home › Brake system › Antonio Vivaldi. The unknown life of a famous composer

Antonio Vivaldi. The unknown life of a famous composer

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) - one of the outstanding representatives of the Baroque era. He was born in Venice, where he first studied with his father, a violinist in the Chapel of St. Mark, then improved by Giovanni Legrenzi. He gave many concerts in various European countries, with great enthusiasm engaged in teaching and staging his operas. For a long time he was a violin teacher in one of the Venetian orphanages for girls.

For the color of his hair, Vivaldi was nicknamed "the red priest" (Prete rosso). Indeed, he combined the profession of a musician with the duties of a clergyman, but then he was dismissed from him for "unlawful" behavior during a church service. Last years the composer spent in Vienna, where he died in poverty.

Vivaldi's creative heritage covers more than 700 titles: 465 instrumental concertos (of which fifty are grossi), 76 sonatas (including trio sonatas), about 40 operas (one of his librettists was the famous C. Goldoni), cantata-oratorio works, including spiritual texts. Main historical meaning his creativity is to create a solo instrumental concert.

One of the most sensitive artists of his time, Vivaldi was among the first composers to put forward foreground in art, open emotionality, passion (affect), individual lyrical feeling. Under his undoubted influence, the type of concerto for several soloists (concerto grosso), extremely typical of baroque music, faded into the background in the classical era, giving way to solo concerts. The replacement of a group of soloists by one party was an expression of homophonic tendencies.

It was Vivaldi who developed the structure and thematism of the late Baroque solo concert. Influenced by the Italian opera overture, he establishes a three-movement concert cycle (fast - slow - fast) and arranges the succession of tutti and solo on the basis of the baroque concert form.

The concert form of the Baroque era was based on the alternation of the ritornello ( main theme), repeatedly returning and transposing, with episodes based on new melodic themes, figurative material or motivated development of the main theme. This principle gave it a resemblance to a rondo. The texture is characterized by the contrasts of orchestral tutti and solo, corresponding to the appearance of the ritornello and episodes.

The first parts of Vivaldi's concertos are energetic, assertive, varied in texture and contrasts. The second parts take the listener to the realm of lyrics. Here the song dominates, endowed with the features of improvisation. The texture is predominantly homophonic. The endings are brilliant, full of energy, they complete the cycle in a fast-paced live movement.

Dynamic 3-part cyclic form Vivaldi's concerts expressed the artistic ideals of the art of "well-organized contrast". In their logic figurative development the influence of the general aesthetic concept of the Baroque era is traced, which divided the human world, as it were, into three hypostases: Action - Contemplation - Play.

Solo instrumental concerto by Vivaldi focused on a small composition bowed instruments led by a soloist. It can be cello, viol damour, longitudinal or transverse flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, and even mandolin or shawl. And yet most often the violin performs as a soloist (about 230 concerts). The violin technique of Vivaldi's concertos is diverse: impetuous passages, arpeggios, tremolo, pizzicato, double notes (up to the most difficult decimal stretches), scordatura, the use of the highest register (up to the 12th position).

Vivaldi became famous as an outstanding connoisseur of the orchestra, the inventor of many coloristic effects. Possessing sharp feeling sound color, he freely turned to many instruments and their combinations. He used oboes, horns, bassoons, trumpets, cor anglais not as doubling voices, but as independent melodic instruments.
Vivaldi's music absorbed elements of the colorful Venetian musical folklore, rich in melodious canzones, barcarolles, incendiary dance rhythms. The composer especially willingly relied on the Sicilian, widely used the typical Italian folk dances size 6/8. Often using a chord-harmonic warehouse, he also skillfully used polyphonic development techniques.

Releasing his concertos in series of 12 or 6 pieces, Vivaldi also gave general designations for each of the series: “Harmonic inspiration” (op. 3), “Extravagance” (op. 4), “Zither” (op. 9).

Vivaldi can be called the founder of software orchestral music. Most of his concerts have a specific program. For example: “Hunting”, “Storm at sea”, “Shepherdess”, “Rest”, “Night”, “Favorite”, “Goldfinch”.
Vivaldi's violin concertos very soon became widely known in Western Europe and especially in Germany. The great J.S. Bach "for pleasure and teaching" himself transcribed nine violin concertos by Vivaldi for clavier and organ. Thanks to these musicians, Vivaldi, who had never been to the North German lands, turned out to be in the full sense of the word the “father” of German instrumentalism of the 18th century. Spreading across Europe, Vivaldi's concertos served as examples of the concert genre for contemporaries. Thus, the clavier concerto took shape under the undoubted artistic influence of the violin concerto (a convincing example is ).

