Antonio Vivaldi
1678-1741 By Grace Tang
Early Years
Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy on March 4, 1678. He was baptized immediately due to danger of death. This may have been because of an earthquake earlier that day, or because of his poor health. He had asthma or in his time, "tightening of the chest". He also was born into a large family with four brothers and four sisters.
Map of Venice
This is a map of the city Venice in 1600, the city where Vivaldi was born. When he was fifteen, he studied to become a priest. He then taught at a school of music called Ospedale della Pietá. He then moved to Vienna where he worked for Charles VI. He died on July 28, 1741.
Four Seasons ~ Vivaldi
Four Seasons
Four Seasons was Vivaldi's most famous piece of work. It is the video above. It features many violins and other string instruments. You may hear it quite often today as it is used in many things such as TV advertisements and movies. It wasn't popular after he died and only became popular after someone used it in 1950.
Many of his famous works include:
- "L'ESTRO ARMONICO"
- "LA STARVAGANZA"
- "LE QUATTRO STAGIONE"
- "LA CETRA"
His Legacy
Antonio Vivaldi left a huge legacy behind when he died. Even though he was forgotten for two hundred years after his death, his music is very popular today. While most if not all of his music was for violin, there are arrangements for flute,harp, soprano, guitar, brass, and even Chinese instruments. There is no doubt that he was very important in the music world.
Citations
AnAmericanComposer. “Four Seasons ~ Vivaldi.” YouTube. N.p., 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 3 May 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA>.
“Antonio Vivaldi.” Monkeyshines (On Music and Great Musicians). 1996: 52. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 03 May 2016.
ANTONIO VIVALDI (1675?-1741). - Italian composer. Engraving, c. 1725.. Fine Art. Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 29 Apr 2016.
<http://quest.eb.com/search/140_1653413/1/140_1653413/cite>
Italy, Venice, Map of Bologna in 1600, engraving from Theatrum Civitatum et Admirandorum Italiae by Jean Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1663. Photopgraphy.Encyclopædia Britannica ImageQuest. Web. 3 May 2016.
<http://quest.eb.com/search/126_3741161/1/126_3741161/cite>