Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian Baroque … Read Full Bio ↴Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian Baroque musical composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher, and priest. Born in Venice, the capital of the Venetian Republic, he is regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe. He composed many instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of other instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more than forty operas. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as the Four Seasons.
Many of his compositions were written for the all-female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children. Vivaldi had worked there as a Catholic priest for 1 1/2 years and was employed there from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740. Vivaldi also had some success with expensive stagings of his operas in Venice, Mantua and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna, hoping for royal support. However, the Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and Vivaldi himself died, in poverty, less than a year later.
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on 4 March 1678 in Venice, then the capital of the Venetian Republic. He was baptized immediately after his birth at his home by the midwife, which led to a belief that his life was somehow in danger. Though the reasons for the child's immediate baptism are not known for certain, it was done most likely due either to his poor health or to an earthquake that shook the city that day. In the trauma of the earthquake, Vivaldi's mother may have dedicated him to the priesthood. The ceremonies which had been omitted were supplied two months later.
Vivaldi's parents were Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, as recorded in the register of San Giovanni in Bragora. Vivaldi had eight siblings: Iseppo Santo Vivaldi, Iseppo Gaetano Vivaldi, Bonaventura Tomaso Vivaldi, Margarita Gabriela Vivaldi, Cecilia Maria Vivaldi, Gerolama Michela Vivaldi, Francesco Gaetano Vivaldi, and Zanetta Anna Vivaldi. Giovanni Battista, who was a barber before becoming a professional violinist, taught Antonio to play the violin and then toured Venice playing the violin with his young son. Antonio was probably taught at an early age, judging by the extensive musical knowledge he had acquired by the age of 24, when he started working at the Ospedale della Pietà. Giovanni Battista was one of the founders of the Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia, an association of musicians.
During his lifetime, Vivaldi was popular in many countries throughout Europe, including France, but after his death his popularity dwindled. After the end of the Baroque period, Vivaldi's published concerti became relatively unknown, and were largely ignored. Even his most famous work, The Four Seasons, was unknown in its original edition during the Classical and Romantic periods.
In the early 20th century, Fritz Kreisler's Concerto in C, in the Style of Vivaldi (which he passed off as an original Vivaldi work) helped revive Vivaldi's reputation. This spurred the French scholar Marc Pincherle to begin an academic study of Vivaldi's oeuvre. Many Vivaldi manuscripts were rediscovered, which were acquired by the Turin National University Library as a result of the generous sponsorship of Turinese businessmen Roberto Foa and Filippo Giordano, in memory of their sons. This led to a renewed interest in Vivaldi by, among others, Mario Rinaldi, Alfredo Casella, Ezra Pound, Olga Rudge, Desmond Chute, Arturo Toscanini, Arnold Schering and Louis Kaufman, all of whom were instrumental in the revival of Vivaldi throughout the 20th century.
In 1926, in a monastery in Piedmont, researchers discovered fourteen folios of Vivaldi's work that were previously thought to have been lost during the Napoleonic Wars. Some missing volumes in the numbered set were discovered in the collections of the descendants of the Grand Duke Durazzo, who had acquired the monastery complex in the 18th century. The volumes contained 300 concertos, 19 operas and over 100 vocal-instrumental works.
The resurrection of Vivaldi's unpublished works in the 20th century is mostly due to the efforts of Alfredo Casella, who in 1939 organized the historic Vivaldi Week, in which the rediscovered Gloria (RV 589) and l'Olimpiade were revived. Since World War II, Vivaldi's compositions have enjoyed wide success. Historically informed performances, often on "original instruments", have increased Vivaldi's fame still further.
Recent rediscoveries of works by Vivaldi include two psalm settings of Nisi Dominus (RV 803, in eight movements) and Dixit Dominus (RV 807, in eleven movements). These were identified in 2003 and 2005 respectively, by the Australian scholar Janice Stockigt. The Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot described RV 807 as "arguably the best nonoperatic work from Vivaldi's pen to come to light since […] the 1920s". Vivaldi's 1730 opera Argippo (RV 697), which had been considered lost, was rediscovered in 2006 by the harpsichordist and conductor Ondřej Macek, whose Hofmusici orchestra performed the work at Prague Castle on 3 May 2008—its first performance since 1730.
Many of his compositions were written for the all-female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children. Vivaldi had worked there as a Catholic priest for 1 1/2 years and was employed there from 1703 to 1715 and from 1723 to 1740. Vivaldi also had some success with expensive stagings of his operas in Venice, Mantua and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi moved to Vienna, hoping for royal support. However, the Emperor died soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and Vivaldi himself died, in poverty, less than a year later.