One of major representatives Baroque A. Vivaldi went down in history musical culture as the creator of the genre of instrumental concerto, the founder of orchestral program music. Vivaldi's childhood is connected with Venice, where his father worked as a violinist in the Cathedral of St. Mark. The family had 6 children, of which Antonio was the eldest. There are almost no details about the composer's childhood years. It is only known that he studied playing the violin and harpsichord.

On September 18, 1693, Vivaldi was tonsured a monk, and on March 23, 1703, he was ordained a priest. At the same time, the young man continued to live at home (presumably due to a serious illness), which gave him the opportunity not to leave music lessons. For the color of his hair, Vivaldi was nicknamed the "red monk." It is assumed that already in these years he was not too zealous about his duties as a clergyman. Many sources retell the story (perhaps unreliable, but revealing) about how one day during the service, the “red-haired monk” hastily left the altar to write down the theme of the fugue, which suddenly occurred to him. In any case, Vivaldi's relations with clerical circles continued to heat up, and soon he, citing his poor health, publicly refused to celebrate mass.

In September 1703, Vivaldi began working as a teacher (maestro di violino) in the Venetian charitable orphanage "Pio Ospedale delia Pieta". His duties included learning to play the violin and viola d'amore, as well as overseeing the preservation of string instruments and buying new violins. The "services" at the "Pieta" (they can rightly be called concerts) were in the center of attention of the enlightened Venetian public. For reasons of economy, in 1709 Vivaldi was fired, but in 1711-16. reinstated in the same position, and from May 1716 he was already the concertmaster of the Pieta orchestra.

Even before the new appointment, Vivaldi established himself not only as a teacher, but also as a composer (mainly the author of sacred music). In parallel with his work at Pieta, Vivaldi is looking for opportunities to publish his secular writings. 12 trio sonatas op. 1 were published in 1706; in 1711 the most famous collection of violin concertos "Harmonic Inspiration" op. 3; in 1714 - another collection called "Extravagance" op. 4. Vivaldi's violin concertos very soon became widely known in Western Europe and especially in Germany. Great interest in them was shown by I. Quantz, I. Mattheson, the Great J. S. Bach "for pleasure and instruction" personally arranged 9 violin concertos by Vivaldi for clavier and organ. In the same years, Vivaldi wrote his first operas Otto (1713), Orlando (1714), Nero (1715). In 1718-20. he lives in Mantua, where he mainly writes operas for the carnival season, as well as instrumental compositions for the Mantua ducal court.

In 1725, one of the composer's most famous opuses came out of print, bearing the subtitle "The Experience of Harmony and Invention" (op. 8). Like the previous ones, the collection is made up of violin concertos (there are 12 of them here). The first 4 concerts of this opus are named by the composer, respectively, "Spring", "Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter". In modern performing practice, they are often combined into the cycle "Seasons" (there is no such heading in the original). Apparently, Vivaldi was not satisfied with the income from the publication of his concertos, and in 1733 he told a certain English traveler E. Holdsworth about his intention to abandon further publications, since, unlike printed manuscripts, handwritten copies were more expensive. In fact, since then, no new original opuses by Vivaldi have appeared.

Late 20s - 30s. often referred to as "years of travel" (preferred to Vienna and Prague). In August 1735, Vivaldi returned to the post of bandmaster of the Pieta orchestra, but the governing committee did not like his subordinate's passion for travel, and in 1738 the composer was fired. At the same time, Vivaldi continued to work hard in the genre of opera (one of his librettists was the famous C. Goldoni), while he preferred to personally participate in the production. However opera performances Vivaldi special success they didn’t, especially after the composer was deprived of the opportunity to act as director of his operas at the Ferrara theater due to the cardinal’s ban on entering the city (the composer was charged with a love affair with Anna Giraud, his former student, and the refusal of the “red monk” to celebrate mass ). As a result, the opera premiere in Ferrara failed.

