VIVALDI, Antonio

March 4th 1678 – July 28th 1741

Born to poor family in Venice, Vivaldi was made a priest against his will, since this was the only way in which he could receive free schooling. However, he was employed for most of his working life by an orphanage for the bastard daughters of noblemen. Many of Vivaldi’s compositions were merely exercises, which he used with his pupils at this orphanage. But between 1709 and 1711, he took a break from being the violin teacher at the orphanage and instead published some of his work, and started working with an opera theatre. He resumed his post as violin teacher in 1711.In 1713, Vivaldi took leave from the orphanage to stage his first opera, but in 1716, he managed to get the orphanage to perform his first oratorio.

In 1717, Vivaldi went to Mantua, to become Capellmeister at court, where he continued composing. But in 1720, he returned to Venice, bringing back with him a singer named Anna Giraud, but he insisted she was just a good friend and housekeeper.

Throughout the 1720s, Vivaldi travelled to other cities such as Rome and Florence. He earned a lot of money by composing two concertos a month for Venice, whilst composing another for whichever city he happened to be in. In 1730, Vivaldi travelled, with his father and Anna Giraud, to Prague. This music-loving city inspired Vivaldi, and he premiered many of his operas here. Vivaldi returned to Venice in 1731, only to leave for Mantua again.

After his visit to Prague, Vivaldi mainly concentrated on operas. When he finally returned to Venice in 1740, he resigned from the orphanage, and planned to move to Vienna, where he would spend the rest of his days. However, he died in 1941, receiving a modest burial. Anna Giraud, who had stayed with him all the time, returned to Venice, and she died in 1950.

Best known works: The Four Seasons

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