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born on 4 March 1678 in Venice, then the capital of the Venetian Republic. He was baptized immediately after his birth at his home by the midwife, which led to a belief that his life was somehow in danger. Though the reasons for the child's immediate baptism are not known for certain, it was done most likely due either to his poor health or to an earthquake that shook the city that day. In the trauma of the earthquake, Vivaldi's mother may have dedicated him to the priesthood. The ceremonies which had been omitted were supplied two months later.
Vivaldi's parents were Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, as recorded in the register of San Giovanni in Bragora. Vivaldi had eight siblings: Iseppo Santo Vivaldi, Iseppo Gaetano Vivaldi, Bonaventura Tomaso Vivaldi, Margarita Gabriela Vivaldi, Cecilia Maria Vivaldi, Gerolama Michela Vivaldi, Francesco Gaetano Vivaldi, and Zanetta Anna Vivaldi. Giovanni Battista, who was a barber before becoming a professional violinist, taught Antonio to play the violin and then toured Venice playing the violin with his young son. Antonio was probably taught at an early age, judging by the extensive musical knowledge he had acquired by the age of 24, when he started working at the Ospedale della Pietà. Giovanni Battista was one of the founders of the Sovvegno dei musicisti di Santa Cecilia, an association of musicians.
During his lifetime, Vivaldi was popular in many countries throughout Europe, including France, but after his death his popularity dwindled. After the end of the Baroque period, Vivaldi's published concerti became relatively unknown, and were largely ignored. Even his most famous work, The Four Seasons, was unknown in its original edition during the Classical and Romantic periods.
In the early 20th century, Fritz Kreisler's Concerto in C, in the Style of Vivaldi (which he passed off as an original Vivaldi work) helped revive Vivaldi's reputation. This spurred the French scholar Marc Pincherle to begin an academic study of Vivaldi's oeuvre. Many Vivaldi manuscripts were rediscovered, which were acquired by the Turin National University Library as a result of the generous sponsorship of Turinese businessmen Roberto Foa and Filippo Giordano, in memory of their sons. This led to a renewed interest in Vivaldi by, among others, Mario Rinaldi, Alfredo Casella, Ezra Pound, Olga Rudge, Desmond Chute, Arturo Toscanini, Arnold Schering and Louis Kaufman, all of whom were instrumental in the revival of Vivaldi throughout the 20th century.
In 1926, in a monastery in Piedmont, researchers discovered fourteen folios of Vivaldi's work that were previously thought to have been lost during the Napoleonic Wars. Some missing volumes in the numbered set were discovered in the collections of the descendants of the Grand Duke Durazzo, who had acquired the monastery complex in the 18th century. The volumes contained 300 concertos, 19 operas and over 100 vocal-instrumental works.
The resurrection of Vivaldi's unpublished works in the 20th century is mostly due to the efforts of Alfredo Casella, who in 1939 organized the historic Vivaldi Week, in which the rediscovered Gloria (RV 589) and l'Olimpiade were revived. Since World War II, Vivaldi's compositions have enjoyed wide success. Historically informed performances, often on "original instruments", have increased Vivaldi's fame still further.
Recent rediscoveries of works by Vivaldi include two psalm settings of Nisi Dominus (RV 803, in eight movements) and Dixit Dominus (RV 807, in eleven movements). These were identified in 2003 and 2005 respectively, by the Australian scholar Janice Stockigt. The Vivaldi scholar Michael Talbot described RV 807 as "arguably the best nonoperatic work from Vivaldi's pen to come to light since […] the 1920s". Vivaldi's 1730 opera Argippo (RV 697), which had been considered lost, was rediscovered in 2006 by the harpsichordist and conductor Ondřej Macek, whose Hofmusici orchestra performed the work at Prague Castle on 3 May 2008—its first performance since 1730.