In 1740, shortly before his death, Vivaldi went on his last trip to Vienna. The reasons for his sudden departure are unclear. He died in the house of the widow of a Viennese saddler by the name of Waller and was beggarly buried. Soon after his death, the name of the outstanding master was forgotten. Almost 200 years later, in the 20s. 20th century Italian musicologist A. Gentili discovered unique collection composer's manuscripts (300 concerts, 19 operas, spiritual and secular vocal compositions). From this time begins a genuine revival of the former glory of Vivaldi. The music publishing house "Ricordi" in 1947 began to publish the complete works of the composer, and the firm "Philips" recently began to implement an equally grandiose plan - the publication of "all" Vivaldi on record. In our country, Vivaldi is one of the most frequently performed and most beloved composers. The creative heritage of Vivaldi is great. According to the authoritative thematic-systematic catalog of Peter Ryom (international designation - RV), it covers more than 700 titles. The main place in the work of Vivaldi was occupied by an instrumental concerto (a total of about 500 preserved). The composer's favorite instrument was the violin (about 230 concertos). In addition, he wrote concertos for two, three and four violins and orchestra and basso continue, concertos for viola d'amour, cello, mandolin, longitudinal and transverse flutes, oboe, bassoon. More than 60 concertos for string orchestra and basso continue, sonatas for various instruments are known. Of the more than 40 operas (the authorship of Vivaldi in respect of which has been established with certainty), the scores of only half of them have survived. Less popular (but no less interesting) are his numerous vocal compositions - cantatas, oratorios, works on spiritual texts (psalms, litanies, "Gloria", etc.).

Many of Vivaldi's instrumental compositions have programmatic subtitles. Some of them refer to the first performer (Carbonelli Concerto, RV 366), others to the holiday during which this or that composition was first performed (For the Feast of St. Lorenzo, RV 286). A number of subtitles point to some unusual detail of performing technique (in the concerto called "L'ottavina", RV 763, all solo violins must be played in the upper octave). The most typical headings that characterize the prevailing mood are “Rest”, “Anxiety”, “Suspicion” or “Harmonic inspiration”, “Zither” (the last two are the names of collections of violin concertos). At the same time, even in those works whose titles seem to indicate external pictorial moments (“Storm at Sea”, “Goldfinch”, “Hunting”, etc.), the main thing for the composer is always the transmission of the general lyrical mood. The score of The Four Seasons is provided with a relatively detailed program. Already during his lifetime, Vivaldi became famous as an outstanding connoisseur of the orchestra, the inventor of many coloristic effects, he did a lot to develop the technique of playing the violin.

The unique style of Vivaldi revolutionized the European musical world at the beginning of the 18th century. This brilliant Italian made the whole of Europe talk about "great Italian music."

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4, 1678. His father Giovanni Battista (nicknamed "Redhead" for his fiery hair color), son of a baker from Bresci, moved to Venice around 1670. There for some time he worked as a baker, and then mastered the profession of a barber. In his spare time from earning his daily bread, Giovanni Battista played the violin. And he turned out to be such a gifted musician that in

In 1685, the illustrious Giovanni Legrenzi, conductor of the Cathedral of St. Mark, took him to serve in his orchestra.

The first and most famous of the six children of Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, Anto-nio Lucio, was born prematurely due to a sudden earthquake. The boy's parents saw the birth of a new life under such strange circumstances as a sign from above and decided that Antonio should become a priest.

When the future great composer was 15 years old, he was shaved off tonsure (a symbol of the crown of thorns), and on March 23, 1703, twenty-five-year-old Antonio Vivaldi took holy orders. However, he did not feel a sincere desire to be a priest and soon stopped serving Mass. Although, as Carlo Goldoni testifies, all his life Vivaldi read a prayer book every day.

From his father, Antonio inherited not only the color of his hair (quite rare among Italians), but also a serious love for music, especially for playing the violin. Giovanni Battista himself gave his son the first lessons and brought him to his place in the orchestra of the Cathedral of St. Mark. Antonio studied composition, learned to play the harpsichord and the flute. In September 1703, Vivaldi began teaching music at the Ospe-dale della Pieta, an orphanage for girls.

The Ospedale della Pieta shelter (literally, “compassion hospital”) has existed since 1348 and has always been famous for the comprehensive (including musical) education that its pupils received.

F. Guardi. View of the Rialto Bridge from Grand Canal. XVIII century.

Vivaldi was associated with this institution for almost his entire life. It must also be said that the composer's teaching activity was not limited to work as a "maestro di violino" - that is, a violin teacher. Vivaldi gave private lessons to singers, taught to play the viola. In addition, he conducted the orchestra at rehearsals and concerts when there was no chief conductor. And tirelessly wrote music.

First publications

Soon the works of the “red-haired priest” (as Vivaldi Jr. was dubbed by those very Venetian jokers who had previously given the nickname

"Redhead" to his father) gained extraordinary popularity.

