Giovanni Battista Rossi, from which it can be assumed that Vivaldi's father was himself a composer.
O youthful years there is little information about the composer and his musical education. Probably, it was his father who became his first musical mentor, teaching him to play the violin, which the young composer joined from the age of ten, and already in 1689-1692 he replaced his father in the chapel of St. Mark's Cathedral due to his frequent absences from Venice.
According to some sources, Antonio studied music theory and composition with Giovanni Legrenzi, but given that Legrenzi died in 1690, many researchers question the fact of Legrenzi's mentorship of the young Antonio. Although the Luxembourg scholar Walter Kolneder noted the influence of Legrenzi's style already in one of Vivaldi's first composer works - "Laetatus sum ..." ("Let's rejoice ..."), written by him in 1691 at the age of thirteen. Virtuoso violin playing and echoes in the early works of Antonio musical style famous Roman violinist Arcangelo Corelli led to speculation that perhaps Antonio studied violin with this master. However, to date there is no clear evidence to support this, and the time chronology of the dates of Antonio's church service does not coincide with the date of his alleged training in 1703 in Rome.
Vivaldi's health was poor - symptoms such as "strettezza di Petto" ("chest tightness") were interpreted as a form of asthma. Although this did not prevent him from learning to play the violin, composing, and also taking part in musical events, it still did not give him the opportunity to play wind instruments.
Youth
Conservatory "Ospedale della Pietà" in Venice
Father's service in the church cathedral and contacts with the clergy influenced the choice further career young Antonio. He decided to become a clergyman, and this is quite understandable, since in Italy of those times it was a common thing to combine the spiritual and music career. Shortly after his ordination in 1704, he received an indulgence in celebrating Mass on account of ill health. Vivaldi held mass as a priest only a few times, after which he left his duties in the church, although he remained a clergyman.
In September 1703, Vivaldi became a violin master (Italian maestro di violino) in orphanage under the name "Pio Ospedale della Pietà" in Venice. Being, first of all, famous composer, Vivaldi at the same time was considered an exceptional violinist in terms of virtuosity. Vivaldi was only 25 years old when he started working at the Ospedale della Pietà. It was there that he composed most of his major works over the next thirty years. There were four similar institutions in Venice. Their goal was to provide shelter and education for children who were left behind, as well as orphans whose families could not support them. These institutions were financed from the funds of the Republic. The boys were trained in trade and at the age of 15 had to leave educational institution. The girls received musical education, and the most talented remained and became members of the famous orchestra and choir in Ospedale.
Vivaldi wrote concertos, cantatas, as well as vocal music based on biblical texts for students. These compositions, which number more than 60, are diverse: they include solo chants and large-scale choral works for soloists, choir and orchestra. In 1704, Vivaldi, in addition to his duties as a violin teacher, also received the duties of a viola teacher. The position of maestro di Coro, which was accepted at one time by Vivaldi, required a lot of time and work. He had to compose a new oratorio or concerto for each holiday, as well as teach orphans music theory and how to play certain instruments.
Vivaldi's relationship with the Ospedale board of directors was often tense. The council held a vote every year on whether to keep him at work as a teacher. Voting was rarely unanimous; and in 1709 it was not supported. A year after serving as a freelance musician, the Ospedale Council unanimously decided to return the composer back (in 1711). During Vivaldi's year-long absence from the Council, the importance of his role was realized. In 1716 he was appointed music director Ospedale and became responsible for all the musical activities of the institution.
In 1705, Giuseppe Sala's publishing house in Venice published his 12 sonatas, designated opus 1. In later years, Vivaldi repeatedly turned to the sonata genre for one and several instruments. Vivaldi's second opus, published in Venice by Bortoli in 1709, included 12 sonatas for violin accompanied by cembalo (the Italian name for harpsichord). In 1706, Vivaldi's first public performance took place in the palace of the French embassy. The names of the virtuoso violinists, father and son of Vivaldi, are also mentioned in the edition of the Guide to Venice, prepared by the Italian cartographer Vincenzo Coronelli. During this period, Vivaldi moved from Piazza Bragora to a new, more spacious house in the neighboring parish of San Provolo. In 1711, 12 concerti "L'estro armonico" ("Harmonic Inspiration") were published. In the same year, he received a solid annual salary and became the main director of the pupils' concerts, since 1713 the director of the Pieta Women's Conservatory ( "Ospedale della Pieta"). During these years, the young Vivaldi worked hard, combining teaching and composing. His name becomes famous in his native Venice, and given that Venice was visited by a large number of travelers at that time, Vivaldi's popularity spread beyond Venice. So, in 1709, during the presentation of the oratorio in Pieta, Vivaldi was introduced to the Danish king Frederick IV, to whom he later dedicated 12 violin sonatas. In 1712, during his stay in Venice, there was a meeting of the German composer, Kapellmeister from Breslau, Gottfried Stölzel ( Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel) with Antonio. Thus, Stölzel was the first German musician to have personal contact with Vivaldi.
Despite Vivaldi's frequent absences on tour, starting in 1718, Pietà paid him 2 sequins a month for the obligation to write two concertos a month for the orchestra, and also to rehearse with them at least five times during his stay in Venice. Pietà records show that the composer was paid for 140 concerts between 1723 and 1733.
