Antonio Vivaldi
Name: Kendrail Mouzon
Date: February 14, 2019
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born March 4, 1678, in Venice, Italy. His nickname was il Prete Rosso (The Red Priest). He was a Venetian priest, Baroque music composer, and a famous virtuoso violinist. He was the eldest of nine kids. His parents were Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio. His father was a professional violinist.
In 1703, Antonio was ordained to be a priest. A year later he didn’t want to praise things that caused chest pain(nervous disorder, asthmatic bronchitis, or angina pectoris). There was a rumor that he was probably forced into the priesthood because they were poor. During the Baroque period, training for the priesthood was sometimes the only way to attend school for free. Members from his church also made a rumor that he would sometimes rush off the altar to write a musical idea down before he forgot.
He worked at an orphanage for the majority of his life. It was called the Ospedale della Pietá. This particular orphanage was for the noblemen’s daughters who were born out of wedlock or from a secret mistress. He was named the violin teacher shortly after being ordained. But he was never attached to the place, but he was an active composer at an opera theatre.
In 1711, he wrote and published twelve concertos in Amsterdam. It was entitled I’Estro armonico (Harmonic Inspiration). Music publisher Estienne Roger published this piece for Vivaldi.
He was given a one month’s leave from the orphanage to stage his first opera in 1713. The title of the opera is Ottone in Villa and it was staged in Vicenza. He produced another opera by Giovanni Alberto Rostori (1692-1753) at Teatro Sant’ Angelo
The end of 1716 was a high point for Vivaldi when it came back to his musical and theatrical work. He managed to have the orphanage perform his first great oratorio, Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernis barbaric, in November. This opera was an allegorical description of the victory of the Christians (Venetians) and the barbarians (the Turks) in August 1716.
Antonio was never married and he never had any children.
He began studying to be a priest at age 15. Because of his red hair, he got his nickname, "The Red Priest". Not too long after being ordained he had to step down because...