In just a few years, Anto-nio Vivaldi became the most famous violin composer in Europe. The following fact testifies to his fame and incredible success: in 1711-1729. twelve collections were published in Amsterdam instrumental music Vivaldi, including Ligo archoxo ("Harmonic Inspiration"), La upi ^ anga ("Whims") and II schkyaNo roeP "arcosha e dueshyupe" ("Experience in Harmony and Fantasy") - a work that includes the famous le quattro 81agyush ("Four seasons" or simply "Seasons"). Subsequently, the creations of Vivaldi were published in

London and Paris - the then publishing centers of Europe.

Secular composer

In 1713, in Vicenza, Vivaldi presented his first opera to the public.

Above: Antonio Vivaldi. Caricature by P. L. Ghezzi. 1723.

Bottom: G. Bella. Feast of the Ascension in Piazza San Marco, Venice.

Chronology of life

1693 Receives tonsure.

1703 Takes the dignity. Enters the Ospedale della Pieta as a violin teacher and composer.

1711 Amsterdam publisher E. Roger publishes the first concerto by Vivaldi from the cycle of Ts^go armonico. The name of the composer is becoming widely known.

1713 Vivaldi's debut at Vicenza as opera composer(with the opera Otgon at the Villa).

1718 Moves to Mantua and enters the service of Prince Philip.

1720 Returns to Venice.

1727 Publication of II Utpekz ssen "ag-gtyusha e sset/enEyupe, containing the famous "Four Seasons".

1730-38 Vivaldi travels extensively in Europe, conducting his works.

1740 Completely abandons the Ospedale della Pieta and leaves for Vienna.

1741 Sudden illness and death of the composer.

After Vivaldi's death, he was almost forgotten. His creative heritage was truly discovered already in the 20th century. Of the 450 concertos known to us today, only about 80 saw the light of day during the composer's lifetime.

The huge number of Vivaldi's works that have come down to us in manuscripts include not only instrumental concertos (for violin, cello, flute, horn, oboe, mandolin, horn, etc.), but also sonatas, cantatas and 48 operas.

"Distillation at the Villa". In the next five years, he published five more operas, which conquered the largest Venetian theaters. Vivaldi rapidly turned from a quite modest "red-haired priest" into a brilliant secular composer.

At the beginning of 1718 he received an invitation to serve as a conductor at the court in Mantua. Here the composer stayed until 1720, that is, until the death of the wife of his employer, Prince Philip. And here, in Mantua, Vivaldi met the singer Anna Giraud, the owner of a beautiful contralto. At first she was his student, then the main performer in his operas, and, finally, to everyone's indignation, she became his mistress.

Returning to Venice, Vivaldi devoted himself entirely to theatrical activities. He tried his hand both as an author and as an impresario. In 1720-1730. Vivaldi is known throughout Italy. His fame reached such proportions that he was even invited to give a concert in front of the Pope himself.

One gets the impression that Vivaldi was constantly traveling and wrote his invariably talented works somewhere on the way from Verona to Mantua. He, however, was not burdened by the nomadic life and was always easy-going. So, in 1738, the composer came to Amsterdam only to conduct the orchestra at the celebration of the centenary of the theater, and a year later he went with Anna Giraud to Graz, where the singer received an engagement for the whole season.

viennese sunset

In 1740, Vivaldi finally abandoned work at the Ospedal della Pieta and went to Vienna, to the court of Emperor Charles VI, his longtime and, importantly, powerful admirer.

Outstanding Works

Concert cycles:

L "estro armonico op. 3 La stravaganza op. 4 II cimento dell" armonia e dell "inven-

zione op. 8 La cetra Op. 9

Six concertos for flute

and string op. 10 Six Violin Concertos

and string op. 11 Six Violin Concertos

and string op. 12

Compositions for orchestra:

Al Santo Sepolcro RV 169 Concerto madrigalesco RV 129

Solo instrumental concerts:

La pastorella for flute RV 95 II sospetto for violin RV 199 L"inquietudine for violin RV 234 II ritiro for violin RV 256 L"amoroso for violin RV 271 II rosignuolo for violin RV 335 L"ottavina for violin RV 763 II Carbonelli for violin RV 366 Concerto for mandolin RV425 Concerto for oboe RV 447 La notte for bassoon RV 501

Double concerts:

Concerto for two mandolins RV 532 Concerto for two trumpets RV 537 Concerto for two oboes

and two clarinets RV 559 Funeral Concerto RV 579

Spiritual music:

Gloria (for soloists

instruments, choir and orchestra)

RV589 Triumphant Judith

(for solo instruments,

choir and orchestra) RV 644

Ottone at Villa RV 729 Truth in the Trial of RV 739

But, alas, the bright plans of the great composer were not destined to come true. Arriving in Vienna, he no longer found the monarch alive. In addition, by this time, Vivaldi's popularity had begun to decline. Public preferences changed, and baroque music quickly found itself on the fringes of fashion.