The beginning of composing activity. Venice (1713-1718)
Vivaldi began his career as an opera composer. In 1713, he wrote the three-act opera Ottone in villa (Ottone in the Villa), which premiered on May 17 of the same year at the provincial Teatro delle Grazie in Vicenza ( Teatro delle Grazie). This opera is a typical example of an opera seria with its protracted action and intricate plot intrigue. Written to a libretto by Domenico Lalli, with whom Vivaldi subsequently collaborated on several occasions, she recreates one of the episodes of Roman history. In accordance with custom, castrato singers performed as soloists, performing both male and female parts. Their performance combined the strength and brilliance of male voices with the lightness and mobility of female ones. Apparently, the production was a significant success, as it attracted the attention of the Venetian impresario. Soon Vivaldi received an order ( scrittura) to a new opera from Modotto, owner of the San Angelo Theatre, with whom he maintained contact until his last opera, Feraspe (1739). A year later, in 1714, he wrote his second opera, Orlando finto pazzo (Roland, the imaginary madman), written to a libretto by Grazio Braccioli, a loose adaptation of the well-known poem Roland Furious by the Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto. Soon the composer wrote two oratorios in Latin texts, "Moses, God of the Pharaohs" in 1714 and "Judith Triumphant" in 1716. The score of his first oratorio, Moses, God of the Pharaohs, was subsequently lost. In the Roman conservatory of Saint Sessilia, only the text of the oratorio with the names of the performers has been preserved, from which it can be seen that all parts, including male characters, were performed by girls - pupils. The oratorio "Judith Triumphant", distinguished by the freshness of melodic inspiration and the subtlety of orchestral color, belonged to the best creations of Vivaldi. With the wide recognition of the talent of the composer and teacher, the number of Vivaldi's students also increased, but neither new students nor the abundance composer's work at the Pieta Conservatory they could not distract Vivaldi from intensive work in the theater. In 1715, he received a commission from the theater of San Angelo - 12 main arias in the opera "Nerone fatto Cesare" ("Nero who became Caesar"). In 1716, Vivaldi, commissioned by the San Angelo Theater, wrote another opera, L'incoronazione di Dario (The Coronation of Darius). In the same year, he wrote the opera "La costanza trionfante degl'amori e de gl'odii" ("Permanence triumphing over love and hate") for the second most important Venetian theater of San Mose, with which the composer was also closely associated in subsequent years. These operas premiered at the Carnival of 1716. The fact that Vivaldi becomes famous not only in Venice, but also beyond its borders, is also evidenced by the fact that in 1718 his opera "Scanderbeg" ("Skanderbeg") is staged on the stage of the Florentine theater.
Vivaldi's progressive operatic style caused him some problems with more conservative musicians, such as Benedetto Marcello, a magistrate and amateur musician. His article entitled "Il Teatro Alla Moda" (1720) denounces Vivaldi and his operas, although he does not mention him directly in the text. But the cover of the article showed a boat (Sant'Angelo), at the left end of which stands a small angel in a priest's hat and plays the violin.
In a letter written by Vivaldi in 1737 to his patron, the Marquis Bentivoglio, he refers to the fact that he wrote "94 operas". However, only about 50 Vivaldi operas have been discovered, and no other documentation of the remaining operas exists. Although Vivaldi certainly wrote many operas in his day, he never achieved the fame of such great contemporary composers as Alessandro Scarlatti, Johann Adolph Hasse, Leonardo Leo, and Baldassare Galuppi.
His most successful operas are "La Costanza trionfante" ("Permanence triumphing over love and hate") and "Farnace" ("Farnace"), each of which was revived on stage six times.
In general, the period from 1713 to 1718 is considered by many researchers to be the most productive stage in the composer's work: during these five years he wrote a total of eight operas.
Life in Mantua (1719-1722)
In 1717 or 1718, Vivaldi was offered a new prestigious position as Kapellmeister at the court of Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, governor of the city of Mantua. He moved there and within three years composed several operas, among which was "Tito Manlio" ("Tito Manlio"). In 1721, the composer was in Milan, where he presented the drama "La Silvia" ("Silvia"). He revisited Milan the following year with the oratorio L'Adorazione delli tre Re Magi (The Adoration of the Magi). In 1722 he moved to Rome, where he staged his new style operas. And Pope Benedict XIII invited Vivaldi to play for him. In 1725, Vivaldi returned to Venice and wrote four more operas that same year.
Caricature of Vivaldi - "Red Priest", drawn in 1723 by the Italian artist Pier Leone Ghezzi.
During this period, Vivaldi wrote four violin concertos, each corresponding to the four seasons and depicting scenes suitable for each season. Three of the concertos are original concepts, while the first, Spring, borrows Sinfonia motifs from the first act of his simultaneous opera Il Giustino. The inspiration for the concerts was probably the area around Mantua. These concerts turned out to be revolutionary in the musical concept: they depict the flow of streams, the singing of birds ( various kinds, each specifically characterized), barking dogs, noise of mosquitoes, shepherds crying, storms, drunken dancers, quiet nights, hunting by both hunters, children skating and warming winter evenings. Each concerto is associated with a sonnet, in which Vivaldi may have described the scenes depicted in the music. These concerti were published in Amsterdam in 1725.
