Vivaldi’s Birthday

Italian baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi was born on March 4, 1678 in Venice. Most famous for composing “The Four Seasons,” Vivaldi wrote dozens of operas, vocal works, and solo sonatas, in addition to more than 500 concertos for all manner of solo instruments.  Considered to be the most original and influential Italian composer of his generation, Vivaldi influenced J.S. Bach, who studied and transcribed a number of Vivaldi’s concertos for harpsichord. 

Vivaldi’s bright red hair and religious orders he took as a young man earned him the nickname “Il Prieto Rosso” (“The Red Priest”).  Vivaldi began preparing for the priesthood in his teens; the career option enabled low-born young men like himself to get a start in life.  Vivaldi’s priestly role, however, played second fiddle to his true calling as a musician—in addition to his remarkable talents as a composer, Vivaldi was an exceptionally gifted violinist.

Vivaldi was long associated with Venice’s Pio Ospedale della Pietà, a convent school for abandoned or orphaned girls, where he served as Master of Music.  Musically gifted students performed in the school’s choir and orchestra, and their performances became famous across Europe. It was at the school that Vivaldi began composing, using his students to test out new ideas.  Vivaldi’s work at the school eventually paved the way for the composer’s ascension to the royal orchestras and opera houses of Europe.

“The Four Seasons”was published in 1725, but by the latter half of the 1730s, Vivaldi’s music had fallen out of fashion, and he was broke.  Since his operas were still popular, the 62-year-old composer moved to Vienna in 1740, hoping to secure patronage from the emperor Charles VI to stage an opera there.  Unfortunately, Charles VI died shortly thereafter, closing theaters for many months. Vivaldi died a pauper on July 27, 1741 and was buried in an unmarked grave. The composer’s name and music slipped into obscurity, not to resurface until the mid-20th century, when a newfound appreciation for his genius would become fully appreciated.