The sixty-three-year-old musician, never distinguished by good health, could not recover from these blows of fate and fell ill with an unknown disease.

Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741 in Vienna from "internal inflammation" (as it was recorded in the funeral protocol), in the arms of his student and friend Anna Giraud. The funeral of P. Longhi. Concert. were modest: only a few strokes of the bell sounded, and the procession consisted only of people hired to carry the coffin.

The testimonies of contemporaries about the death of Vivaldi have come down to us. One of them is: "Padre Don Antonio

Vivaldi, an incomparable violinist, nicknamed the "red priest", highly valued for his concerts and other compositions, earned 50 thousand ducats during his lifetime, but due to immense extravagance he died in poverty in Vienna.

Four Seasons

Four of his famous concertos for violin, strings and bass continuo, included in cycle II seto s! eII "aggyupia e CeII" ipuepgiope (published in 1722 in Amsterdam), Vivaldi wrote, inspired by four sonnets by an unknown poet, named after the seasons.

The energetic Allegro with which "Spring" begins illustrates the following lines of the corresponding sonnet: "Spring has come, and the birds greet it with joyful singing, and the rivers carry their waters, gently murmuring. Clouds cover the sky with a black cloak, thunder and lightning portend a storm, but soon the birds, as if stopping it, begin their enchanting song again.

The second part - Largo - captivates the listener with a pastoral picture ("And then on a flowering meadow in the sweet rustle of leaves and herbs the shepherd sleeps, and at his feet - a faithful dog"), and the final Allegro resembles a swift village dance ("Nymphs dance to the joyful sounds of bagpipes and the shepherd is dancing, and above them is the clear sky of spring gaining strength”).

N. Poussin. Seasons: Spring, or Earthly Paradise.

N. Poussin. Seasons: Autumn, or the Promised Land.

Allegro pop molto, the first part of "Summer", paints a picture of a hot day and a gathering thunderstorm: "Under the cruel rays of the scorching sun, a person weakens, the herd disperses. The cuckoo cuckoos, the turtle dove sings, a light breeze blows ... and the shepherd cries, for he is afraid of the cruel Boreas and his fate. Adagio is also imbued with this atmosphere of anticipation: "The fear of lightning and harsh thunder, and the angry buzzing of flies and mosquitoes, does not give the weary a rest." A storm finally broke out in Presto: “Ah, alas, it was not in vain that he was afraid: it rumbles, the menacing sky sparkles, it pours downpour, and bends the grass in the fields.”

Adagio molto depicts the "drunk slumber" of the villagers: "The air is so calming that everyone stops singing and dancing... Autumn brings sweet dreams." And in the final Allegro, echoes of the hunt are already heard: “At dawn, the hunter comes out with a horn and dogs. The wild beast is frightened by the noise of firing and the barking of dogs, he is tired, exhausted from running and, hunted, dies.

The last concert of the cycle, "Winter", is the most expressive. Allegro non molto draws a lone traveler to the listener - “In icy shivers, among cold snow, blown strong wind, he wanders, chattering his teeth from the cold. In Largo, the warmth of a heating hearth appears; this part evokes thoughts about how nice it is to “spend calm sweet days by the fireplace when the rain fills the whole world outside the window.” But home peace and comfort are not eternal. The main characters of Allegro are ice and wind. The impetuous passages of the solo violin dramatically complete the concerto and the whole cycle: “People walk slowly on the ice, afraid to fall, stepping carefully. They slip, they fall, they get up again and go... A cruel sirocco is blowing from behind the iron doors. This is winter."

Concertos for wind instruments

Before Vivaldi wind instruments were considered primitive, "ungrateful" for the composer. The ingenious "red-haired priest" proved that this is not so.

Vivaldi was one of the first to turn to composing serious music for wind instruments. The oboe, horn, trumpet and flute sounded in his concerts in a completely new way - as full and harmonious as anyone could have expected. Vivaldi wrote his concerto for two pipes (published in 1729 in Amsterdam), most likely, by order of two trumpeters who wanted to prove to the public that brilliant music can be played brilliantly on the trumpet. This concert really requires remarkable skill from the performer. By the way, he is still a kind of measure of the virtuosity of a trumpeter.