In Mantua, Vivaldi met the opera singer Anna Giraud ( Anna Giraud), the daughter of a French hairdresser. This acquaintance had a great influence on the subsequent fate of Vivaldi. In his letters to the playwright Carlo Goldoni, Vivaldi presents Anna Giraud to him as his "diligent student." According to researchers, it is Vivaldi who has a great merit in the formation of Anna Giraud as opera singer. This is quite likely, since the Italian opera composers usually perfectly knew the secrets of vocal technique. Contemporaries spoke of Anna as a skilled and spiritual singer with a pleasant, albeit modest in range, voice. Carlo Goldoni wrote that “she was ugly, but very graceful, had a thin waist, beautiful eyes, beautiful hair, a lovely mouth. She had a small voice, but an undoubted acting talent. Anna Giraud's sister, Paolina, became a constant companion of Vivaldi, who became a kind of nurse of the composer and took care of the health of the composer, who suffered from bronchial asthma. After a three-year service in Mantua, Vivaldi, together with Anna and Paolina, returned to Venice, where the Venetians called Anna sharp-tongued "the girlfriend of the red-haired priest." In Venice, both of them constantly lived in the house of Vivaldi and accompanied him on numerous journeys associated at that time with dangers and hardships. These relationships, which are too close for a clergyman, with the Giraud sisters have repeatedly caused criticism from the clergy. This was facilitated by the emergence of a huge number of popular rumors and speculation around the person of Vivaldi. So, according to one of the rumors, Vivaldi was a eunuch. Violation of the norms of the priest's behavior led to grave consequences for Vivaldi and the aggravation of his relations with the church nobility of the Papal States. It is known that in 1738 the Cardinal-Archbishop of Ferrara forbade Vivaldi to enter the city and celebrate Mass due to the composer's fall into sin. Despite all this, he always defended the honor and human dignity of his life companions with great spiritual firmness, invariably speaking of them with deep respect.
Roman period (1723-1724)
After a three-year service in Mantua, Vivaldi returned to Venice. In 1723 he made his first trip to Rome and staged new opera"Ercole sul Termodonte" ("Hercules on Thermodon"). This opera made a greater impression on the Romans. The famous flutist, composer and musical theorist Johann Joachim Quantz, who arrived in Rome six months after the premiere of the opera, noted that "the public liked Vivaldi's Lombard style so much that since then they did not want to listen to other music." In February 1724, Vivaldi again visited Rome to participate in the premiere of the opera Giustino (Justin or Giustino). The third opera, "La virtù trionfante dell'amore, e dell'odio, overo Il Tirane" ("Virtue triumphing over love and hate"), written in 1724 and presented in the same year at the Roman carnival, completed the triumphal success of the works composer in Rome, a performance in which was considered a serious test for any composer. On the same visit, he had an audience with Pope Benedict XIII, to whom the composer performed excerpts from two of his works. Although many researchers believe that Vivaldi was received by Pope Benedict XIII, according to the German researcher Karl Heller ( Karl Heller) it could have been an audience with his predecessor, Innocent XIII. If we assume that Vivaldi was received by Benedict XIII, then this means that he stayed in Rome longer than during his first visit, since Benedict XIII was elected pope only on May 29, 1724. In 1725, a cycle of 12 concertos "Il Cimento dell'Armonia e dell'Invenzione" ("The Art of Harmony and Invention" or "The Dispute of Harmony with Invention"), written by him around 1720, was published in Amsterdam. The world-famous, inaccurately referred to in Russia as "The Seasons", the first four concerts of this cycle already then made an indelible impression on the listeners with their frantic passion and innovation. The correct name is "The Four Seasons" ( Le quattro stagioni), which directly refers to the multi-valued symbolism of the cycle. Working at that time in the French embassy in Venice, he highly appreciated the music of Vivaldi and liked to perform some of this cycle himself on his favorite flute. Vivaldi’s concertos are also widely known - “La notte” (night), “Il cardellino” (finchfinch), for flute and orchestra, concerto for two mandolins RV532, distinguished by artistic depiction and harmonic generosity inherent in his works, as well as spiritual works: “ Gloria", "Magnificat", "Stabat Mater", "Dixit Dominus".
In 1735, he was again a bandmaster for a short time.
last years of life
At the height of his career, Vivaldi received commissions from the European nobility and royal family. Serenade (cantata) "Gloria Imeneo" ("Gloria and Igomene") was performed in 1725 by the French ambassador in Venice in celebration of the marriage of Louis XV. The following year, another serenade was written - "La Sena festeggiante" ("Celebrating the Seine") - for the premiere at the French Embassy, as well as in honor of the celebration of the birth of the French royal princesses - Henriette and Louise Elisabeth. "La Cetra" ("Zither") was dedicated by Vivaldi to Emperor Charles VI. In 1728, Vivaldi met the emperor when he visited 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 talked with the composer during one meeting longer than with his ministers for two years. He awarded Vivaldi a knighthood, a gold medal and invited him to Vienna. In response, Vivaldi presented the emperor with a handwritten copy of La Cetra.
In 1730, Vivaldi went to Vienna and Prague, accompanied by his father, where his opera Farnace was staged. Some of his later operas were produced in collaboration with two major Italian writers of the day. The librettos for Olympias and Catone in Utica were written by Pietro Metastasio, court poet in Vienna. Griselda was transcribed by the young Carlo Goldoni from a previously written libretto by Apostolo Zeno.
