Antonio Vivaldi Biography

Historical records suggest that the first violin was made in Italy way back in the 16th century. Since then the tradition of making this musical instrument has been carried on by various Italians. Other than the violins, the nation is also famous for some of the most renowned musicians in the world. One such Italian violinist who made it big in the world of music was Antonio Vivaldi. This great composer is best known for The Four Seasons, a four series musical concerti. Tracing the majestic life of this great Italian composer, it doesn't come as a surprise that he is considered to be one of the legends of the Baroque era.

Biography of Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born in the beautiful city of Venice, in Italy, on March 4, 1678. His father Giovanni Battista Vivaldi was a violinist working with the church of St. Mark's in Venice. Antonia Vivaldi was subjected to both religious and musical lessons in his childhood.

Beginning of the Journey
In March 1703, Vivaldi was ordained as a priest at the age of 25. That, however, did not coincide with his love for music, which continued to be his prime devotion. Later the same year, he was appointed as a music teacher in Ospitale della Pieta, a convent in Venice. Owing to his sheer dedication for music, he was appointed as the conductor of the orchestra at Pieta. This proved to be a major boost for Vivaldi as well as Ospitale della Pieta, which earned reputation at the international level as a result of a brilliant performance given by the orchestra.

First Opera and Claim to Fame
Vivaldio continued with Ospitale della Pieta till 1740, with a brief break between 1709 and 1711, wherein he worked with an opera theater - Teatro Sant' Angelo. Meanwhile, he orchestrated several musical programs in various parts of the world. He staged his first opera, Ottone in villa, in Vicenza, in 1713. In 1716, he was successful in coming up with Ospitale della Pieta's first oratorio, - Juditha Triumphans devicta Holofernis barbaric.

Maestro di Concerti
In 1717, Vivaldi moved to the city of Mantua, where he was appointed the Chamber Capellmeister at the court of Landgrave Philips van Hessen-Darmstadt. He returned to Venice in 1720, and started working on his own operas in association with Teatro Sant' Angelo. Though Vivaldi worked with various institutions, he was associated with Ospitale della Pieta throughout his life. The institute nominated him as the Maestro di concerti. Though his presence in the institute was not a compulsion anymore. He was only expected to send two concertos to Venice every month.

Last Years of the Legend
A large part of his life was spent traveling in various parts of Europe. He made a mark as an opera composer with performances in some of the major cities in Italy, including Rome, Florence, Verona and Vicenza. One of the lesser-known facts about Vivaldi, was his romance with singer Anna Giraud, who lived with him throughout his life. After spending several years in different cities, Vivaldi finally decided to return to Venice. He resigned from Ospitale della Pieta in 1740. Vivaldi's wish to spend some time in Venice was cut short by his death on July 28, 1741.

Vivaldi had more than 700 musical works to his credit, which included operas, sonatas and concertos. Though Vivaldi used numerous musical instruments, including the flute, trumpet and mandolin, violin seemed to have a special place in almost all the Antonio Vivaldi compositions. An account of the magnificence of this great music composer, this biographical account does demonstrate playful exuberance, something which Vivaldi himself demonstrated in his musical masterpieces. Though Vivaldi music may have lost its importance as far as the present generation, it did rule the heart and soul of the people of the baroque era. Ask those people who follow the history of baroque, and they will be full of praises for this legendary violinist hailing from Venice.