Vivaldi also wrote a lot for bassoon - more than thirty concertos for bassoon and orchestra alone have survived. In addition, the composer used it in almost all chamber concerts.

But Vivaldi gave the greatest preference among wind instruments to the flute - a gentle, "feminine", as they called it, the flute. Possessing an inexhaustible creative imagination, the composer entrusted the flute in his compositions with precisely such parties in which it could sound in full voice, to show all its virtues.

This is especially clearly seen in two concertos for flute and orchestra, published in Amsterdam in 1728. In the first part of the concerto II daks!eHpo ("Goldfinch") the flute, echoing the orchestra, imitates the trills of the goldfinch with surprising accuracy, and in the concerto la pope ("Night") it plunges the listener into a shaky, foggy world of dreams.

F. Guardi. Dancing ladies at the Casino dei Filarmonici.

Concertos for violin and orchestra - "horse" Vivaldi. They amazed and captivated contemporaries. Some saw in them a manifestation of the Divine, others - a devilish charm.

It would not be a big exaggeration to say that it was Vivaldi who created the genre of the concerto. Of course, it existed before him, but it was in his work that it was molded into a finished form, which was subsequently taken as a model by more than one generation. European composers. "brand name"

Vivaldi had a three-chord orchestra at the start of the concerto. The Venetian public, sharp-tongued, called them "Vivaldi's hammer blows."

Cycle 1_"evp-o aggtyupyuo ("Harmonic Inspiration"), published in 1711-1717 in Amsterdam, is one of the most famous concert cycles in the legacy of Vivaldi. Twelve concertos of this cycle gained wide popularity even before they were printed. And with the release of І_ "evp-o agtopiso into the world, the name of the composer became famous throughout Europe. J.S. Bach himself made harpsichord transcriptions for several concertos.

The cycle contains four concertos for four solo violins, four for two, and four for one. By the way, subsequently Vivaldi no longer wrote (with one exception) concertos for four solo violins.

The first listeners of "Harmonic Inspiration" experienced delight and amazement. Those who hear I_ "eygo agtopiso for the first time experience delight and amazement even now. Already today, the researcher wrote about this cycle: “It seems that windows and doors have opened in the luxurious hall of the Baroque era, and free nature has entered with a greeting; music sounds proud majestic pathos, not yet familiar XVII century: the exclamation of a citizen of the world.

A. Visentini. Concert in a small palace (fragment).

Exquisite luxury, splendor and whimsical aesthetics of the Baroque era are fully embodied in the work of the famous Venetian Antonio Vivaldi. He is called the "Italian Bach", and for good reason: over 63 years of his life, the musician wrote about 800 works, including operas, choral works, more than 500 concertos for various instruments and orchestra. A talented innovative composer, virtuoso violinist, brilliant conductor and teacher, he left behind not only a rich creative heritage, but also so many mysteries that many of them have not yet been solved. Even the exact place of his rest is unknown to his descendants. But the extraordinary music of Vivaldi, over whose magnetism time has no power, has been preserved in its original form and today occupies place of honor among the greatest treasures of the world musical art.

Brief biography of Antonio Vivaldi and many interesting facts read about the composer on our page.

Brief biography of Vivaldi

In 1678, in Venice, the son of Antonio was born in the family of the barber Giovanni Battista Vivaldi. IN late XVII century, Venice was the recognized capital of entertainment, a city-festival, where all life passed to the sounds of music, and the house of the future composer was no exception in this sense. The head of the Vivaldi family was so skillful in playing the violin that he was invited to perform as part of the orchestra of St. Mark's Cathedral.

Antonio suffered from a physical ailment from birth - a form of asthma. But of all the six children of Vivaldi, he was most like his father - not only with fiery red hair, rare for the inhabitants of Venice, but most importantly - the ability to hear and feel music. The musical talent of Antonio Vivaldi made itself felt with early childhood. He quickly mastered the game violin and at the age of 10 often performed in the cathedral orchestra instead of his father. And at the age of 13, the boy first tried to compose his own music.

The biography of Vivaldi says that at the age of 15, Antonio's life took a sharp turn - at the insistence of his parents, he chose a career as a clergyman and devoted the next 10 years of his life to the study of church sciences. At the same time, he did not give up music lessons, and by 1703 he not only received the priesthood, but also became famous as a virtuoso violinist. For the color of his hair, he was nicknamed the "red priest", but Vivaldi did not perform church duties for long. Very quickly, he refused to lead masses - according to one version, due to the fact that his health did not allow, according to another, again because of his addiction to music.

