Antonio Lucio Vivaldi

Birth: Antonio Vivaldi had been born on March the 4th, 1678. He was baptized immediately after birth

Early Adult Years: Antonio Vivaldi was made a priest in 1703. But, according to him, a year later after becoming a priest, he no longer wanted to celebrate Mass due to complaints like “tightness of chest”. This may have been genuine or fake. It may have been genuine, in which case, the illness was probably asthma. It may have been faked due to his greater love of music, so he could spend more time writing it and jotting ideas down instead of celebrating mass. Anyways, Antonio Vivaldi became a clergyman against his own will. He probably became one in the first place because in his days, that was usually the only way a poor family (in Vivaldi’s case, his family and himself) could get free education. He did remain a priest though, even if he did not do all the Mass because of his poor health and asthma.

Antonio Vivaldi wrote many great and fantastic musical pieces that earned him a great reputation as a musician, such as Opus 3 and the Four Seasons. But he also wrote lots more small pieces, rather like 5 finger exercises and warm-ups for a beginner, amateur, or student. And this is what they were. Vivaldi worked for the Ospedale Della Pieta for most of the time. An Ospedale is normally termed an orphanage. But this Ospedale was a little different. It was a home for the female children of noblemen, rich men, merchants, wealthy men, etc. and their numerous relationships with their mistresses. The Ospedale was therefore well paid for by the “anonymous/unknown” fathers. The furnishings were very good; the young ladies were well taken care of. And, the musical standards in there were among the highest in all of Venice. Loads of Vivaldi’s concerti stuff was exercises he played with his talented and gifted pupils. However, his relationship with the Ospedale was often strained, and he had to be voted on the board every year in order to keep teaching. He was actually outvoted in 1709, but was reinstated in 1711, when his importance was recognized. He was then promoted in 1713 to be the person responsible for the musical activity of the institution. He was promoted again in 1716, to music director.

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Vivaldi’s best instrument for him to play would probably be a violin. He was a violinist.

Middle Adult Years: During his time at the Ospedale, he wrote much of his music, including loads of operas and concerti. In 1705, his works were published for the first time. Opus 1 had been published. Opus 2 followed. But his first really fantastic breakthrough was Opus 3, published in 1711. It was a collection of 12 concerti with pieces for one, two, and four violins with strings. This wonderful success was soon followed by Opus 4.

In 1718, Vivaldi started travelling. But the Ospedale still paid him to write 2 concerti per month and to rehearse with them 5 times or more whenever he was in Venice. He was paid for 140 concerti for ten years, from 1723-1733.

In 1717, Antonio Vivaldi was offered the position of Kapellmeister/Chapel Master or Maestro di Cappella, in the court of Prince Phillip of Hesse-Darmstadt governor of Mantua, the Capital city of Mantua. This was a very high position. Vivaldi accepted, and moved there for three years. He produced several operas during that time. In 1721, he went to Milan for a while, to perform some things (I won’t bother with names; these are too long and complicated for me to even say). He moved to Rome in 1722, which is where Pope Benedict the Eighth invited Vivaldi to play for him. After 3 years in Rome, Vivaldi returned to Venice in 1725, where he produced more operas in the very same year.

Vivaldi also managed to squeeze in The Four Seasons in that epic year too. They were the first four in a collection of twelve with a long name for another Opus, Opus 8. (Man he’s written a lot of Opuses).

Late Adult Years: During his career height, Vivaldi was asked by many royalties and noblemen to play for them. He played for some weddings and wrote another Opus, Opus 9.

Emperor Charles the Sixth adored Vivaldi’s music, and he knighted him and gave him a gold medal, and an invitation to Vienna to work for him. In turn, Vivaldi wrote some good music for Charles the Sixth.

Vivaldi’s life ended in financial difficulties, for Vivaldi left Venice. He went to Vienna to perform and work for Charles the Sixth, who unfortunately died shortly after Vivaldi arrived. This tragedy put Vivaldi in a sticky situation. He no longer had Royal protection and money and income, aka. No job.
Death: It is perhaps not very surprising that Vivaldi died soon after Charles, a year later, on the 27th of July, 1741. On July 28 he was buried in a simple grave. His funeral also took place shortly after his death.

Although Vivaldi has died long ago, he has not been forgotten. There are monuments and memorial plaques at his last resting place and his last dwelling place in Vienna. His works are still remembered, 268 years after he died.