Like many composers of that time, Vivaldi had many financial difficulties in the last years of his life. His compositions were no longer held in such esteem as they had once been in Venice; changing musical tastes quickly made them obsolete. In response, Vivaldi decided to sell a large number of manuscripts for negligible prices in order to secure his move to Vienna. The reasons for Vivaldi's departure from Venice are unclear, but it is likely that after the success of his meeting with Emperor Charles VI, he wanted to take the position of a composer at the imperial court.
It is also possible that Vivaldi went to Vienna to stage his operas. However, shortly after the composer's arrival in Vienna, Charles VI died, leaving him without royal patronage and hopes for a permanent source of income. The war for the Austrian inheritance began - Vienna had no time for Vivaldi, and the composer left for a short time to search new job to Dresden, Saxony, where he most likely became very ill. Forgotten by everyone, sick and without a livelihood, he returned to Vienna, where he died on July 28, 1741, at the age of 63. The quarterly doctor recorded the death of "Reverend Don Antonio Vivaldi from internal inflammation." On July 28, he was buried in a simple grave in a cemetery for the poor for a modest fee of 19 florins 45 kreuzers (Vivaldi's grave was not preserved in Vienna). A month later, the sisters Margarita and Jeanette received notice of Antonio's death. On August 26, the bailiff described his property in payment of debts.
The importance of Vivaldi in the history of music
Influence of Vivaldi
Vivaldi is the largest representative of the Italian violin art of the 18th century, who approved a new dramatized, so-called "Lombard" style of performance. He created the genre of solo instrumental concerto, influenced the development of virtuoso violin technique. Master of the ensemble and orchestral concerto - concerto grosso ( concerto grosso). Vivaldi set for concerto grosso 3-part cyclic form, singled out the virtuoso part of the soloist.
Even during his lifetime, he became known as a composer, capable of creating a three-act opera in five days and composing many variations on one theme.
He became famous throughout Europe as a virtuoso violinist. The musical heritage of Antonio Vivaldi was little known in XVIII-XIX centuries, was in oblivion for almost 200 years, and only in the 20s of the XX century, collections of the composer's manuscripts were discovered by an Italian musicologist. For a long time, Vivaldi was remembered only because J.S. Bach made a number of transcriptions of the works of his predecessor, and only in the 20th century was the publication of a complete collection of Vivaldi's instrumental opuses undertaken. Vivaldi's instrumental concertos were a stage on the way to the formation of a classical symphony. Contemporaries often criticized him for his excessive enthusiasm for the opera stage and the haste and illegibility shown at the same time. It is curious that after the production of his opera "Furious Roland", friends called Vivaldi, none other than Dirus (lat. Furious). The operatic heritage of the composer has not yet become the property of the world opera scene. About 94 operas are attributed to him, although only about 40 of them have been accurately identified. Only in the 1990s, Furious Roland was successfully staged in San Francisco.
The work of Vivaldi had a huge impact not only on contemporary Italian composers, but also on musicians of other nationalities, primarily German. Here it is especially interesting to trace the influence of Vivaldi's music on J.S. Bach. In the first biography of Bach, published in 1802, its author, Johann Nikolaus Forkel, singled out the name of Vivaldi among the masters who became the subject of study for the young Johann Sebastian. The strengthening of the instrumental-virtuosic nature of Bach's thematicism in the Köthen period of his work (1717-1723) is directly related to the study of Vivaldi's music. But its impact was manifested not only in the assimilation and processing of individual expressive techniques - it was much wider and deeper. Bach took Vivaldi's style so organically that it became his own musical language. The inner affinity with the music of Vivaldi is palpable in the most diverse works of Bach, right up to his famous “High” Mass in B minor. The influence exerted by Vivaldi's music on the German composer was undoubtedly enormous. According to A. Casella, "Bach is his greatest admirer and probably the only one who at that time could understand all the greatness of the genius of this musician." Bach transcribed six Vivaldi concertos for solo clavier, three for organ, and one for four harpsichords, strings and basso continuo (BWV 1065), based on the concerto for four violins, two violas, cello and basso continuo (RV 580).
A significant contribution to the study of Vivaldi's work was made by the French musicologist Mark Pencherl ( Mark Pincherle) and the German musicologist Walter Kolneder ( Walter Kolneder).
Vivaldi in domestic and foreign musicology
During the life of Vivaldi, his fame spread not only in Italy, but also in other countries, including France. However, after his death, the composer's popularity declined. After the Baroque era, Vivaldi's concertos became relatively unknown and were ignored for a long time. Even the most notable work Vivaldi, The Four Seasons, was unknown in the original edition either in the era of classicism or in the era of romanticism.
In the early 20th century, Fritz Kreisler's concerto in C-dur composed in the style of Vivaldi (which he passed off as an original work by the Italian composer) helped revive Vivaldi's reputation. The French scientist Mark Pinkerle also contributed to the beginning of the academic study of Vivaldi's work. Many of Vivaldi's manuscripts were purchased from the Turin National University Library. This led to a renewed interest in Vivaldi by such researchers and musicians as Mario Rinaldi, Alfredo Casella, Ezra Pound, Olga Rudge, Desmond Zholoba, Arturo Toscanini, Arnold Schering and Luis Kaufman. Each of them played important role in the revival of Vivaldi's music in the 20th century.