Almost immediately after receiving the rank, Vivaldi began working in one of the schools in Venice, "Ospedale della Pieta" - that was the name of the orphanage at the monastery for orphans. "Ospedale della Pieta" became a real cradle for Vivaldi's work. As a violin teacher and choirmaster, he acquired a unique opportunity to implement the most daring and diverse creative ideas. On duty, he had to write a lot of music for the pupils of the school, both spiritual and secular content - cantatas, chorales, oratorios, vocal and symphonic compositions, concerts. The results of such a vigorous and diverse activity quickly made themselves felt - among connoisseurs and connoisseurs of music, the school began to be considered the best in the city.

For the Pieta orchestra, Vivaldi composed more than 450 concertos and often performed solo violin parts himself. Venice has never heard such a violin, which seemed to give rise to sounds from the depths of the human soul.

Very fast popularity young composer stepped far beyond the borders of his native city. Every distinguished guest who comes to Venice considered it his duty to attend the performances of Antonio Vivaldi. In 1705 and 1709, the musician's sonatas were published in separate collections.

But Antonio was already carried away by another idea - to become an opera composer. At that time, the opera was considered the most popular genre among the audience, and Vivaldi, with his inherent determination and indomitable temperament, plunged into a new kind of creativity for him. His operatic debut, Otto at the Villa, staged in 1713, was a resounding success. Vivaldi begins to work at a crazy pace - he manages to create 3-4 operas a year. His fame as an opera composer grows, and Antonio receives an invitation from the Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt, a connoisseur of musical art, who holds the position of governor of Mantua, to become a bandmaster at his court.

In 1721-22, Vivaldi worked in Milan and Rome, continuing to compose new operas.

In his declining years, the composer's affairs were greatly shaken. He decided to return to Venice, hoping to find peace of mind in hometown who applauded him for nearly 40 years. But disappointment awaited him. The music he composed no longer aroused its former delight, the public had new idols. Even in his native conservatory, with which he was associated for 38 years of fruitful work, he was given to understand that his services were not really needed.

According to Vivaldi's biography, in 1740, in search of a way out, the composer went to Vienna, to the court of Emperor Charles VI, his longtime and powerful admirer, in the hope that his talent would be in demand there. But fate prepared another blow for Vivaldi - he did not have time to arrive in Vienna, when Charles VI died. The composer survived his failed patron for a short time. He died on 28 July 1741 and was buried in Vienna in a pauper's grave.

Interesting Facts:

After 1840, many handwritten versions of Vivaldi's works were lost and disappeared from people's memory for a long time. Some of the notes ended up in the hands of his fellow composers, as well as close relatives.

Vivaldi owes his "second birth" to the Italian musicologist Alberto Gentili, who was actively searching for the composer's works. In the 1920s, he heard a rumor about the sale of handwritten scores that were kept in the monastic college in San Martino. Among them, Gentili discovered 14 volumes of Vivaldi's works, still unknown to the public - 19 operas, more than 300 concerts, many spiritual and secular vocalizations.
Searches for the lost works of Vivaldi are ongoing to this day. In 2010, his Flute Concerto was found in Scotland. In 2012, the world recognized his unknown opera Orlando Furioso.
Admirers of Vivaldi's art were famous contemporaries of the musician. Among his listeners were King Frederick IV of Denmark and Pope Benedict.
In a Venetian guide for foreigners dated 1713, Vivaldi's father and son are mentioned as the most skilled violinists among the musicians of Venice.

The most popular image of the composer is considered to be the canvas of the French portrait painter Francois Morelon de la Cave. For the portrait, Antonio had to wear a white wig - the etiquette of those times did not allow men to appear in society without a wig.
"Business card" Vivaldi - a cycle of violin concertos "Seasons"- in the original version it is called "The Four Seasons" "Le quattro stagioni".
Only 40 of the 90 operas mentioned by the composer managed to confirm his authorship.
The epigraphs for the concerts that make up the cycle "The Seasons" are sonnets. Their author is unknown, but it is assumed that they also belong to Vivaldi.
In 1939, the Gloria was revived. It was performed in Siena as part of the "Vivaldi Week", organized by the Italian Alfredo Casella.
The Siena Institute is named after Vivaldi.
The building of the former school "Ospedale della Pieta" currently houses a restaurant and hotel complex.
Vivaldi and Mozart buried in a cemetery in Vienna, where some of the poorest members of the population were buried.