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01Concerto for Violin and Strings in E, Op.8, No.1, R.269 "La Primavera": 1. Allegro3:25Antonio Vivaldi
02Concerto for Violin and Strings in E, Op.8, No.1, R.269 "La Primavera": 2. Largo3:21Antonio Vivaldi
03Concerto for Violin and Strings in E, Op.8, No.1, R.269 "La Primavera": 3. Allegro (Danza Pastorale)4:29Antonio Vivaldi
04Concerto for Violin and Strings in G Minor, Op.8, No.2, R.315 "L'estate": 1. Allegro Non Molto - Allegro5:53Antonio Vivaldi
05Concerto for Violin and Strings in G Minor, Op.8, No.2, R.315 "L'estate": 2. Adagio - Presto - Adagio2:09Antonio Vivaldi
06Concerto for Violin and Strings in G Minor, Op.8, No.2, R.315 "L'estate": 3. Presto (Tempo Impetuoso D'estate)2:47Antonio Vivaldi
07Concerto for Violin and Strings in F, Op.8, No.3, RV 293 "L'autunno": 1. Allegro (Ballo, e canto de' villanelli)5:15Antonio Vivaldi
08Concerto for Violin and Strings in F, Op.8, No.3, RV 293 "L'autunno": 2. Adagio molto (Ubriachi dormienti)2:31Antonio Vivaldi
09Concerto for Violin and Strings in F major, Op.8, No.3, RV 293 "L'autunno": 3. Allegro (La caccia)2:59Antonio Vivaldi
10Concerto for Violin and Strings in F minor, Op.8, No.4, RV 297 "L'inverno": 1. Allegro non molto3:21Antonio Vivaldi
11Concerto for Violin and Strings in F Minor, Op.8, No.4, R.297 "L'inverno": 2. Largo2:03Antonio Vivaldi
12Concerto for Violin and Strings in F Minor, Op.8, No.4, R.297 "L'inverno": 3. Allegro2:53Antonio Vivaldi
16Sinfonia For Strings And Continuo In B Minor, RV169 - "Al Santo Sepolcro": 1. Adagio molto2:05Antonio Vivaldi
17Sinfonia for Strings and Continuo in B minor, R.169 - "Al Santo Sepolcro": 2. Allegro ma poco1:52Antonio Vivaldi
41Concerto grosso for 2 violins, strings and continuo in A minor, Op.3/8 , RV 522: 1. Allegro3:32Antonio Vivaldi
42Concerto grosso for 2 violins, strings and continuo in A minor, Op.3/8 , RV 522: 2. Larghetto4:24Antonio Vivaldi
43Concerto grosso for 2 violins, strings and continuo in A minor, Op.3/8 , RV 522: 3. Allegro3:17Antonio Vivaldi
44Concerto grosso for violins, strings and continuo in D , Op.3/9 , RV 230: 1. Allegro2:07Antonio Vivaldi
45Concerto grosso for violins, strings and continuo in D , Op.3/9 , RV 230: 2. Larghetto3:36Antonio Vivaldi
46Concerto grosso for violins, strings and continuo in D , Op.3/9 , RV 230: 3. Allegro2:04Antonio Vivaldi
56Concerto In F Major For Flute & Strings, Op.10, No.1, RV 433 "La tempesta di mare": 1. Allegro2:53Antonio Vivaldi
57Concerto In F Major For Flute & Strings, Op.10, No.1, RV 433 "La tempesta di mare": 2. Largo2:12Antonio Vivaldi
58Concerto for Flute and Strings in F, Op. 10, No. 1, RV 433 "La tempesta di mare" : 3. Presto2:06Antonio Vivaldi
59Concerto for Flute and Strings in G Minor, Op.10, No.2, R.439 " La Notte": 1. Largo2:04Antonio Vivaldi
60Concerto In G Minor For Flute & Strings, Op.10, No.2, RV439 - "La notte": 2. Fantasmi (Presto)0:55Antonio Vivaldi
61Concerto for Flute and Strings in G Minor, Op. 10, No. 2, RV 439 " La notte" : 3. Largo1:12Antonio Vivaldi
62Concerto In G Minor For Flute & Strings, Op.10, No.2, RV439 - "La notte": 4. Presto0:59Antonio Vivaldi
63Concerto in G Minor for Flute & Strings, Op.10, No.2, RV439 - "La notte": 5. Il sonno (Largo)2:06Antonio Vivaldi
64Concerto for Flute and Strings in G Minor, Op.10, No.2, R.439 " La Notte": 6. Allegro2:13Antonio Vivaldi
65Concerto for Flute and Strings in D, Op.10, No.3, R.428 "Il gardellino" : 1. Allegro3:57Antonio Vivaldi
66Concerto in D Major for Flute and Strings, RV 428, "Il gardellino": II. Cantabile3:23Antonio Vivaldi
67Concerto in D Major for Flute & Strings, Op.10, No.3, RV428 - "Il gardellino": 3. Allegro2:49Antonio Vivaldi
7712 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 1 in B flat major, RV 383a: 1. Allegro3:07Antonio Vivaldi
7812 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 1 in B flat major, RV 383a: 2. Largo e Cantabile2:18Antonio Vivaldi
7912 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 1 in B flat major, RV 383a: 3. Allegro2:26Antonio Vivaldi
8012 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, RV 279: 1. Allegro4:38Antonio Vivaldi
8112 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, RV 279: 2. Largo2:35Antonio Vivaldi
8212 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 2 in E Minor, RV 279: 3. Allegro3:13Antonio Vivaldi
8312 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 3 in G Major, RV 301: 1. Allegro3:03Antonio Vivaldi
8412 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 3 in G Major, RV 301: 2. Largo3:09Antonio Vivaldi
8512 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 3 in G Major, RV 301: 3. Allegro Assai2:15Antonio Vivaldi
8612 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 4 in A Minor, RV 357: 1. Allegro2:51Antonio Vivaldi