In 1926, in a monastery in Piedmont, researchers discovered fourteen volumes of Vivaldi's works, which were considered lost during Napoleonic Wars. Some of the missing volumes in the numbered opuses were found in the collections of the descendants of the Grand Duke Durazzo, who acquired the monastery complex in the 18th century.
The resurrection of the unpublished works of Vivaldi in the 20th century took place mainly thanks to the efforts of Alfredo Casella, who in 1939 organized the historic Vivaldi week, at which the operas Gloria and Olympias were again staged. After World War II, Vivaldi's compositions became even more successful.
The author of the monograph on Vivaldi in Russian is Igor Beletsky (“Antonio Vivaldi: short essay life and creativity ": L., Muzyka, 1975). There are also articles in the following encyclopedias: Great Soviet Encyclopedia (M., publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1st, 2nd, 3rd editions), Great Russian Encyclopedia (M., scientific publishing house "Big Russian Encyclopedia, 2006), Musical Encyclopedia (M., publishing house "Soviet Encyclopedia", 1976). In addition, there is a book about Vivaldi, published in the series "Life of Remarkable People", the author - Virgillio Boccardi (Volume 1095; M., publishing house "Young Guard", 2007). Information about some of Vivaldi's operas can be gleaned from the book by P. V. Lutsker and I. P. Susidko "Italian opera of the 18th century", volume 2 (M., publishing house "Classic -XXI", 2004).
Compositions
Antonio Vivaldi is a prolific composer. He is the author of 90 operas, including "Furious Roland" (Orlando furioso), "Nero, who became Caesar" (Nerone fatto Cesare, 1715, ibid.), "Coronation of Darius" (L'incoronazione di Dario, 1716, ibid. ), "Deception triumphant in love" (L'inganno trionfante in amore, 1725, ibid), "Farnak" (1727, ibid., later also called "Farnak, ruler of Pontus"), "Cunegonde" (1727, ibid.), Olympias (1734, ibid.), Griselda (1735, San Samuele Theatre, Venice), Aristides (1735, ibid.), Tamerlane (1735, Philharmonic Theatre, Verona ), "Oracle in Messenia" (1738, theater "Sant'Angelo", Venice), "Ferasp" (1739, ibid.); oratorios - "Moses, God of the Pharaoh" (Moyses Deus Pharaonis, 1714), "Triumphant Judith" (Juditha Triumphans devicta Holo-fernis barbarie, 1716), "Adoration of the Magi" (L'Adorazione delli tre Re Magi, 1722), etc. ;
- 44 concertos for string orchestra and basso continuo;
- 49 concerti grossi;
- 352 concertos for one instrument accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo (253 for violin, 26 for cello, 6 for viol d'amore, 13 for transverse, 3 for longitudinal flutes, 12 for oboe, 38 for bassoon, 1 for mandolin );
- 38 concertos for 2 instruments accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo (25 for violin, 2 for cello, 3 for violin and cello, 2 for horns, 1 for mandolins);
- 32 concertos for 3 or more instruments accompanied by string orchestra and/or basso continuo.
One of the most famous works is the first 4 concertos from the 8th opus, a cycle of 12 violin concertos - "The Four Seasons" - an early example of program symphonic music. Vivaldi made a significant contribution to the development of instrumentation, he was one of the first to use oboes, horns, bassoons and other instruments as independent, and not duplicating.
Vivaldi in the visual arts
Several works of art have survived that depict Vivaldi. So, in 1723 and 1725, the portraits of the composer were painted French artist Francois Morelon de la Cave, however, the most famous color portrait is only an alleged portrait of Vivaldi, since there is no signature of his last name on it, and the assumption that it depicts the greatest composer was made only because the portrait was discovered in Venice and depicts a violinist (and Vivaldi was a virtuoso violinist). The external dissimilarity of this portrait from the rest and the absence of the composer's initials on it give reason to doubt that the color portrait really depicts Vivaldi. One of the paintings is kept in International Museum music (Italian: Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica) in Bologna. In 1723, the Italian artist Pier Leone Ghezzi drew a caricature of the composer - "The Red Priest".
On March 4, 1678, a boy was born in the family of a violinist of the Venetian Cathedral, who received the name Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. The baby was born for two months ahead of time and everyone expected him to die soon. That is why the baby was baptized immediately after his birth. Later, three more daughters and two sons were born in the Vivaldi family, but none of the children, except for Antonio, became a musician.
There is no reliable information about the childhood of Antonio Vivaldi. It is only known that musical gift the boy showed up very early. He was taught music by his father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, a well-known violinist in Venice, and, barely reaching the age of ten, Antonio fully replaced his father in the orchestra that played in St. Mark's Cathedral. And this happened quite often, since Vivaldi Sr. was a sought-after musician outside of Venice. In addition, it is believed that Antonio studied composition with Legrenzi. One of his earliest musical works Vivaldi composed in 1691, this musical study is attributed to him precisely because of characteristic features works.
