3.2.+Antonio+Vivaldi

=__**3.2.- Antonio Lucio**__ __**Vivaldi:**__ =

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1674. He was baptized immediately after his birth at his home by themidwife, leading it to be believed that his life was somehow in danger. Vivaldi’s parents were Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio and he had five brothers: Margarita Gabriela, Cecilia Maria, Bonaventura Tomaso, Zanetta Anna, and Francesco Gaetano. His father, a barber before becoming a professional violinist, taught him to play violin and they toured Venice playing it. It is possible that the young Antonio's first composition lessons were imparted by [|Giovanni Legrenzi].

Vivaldi had a health problem, probably a form of asthma, which did not prevent him from learning to play the violin, compose or take part in many musical activities. It did however stop him from playing wind instruments because of shortness of breath. At the age of 15 (in 1693), he began studying to become a priest. In 1703, at the age of 25, Vivaldi was ordained a priest and was soon nicknamed il Prete Rosso, "The Red Priest", because of his red hair. In September of the some year, Vivaldi became maestro di violino (master of violin) at an [|orphanage] called the Pio //[|Ospedale della Pietà]// in Venice and he started working there where he composed most of his major works while working there for the next thirty years of his life. While Vivaldi is most known as a composer, he was regarded as an exceptional technical violinist as well. Many people referred to Vivaldi as “the famous composer and violinist”. He wrote: concertos, sonatas, cantatas, sinfonias, operas, chamber music and sacred music. In 1705, the first collection (Connor Cassara) of his works was published: he was promoted to maestro di' concerti (music director). Between 1716 and 1718 he began to travel.

Vivaldi started his career as opera writer in undertone: his first opera, //[|Ottone in villa]// (RV 729) was performed not in Venice. In the same year, 1716, he wrote and produced two more operas, //[|L'incoronazione di Dario]// (RV 719) and La costanza trionfante degli amori e degli odi (RV 706). The latter was so popular that it was re-edited and represented two years later with the title //Artabano re dei Parti// (RV 701, lost). In the following years, Vivaldi wrote several operas that were performed all over Italy. During his middle years (1717 or 1718), it was offered a new prestigious position as //Maestro di Cappella// of the court of the prince Phillip of [|Hesse-Darmstadt], governor of Mantua. He moved there for three years and produced several operas. The next big step was a move to Rome in 1722, where his operas introduced the new style and where the new pope [|Benedict XIII] invited him to play for him. In 1725, he returned to Venice, where he produced four operas in the same year. In 1730, accompanied by his father, he traveled to Vienna and Prague, where his opera //Farnace // (RV 711) was presented.

Vivaldi's life ended in financial difficulties. He died on the night between 27 and 28 July in 1741, of an internal infection. We only have three surviving portraits of Vivaldi today.

- Over 500 concerti; approximately 350 of these are for solo instrument and strings, and of these about 230 are for violin; the others are for bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, viola d’amore, recorder, lute, and mandolin. Approximately 40 concerti are for two instruments and strings, and approximately 30 are for three or more instruments and strings. (One notable work in this form is the //Mandolin Concerto, RV425 //.) - He also composed 46 operas. - He composed lots of Sinfonias. - Approximately 90 sonatas. - Chamber music (though some sonatas for flute, as Il Pastor Fido, have been erroneously attributed to him, but were composed by [|Chédeville]). - Sacred music
 * Vivaldi's compositions:**

- Opus 1, 12 Sonatas for 2 violas and double basses continuous (1705). - Opus 3, //L'estro armonico //, 12 concerts with various combinations (1711 ). - Opus 5, 4 sonatas for one violin and 2 sonatas for 2 violins (1716). - Opus 7, 2 concerts for oboe and 10 concerts for violin (1716- 21). - Opus 8, //Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'invenzione//, 12 concerts for violin, //Las cuatro estaciones//, //La Tempestad// //del Mar// (1725). - Opus 9, //La cetra//, 12 concerts: eleven for violin and one for 2 violins (1727). - Opus 11, 5 concerts for violin, 1 concert for oboe, //RV 277// (1729). - Opus 13, //Il pastor fido//, 6 sonatas for musettes, violas, flute, oboe or violin and double basses continuous (1737). - Opus 14, 6 Sonatas for cello and double basses continuous (1740). - //Kyrie//, RV 587. - //Gloria//, RV 588. - //Credo//, RV 591. - //Domine ad adiuvandum me//, RV 593. - //Magnificat//, RV 610. - //Stabat Mater//, RV 621. - //Introduzione al Gloria RV 588//, RV 639. - //Oratorio Juditha triumphans//, RV 644. - //Ottone in villa// (1713). - //Nerone fatto Cesare// (1715). - //La costanza trionfante degl'amori e de gl'odii// (1716). - //La verità in cimento// (1720). - //La Silvia// (1721). - //Ercole sul Termodonte// (1723). - //La virtù trionfante dell'amore e dell'odio ovvero il Tigrane// (1724). - //La fede tradita e vendicata// (1726). - //Rosilena ed Oronta// (1728). - //Alvilda, regina de' Goti// (1731). - //Motezuma// (1733). - //L'Olimpiade// (1734). - //Ginevra, principessa di Scozia// (1736). - //L'oracolo in Messenia// (1738). - //Feraspe// (1739).
 * Works:**


 * Commented Piece:**
 * //The Four Seasons//** (Italian : //Le quattro stagioni//) is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi . Composed in 1723, //The Four Seasons// is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music . The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season. The concertos were first published in 1725 as part of a set of twelve concerti, Vivaldi's Op. 8, entitled //Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione //. The first four concertos were designated //Le quattro stagioni//, each being named after a season . Each one is in three movements, with a slow movement between two faster ones. At the time of writing The Four Seasons, the modern solo form of the concerto had not yet been defined. Vivaldi's original arrangement for solo violin with string quartet and basso continuo helped to define the form.

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 * __//"Le quattro Stagioni"//__**

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