Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
By: Maria Khakbaz
Antonio's life
Born on March 4, 1678, in Venice, Italy. Little is known about his family, except that his father's name was Giovanni Battista. Antonio studied to be a priest at age fifteen. In 1703 Vivaldi became a priest, but he only said mass a few times. Vivaldi had a medical problem he called, "tightening of the chest" A.K.A asthma as we call it today. Vivaldi also studied the violin. Also in 1703 Vivaldi became a music teacher in Ospedale Della Pieta a school for poor and orphaned girls. Vivaldi lived near the end of the Baroque era which lasted to about the 1600's to the 1750's.
Venice, Italy
Venice, capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a marshy lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. There are no cars or roadways, just canals and boats. Venice is where Vivaldi grew up.
Four Seasons ~ Vivaldi
About the Four seasons
The Four Seasons is the best known of Vivaldi's works. Each concerto is in the distinct form of fast-slow-fast movements. Antonio Vivaldi wrote the individual Sonnets to go along with each movement of the Four Seasons.
Other famous Vivaldi pieces
Some other known works are...
- Gloria
- Il gardelino
- La notte
- Il tempesta di mare
- Stabat Mater
Interesting facts
- When Vivaldi became a priest, he was known as, "the Red Priest" because of his bright red hair
- When Vivaldi he received the cheapest possible funeral.
- Vivaldi composed over a thousand pieces of music during his life time.