But first, Antonio Vivaldi chose for himself a career not musical, but spiritual, and on September 18, 1693, a fifteen-year-old boy receives a tonsure and the lowest degree of spiritual title - a "goalkeeper", a minister who opens the gates of the temple. However, music remains his main passion. Ten years later, in the autumn of 1703, Antonio takes the priesthood. But even earlier he gained fame outstanding musician, a virtuoso violinist, and therefore he is invited to the Venetian conservatory "Ospedalle de la Pieta" as a teacher.
According to the canons of teaching in the eighteenth century, Vivaldi, as a teacher, was obliged to write for his students and learn with them a fairly significant amount of secular and sacred music - sonatas, concertos, cantatas, oratorios, and so on. But Antonio, in addition, managed to work with choristers and rehearse with the orchestra. Largely due to the activities of Vivaldi, the conservatory, where he taught, began to stand out from other similar institutions in Venice. It should be noted that Venice, like the north of Italy, at that time was the birthplace of many great instrumentalists, and therefore it was a great honor to stand out among them. In 1705, a publishing house in Venice publishes twelve Vivaldi sonatas, designated as opus No. 1. Later, Vivaldi often turned to this genre, and about eighty of his sonatas are known in total.
In 1711, Antonio Vivaldi received a fairly high and constant annual salary and became director of the concerts of his conservatory. During this period, Vivaldi's music becomes popular throughout Europe, and almost everything favors his success. Many noble foreigners who visited Venice considered it obligatory to attend Vivaldi concerts, because in 1709 Frederick IV, King of Denmark, became one of the listeners of these concerts, and Vivaldi dedicated violin sonatas to him. In 1712, Vivaldi's famous twelve concertos for violins with accompaniment were published in Amsterdam. Concertos from this opus are the most popular and often performed so far.
In 1713, Vivaldi was officially appointed to the post of chief composer of the Venetian Ospedalle del Pieta. Simultaneously with this appointment, he became interested in a new genre for him - opera. In the same year, he was given a month's leave specifically to participate in the production of Otgon at the Villa, his first opera. The opera is highly appreciated by the audience, and the inspired composer presents his second opera a year later - Roland pretending to be mad. After that, eight Vivaldi operas were staged in Venice in just five years. Despite the success of the operas and a huge number of tempting offers, the composer remains faithful to his conservatory and, after performances and rehearsals, he invariably returns to the Ospedalle de la Pieta. genius composer He managed to do everything and, while writing operas, created two magnificent oratorios based on Latin texts. The first was performed in 1714 - "Moses, God of the Pharaoh". The second, "Judith Triumphant", - in 1716. Unfortunately, the score of Vivaldi's oratorio "Moses, God of the Pharaoh" has been lost - only the text with the names of the performers has been preserved in Rome. An analysis of this text showed that almost all parts of the oratorio, including men's, were performed exclusively by girls, pupils of the conservatory.
The famous Italian virtuoso, like a magnet, attracted musicians from all over Europe, and they would be honored to study under his guidance, but Vivaldi preferred intensive work in the theater to everything. In addition, he received a new order and, by the carnival of 1716, he wrote twelve main arias of the opera Nero Made Caesar for the Sant'Angelo theater troupe. At the same carnival, the San Angelo theater showed the opera The Coronation of Darius, and the San Moise theater showed the opera Permanence triumphing over love and hate. How did you do it all great composer remains a real mystery.
Vivaldi also had troubles. In 1720, at the height of the carnival season, an anonymous author published a pamphlet that caustically and wittily ridiculed one of Vivaldi's operas. The author aptly and talentedly noticed a lot of theatrical clichés and debunked them. The authorship of the pamphlet became known much later - the successful composer Benedetto Marcello failed in the genre of opera, and this probably inspired him to create a poisonous work. Vivaldi bore this severe blow with honor - without arguing, he did not stage new operas for about four years and revised almost all of his work.
In 1720, Vivaldi was invited to the service of Margrave Philipp von Hesse-Darmstadt, who at that time led the Austrian imperial troops in Mantua. Here Vivaldi met the opera singer Anna Giraud, who was the daughter of a French hairdresser. Goldoni, in his memoirs, claims that Vivaldi once introduced Anna to him as his student. The most curious thing is that Goldoni also wrote about Anna's obvious ugliness, although he recognized her grace and undoubted acting talent, immediately pointing out that the range of the singer's voice was very small. By that time, Vivaldi's health had already been undermined, and Paelina, Anna's sister, completely took care of him. Both women permanently lived in the composer's house and invariably accompanied him on all his travels. The church has repeatedly expressed a negative attitude towards the relationship between Vivaldi and the Giraud sisters, which is too close for a person of clergy and gives rise to numerous gossip.
After three years of service with the Austrian margrave in Mantua, the composer returned to Venice. Anna Giraud came with him, and this gave the Venetians the opportunity to caustically call her "the priest's girlfriend." Vivaldi spends the next two carnival seasons in Rome. Performances in the eternal city have always been considered the most serious test of the talent of composers, and Vivaldi passed it with honor. In 1723, his opera "Hercules on Thermodon" was held in Rome, and the following year - "Justin and Virtue triumphing over love and hatred."
The most popular among Vivaldi's contemporaries were the composer's program concerts, and in particular his magnificent Four Seasons. This name was given to the first four concertos for string orchestra and violin. In Paris, they loved this music so much that it has been performed invariably since 1728, and the score was published separate edition. A great connoisseur of Vivaldi's music was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who was then working in Venice at the French Embassy. Rousseau even played the music of his favorite composer on the flute.