8712 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 4 in A Minor, RV 357: 2. Grave e sempre piano3:20Antonio Vivaldi
8812 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 4 in A Minor, RV 357: 3. Allegro2:44Antonio Vivaldi
8912 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 5 in A Major, RV 347: 1. Allegro3:31Antonio Vivaldi
9012 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 5 in A Major, RV 347: 2. Largo2:13Antonio Vivaldi
9112 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 5 in A Major, RV 347: 3. Allegro (moderato)3:11Antonio Vivaldi
9212 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 6 in G Minor, RV 316a: 1. Allegro2:33Antonio Vivaldi
9312 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 6 in G Minor, RV 316a: 2. Largo2:21Antonio Vivaldi
9412 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 6 in G Minor, RV 316a: 3. Allegro4:02Antonio Vivaldi
9512 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 7 in G Major, RV 185: 1. Largo2:08Antonio Vivaldi
9612 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 7 in G Major, RV 185: 2. Allegro (molto)2:07Antonio Vivaldi
9712 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 7 in G Major, RV 185: 3. Largo1:55Antonio Vivaldi
9812 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 7 in G Major, RV 185: 4. Allegro2:03Antonio Vivaldi
9912 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 8 in D minor, RV 249: 1. Allegro - Adagio2:08Antonio Vivaldi
10012 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 8 in D minor, RV 249: 2. Presto0:39Antonio Vivaldi
10112 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 8 in D minor, RV 249: 3. Adagio1:17Antonio Vivaldi
10212 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 8 in D minor, RV 249: 4. Allegro3:10Antonio Vivaldi
10312 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 9 in F Major, RV 284: 1. Allegro2:56Antonio Vivaldi
10412 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 9 in F Major, RV 284: 2. Largo1:44Antonio Vivaldi
10512 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 9 in F Major, RV 284: 3. Allegro2:29Antonio Vivaldi
10612 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 10 in C minor, RV 196: 1. Spirituoso3:01Antonio Vivaldi
10712 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 10 in C minor, RV 196: 2. Adagio2:10Antonio Vivaldi
10812 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 10 in C minor, RV 196: 3. Allegro2:45Antonio Vivaldi
10912 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 11 in D Major, RV 204: 1. Allegro2:47Antonio Vivaldi
11012 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 11 in D Major, RV 204: 2. Largo3:07Antonio Vivaldi
11112 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 11 in D Major, RV 204: 3. Allegro assai1:58Antonio Vivaldi
11212 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 12 in G Major, RV 298: 1. Spirituoso e non presto2:52Antonio Vivaldi
11312 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 12 in G Major, RV 298: 2. Largo3:08Antonio Vivaldi
11412 Violin Concertos, Op.4 - "La stravaganza" / Concerto No. 12 in G Major, RV 298: 3. Allegro3:55Antonio Vivaldi
115Concerto for Strings and Continuo in G, R.151 Concerto Alla Rustica: 1. Presto1:13Antonio Vivaldi
116Concerto for Strings and Continuo in G, R.151 Concerto Alla Rustica: 2. Adagio1:01Antonio Vivaldi
117Concerto for Strings and Continuo in G, R.151 Concerto Alla Rustica: 3. Allegro1:31Antonio Vivaldi
118Concerto For Oboe, Violin, Strings And Continuo In B Flat, RV 548: 1. (Allegro)3:51Antonio Vivaldi
119Concerto For Oboe, Violin, Strings And Continuo In B-Flat Major, RV 548: 2. Largo3:21Antonio Vivaldi
124Concerto For 2 Violins, Strings And Continuo In G Major, RV 516: 1. Allegro molto3:55Antonio Vivaldi
125Concerto For 2 Violins, Strings And Continuo In G Major, RV 516: 2. Andante (molto)1:56Antonio Vivaldi
127Oboe Concerto in A Minor, RV 461 (For Oboe, Strings and Continuo): Allegro Non Molto3:32Antonio Vivaldi
147Concerto For Viola d'amore, Lute, Strings And Continuo In D Minor, RV 540: 3. Allegro3:05Nigel North
148Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, Strings and Continuo in G, RV 545: 1. Andante molto4:00Antonio Vivaldi
150Concerto for Oboe, Bassoon, Strings and Continuo in G, R.545: 3. Allegro molto3:33Antonio Vivaldi
169Concerto for 2 Violins, 2 Cellos, Strings and Continuo in G, R.575: 1. Allegro3:08Antonio Vivaldi
171Concerto for 2 Violins, 2 Cellos, Strings and Continuo in G, R.575: 3. Allegro4:14Antonio Vivaldi
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Vivaldi: Stravaganza – 55 Concertos
Antonio Vivaldi Lyrics
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