Probably the apotheosis of Vivaldi's operatic work is the Olympiad (libretto by Metastasio), which the audience saw for the first time at the Sant'Angelo Theater in 1734. The plot of the famous playwright and poet inspired Vivaldi, and taking into account his past mistakes, the composer created a highly artistic work, multifaceted and full of dramatic collisions and incomparable beauty of music. This fact was indisputably recognized by A. Casella, a researcher of Vivaldi's opera music.
However, Vivaldi was waiting for a heavy blow of fate. On November 16, 1737, he was unambiguously pointed out to violations of obligations to the church - the Venetian nuncio announced Vivaldi a ban on travel to Ferrara (Papal States) and reported Cardinal Rufo's dissatisfaction with the composer's behavior. Vivaldi himself spoke of this, that he was probably punished for refusing to serve Mass and for his disposition towards the singer Giraud. This blow from the Roman church not only covered the composer with shame and discredited him as a clergyman, but also caused significant material damage.
On March 21, 1740, almost the last concert of the composer was given at the Ospedalle della Pieta conservatory. Frequent absences for productions of his operas, as well as the dissatisfaction of the churchmen, significantly spoiled the relationship between Vivaldi and the leadership of the conservatory. In addition, a new generation of violinists and composers appeared in Italy at that time, and against their background, Vivaldi's music began to seem dull and outdated to society. At the end of the autumn of 1740, Vivaldi left the conservatory, the glory of which he had provided for many years. In the documents of the Ospedalle della Pieta, the composer is mentioned for the last time on August 29, 1740, in connection with the sale of his concertos at the price of one ducat apiece. Such a low cost, apparently, is due to the great financial difficulties of the composer, especially since at the same time he was preparing for a trip. At sixty-two, Vivaldi decided to leave Venice, which had cooled to him and his work. At the invitation of Charles VI, he arrived in Vienna, but he had no luck here either. The king died, and with the outbreak of war, music receded into the background.
Abandoned and forgotten by everyone, the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741 in Vienna. In the funeral protocol, the cause of death was listed as general internal inflammation. The composer's property was sold on account of debts, the body was interred in a cemetery for the poor, and only a month later the Vivaldi sisters learned of his death.
Vivaldi's music was revived when Gentili, an Italian musicologist, accidentally discovered the composer's unique manuscripts in early 1923. The collection contained nineteen operas, over three hundred concertos, as well as secular and spiritual vocal compositions. The glory of Vivaldi returned to him - but only after two hundred years ...
Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy. Italian composer and violinist who left a decisive mark in the form of the concerto and the style of late baroque instrumental music.
Vivaldi's main teacher was probably his father Giovanni Battista, who in 1685 was training for the priesthood. His distinctive reddish hair later earned him the nickname Il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest"). He made his first known public performance playing alongside his father in the basilica as a "supernumerary" violinist in 1696. He became an excellent violinist, and in 1703 he was appointed violin master at the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for foundlings. Pieta specializing in music education their women's charges, and those with musical ability, were assigned to their fine choir and orchestra, whose repeated performances helped the organization's search for donations and legacies.
Shortly after his ordination as a priest, Vivaldi withdrew from celebrating Mass due to a chronic ailment believed to be bronchial asthma. Despite this circumstance, he took his secular priest seriously and even earned a reputation as a religious fanatic.
Earliest musical compositions Vivaldi refers to his first years in Pietà. Printed collections of his trio sonatas and violin sonatas appeared in 1705 and 1709, respectively, and in 1711 his first and most influential set of concertos for violin and string orchestra (Opus 3, L "estro armonico) was published by the Amsterdam publishing firm Estein Roger In the years before 1719, Roger published three more collections of his concerti and one collection of sonatas.
Vivaldi achieved great success with his sacred vocal music, for which he later received commissions from other institutions. Another one new area his work began in 1713 with the release of his first opera, Ottone in the Villa, in Vicenza. Returning to Venice, Vivaldi immediately plunged into operatic activities as the twin of the composer and impresario. From 1718 to 1720 he worked in Mantua as director of secular music for the governor of that city.
The 1720s were the zenith of Vivaldi's career. Based once more in Venice, but traveling frequently elsewhere, he served instrumental music to patrons and clients throughout Europe. During this decade, he also received numerous commissions for operas and resumed his activities as an impresario in Venice and other Italian cities.
In the 1730s, Vivaldi's career gradually declined. The French traveler Charles de Broces reported in 1739 with regret that his music was no longer fashionable. Vivaldi's impresariotic forays became increasingly marked by failure. In 1740 he went to Vienna, but he fell ill and did not live to attend his opera L "oracolo there in Messinia in 1742. The simplicity of his funeral on July 28, 1741 indicates that he died in considerable poverty.
After Vivaldi's death, his huge collection of musical manuscripts, consisting mainly of autograph scores of his own works, was associated with 27 large volumes. They were acquired first by the Venetian bibliophile Jacopo Soranzo and then by Count Giacomo Durazzo, patron of Christoph Willibald Gluck. Discovered in the 1920s, these manuscripts are today part of the Foa and Giordano collections of the National Library of Turin.
About Vivaldi
The genius of Italian music Antonio Luciano Vivaldi wrote a huge number of works. Author of about 90 opera works, more than 500 solo concerts accompanied by an orchestra.
The musician was born in the family of a barber in Venice on March 4, 1678. The father of the future composer Giovanni masterfully played the violin. Growing up surrounded by violin music, Antonio replaced his father, who played in the St. Mark's Chapel, from the age of 10.
From the age of 25, Vivaldi began teaching at the orphanage school at the monastery. His duties included teaching the orphanage girls music. Teaching activities involved writing works for students. During this period of his life, the composer wrote more than 60 works of various kinds: concertos, oratorios, vocal music.
In 1705, Antonio's first 12 sonatas were published, which were called opus 1. In 1706, the composer's first public performance took place in the palace of the French ambassador. During a performance in 1709 at the Pieta Conservatory, Vivaldi was introduced to the King of Denmark, Frederick IV, who was subsequently dedicated to 12 composers for violin sonatas.
Since 1713, Vivaldi discovered a new path in his work - the creation of operatic works. According to the composer himself, he wrote more than 90 works in this genre, but about 50 have survived to this day. Initially, operas were successful in secular society, but it was fleeting. In 1721, Antonio visits Milan, where he presents to the public the musical drama Silvia, after which the composer returns to writing works on biblical themes for the church.
The next three years of the composer's life can be called the Roman period of life. Moving to the capital of Italy became very symbolic for Vivaldi. He wrote operas, performed before the Pope. During this period, his famous concertos from the Four Seasons cycle were written. The uniqueness of the work was in the sound, when the plot themes of the work were reflected in thin lines of music (falling on ice, the voice of children, the barking of a dog, the murmur of a stream).
As fame faded in his homeland, the composer's popularity in Europe grew. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI, with whom Vivaldi had a personal acquaintance, highly appreciated his creations. At the invitation of the emperor, the musician moves to permanent residence in Vienna. The patronage of the emperor did not last long, his death and the war in Austria led to the oblivion of Antonio.
The composer died in 1741 in poverty and loneliness. Even in his youth, having given a dinner of celibacy, Vivaldi had no family, no children. He was buried in the Vienna Cemetery of the Poor. The world for 200 years forgot about the work of the great genius. Only J.S. Bach sincerely admired the music of the Italian. The revival of the name Vivaldi took place in the middle of the 20th century. Now Antonio's works are heard at many concerts of classical music.
The writer was born in the City of Orel. His family was large, of the children Leskov was the eldest. After moving from the city to the village, love and respect for the Russian people began to form in Leskov.
The medieval English philosopher Roger Bacon insisted on the importance of the so-called science of experience. In this regard, he is often considered a forerunner of modern science.
Composer Antonio Vivaldi - who has not heard at least one of his works? The famous "Four Seasons" rumble through the conservatories of the whole world several centuries after his death, and yet he wrote many other equally significant musical masterpieces. Vivaldi's music touches the most subtle strings of the soul, enveloping the listener and plunging him into the world of dreams. It is said that music itself speaks to the world through great musicians, and judging by this composer, there is some truth in this.
- The future composer was born two months premature, because of which he suffered all his life. Due to the narrow, not fully developed chest, he regularly suffered from suffocation and could not endure physical exertion. It was hard for him to even climb stairs. or walk.
- In those years, wigs were held in high esteem among high society, so most of the portraits of Antonio Vivaldi are depicted in this form, with a wig on his head. But his hair was actually bright red.
- Vivaldi's father was pretty famous musician. It was he who instilled in his son a love of music, and he also became his first teacher.
- Antonio Vivaldi in his youth tried to become a priest, but he was suspended from church service when he suddenly went to the sacristy during Mass to write down the melody that came to his mind before he forgot it.
- A Venice guide published in 1713 mentions the best violinists - Antonio Vivaldi and his father. Indeed, at one time they enjoyed great fame precisely as musicians. Not as loud as Paganini, but still (see).
- It is not known exactly at what age Vivaldi began composing music. The earliest of his works, which have survived to this day, were written by him at the age of thirteen.
- The famous Johann Sebastian Bach set some of Vivaldi's works to music for other instruments. Subsequently, for almost a century and a half it was believed that it was Bach who wrote these works.
- Once Vivaldi was tried for appropriating thirty gold ducats for himself - a considerable amount. He had to buy a harpsichord for the conservatory, and received sixty ducats for the purchase. He bought the harpsichord for half the money, and simply appropriated the rest. When this came to light, he was demanded to be put on trial, but a well-known name helped him get out of this story dry.
- At one time, Antonio Vivaldi was the director of the choir at the church conservatory. Later, he took the place of conductor there.
- Vivaldi could sing very well. In addition to music, he also taught vocals.
- While working in the theatre, he wrote operas and staged them himself. He also continued to write music himself and at the same time give lessons in musical skills. Such a busy schedule is all the more surprising given the composer's physical weakness.
- It was he who became the first person in history to create a concerto for violin and orchestra. This is a very popular format these days.
- Throughout his life, Vivaldi staged more than 450 concerts on the stage of the conservatory, where he worked most of his life.
- Famous during his lifetime, at the end of his years, Antonio Vivaldi was forgotten by the public. He died a lonely and poor man, and only later long years he regained his well-deserved fame.
- During his life, he wrote about 90 operas, but his authorship has been proven for certain only in 40 cases.