"To the music of Vivaldi" - this is the name of the song of the luminaries of the author's song V. Berkovsky and S. Nikitin to the verses of A. Velichansky. Vivaldi's music in this song text is a symbol of the spiritual harmony of the lyrical hero.
One of the open craters on the planet Mercury is named after the composer.
"Vivaldi Orchestra" - this is the name of the group, the creator of which in 1989 was the violinist and conductor Svetlana Bezrodnaya. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it consists exclusively of women. This is a kind of "remake" of the orchestra of pupils, organized by Vivaldi at the Ospedale della Pieta school at the beginning of the 18th century.
IN famous movie"Pretty Woman" Vivaldi's music, as conceived by the directors, has become one of the illustrations of the world of high society. Vivaldi's "Seasons" sound in the tape - three concerts out of four.

Vivaldi belongs catchphrase: "When one violin is enough, do not use two."
About three years ago, Italian scientists made an amazing discovery - they revealed the so-called "Vivaldi effect". They conducted an experiment, as a result of which it turned out that periodic listening to "The Seasons" strengthens the memory of the elderly.
Swiss figure skater Stéphane Lambiel won a silver medal at the 2006 Turin Olympics, skating to Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

"Girlfriend of the red-haired priest"

There are many "blank spots" in the composer's biography, and his personal life is no exception. His name is closely associated with only one woman - the singer Anna Giraud. The musician met Anna during his work in Mantua. He returned to Venice with her. The famous Venetian playwright K. Goldoni mentions that Vivaldi introduced Anna Giraud to him, calling her his student. But evil tongues quickly dubbed the young singer "the girlfriend of the red-haired priest", and not without reason. The composer clearly favored her, from the moment they met he wrote operas especially for her, and it is Vivaldi who Anna owes her fame opera singer. In addition, Anna, along with her sister Paolina was part of his inner circle, accompanied the composer on all trips, and this gave rise to a bunch of rumors about the fact that the composer leads a lifestyle that is not befitting a clergyman.

There is no direct evidence of their romantic connection. Moreover, Vivaldi fiercely defended Anna's honor, explaining to everyone that due to health problems he needed help, and Anna and Paolina, who was a nurse, only looked after him. In a letter to his patron Bentivoglio dated November 16, 1737, he explained that only friendship and professional cooperation connected them with Anna. The only hint that Anna was still the composer's muse and the lady of his heart is magical music written by him after meeting her. It was then that the cycle “The Seasons”, the concerts “Night”, the masterpiece of sacred music “Gloria” appeared, which immortalized his name.

Whoever Anna is for Vivaldi, we must pay tribute to her - she did not leave the composer at a difficult time for him and was his devoted companion and friend until his last breath.

The role of Vivaldi in the development of world musical art

Vivaldi's influence on the development of musical art extends to a wide range of musical activities, which confirms the uniqueness of creative personality talented composer and virtuoso violinist.

It was thanks to Vivaldi that a performance technique that was completely unique in terms of dramatic intensity was strengthened, which is called “Lombard”, when the duration of the first note was shortened and the next became rhythmically supporting.
The composer's genius Vivaldi came up with the idea of a new genre of solo instrumental concerto.
He put the genre of concerto grosso, an ensemble-orchestral concert, popular in Italy, to a new stage of development, after which he assigned a three-part form and, instead of a group of soloists, singled out a separate solo instrument, endowing the orchestra with an accompaniment function.
Vivaldi's contribution to the evolution of the art of orchestration is enormous - he was the first to introduce oboes, horns, bassoons and other instruments into the orchestra as independent ones.
The undoubted achievement of Vivaldi is that he embodied on stage special kind concertos - for orchestra and violin, and another option - for two and four violins. All in all, in his creative heritage about two dozen such concerts, among them the world's only concerto for two mandolins.

The compositions of Vivaldi had a great influence on the most famous representative of the musical art of the Baroque era - Johann Sebastian Bach. He was seriously interested in and studied in detail the compositions of Vivaldi, actively applied the techniques of the musical language and the symbolism of his predecessor, making their meaning deeper. Some musicologists find undoubted echoes of works in Bach's famous mass in h-moll Italian master compositions. Subsequently, Bach transcribed 6 Vivaldi violin concertos for the clavier, converted 2 more into organ concertos and adapted one for 4 claviers. Ironically, these musical masterpieces for more than 150 years were considered to be composed by Bach.

At the turn of the XIX-XX centuries Austrian composer and musician Fritz Kreisler, a recognized master of stylization, writes a Violin Concerto in C major, to which he subtitles "In the Style of Vivaldi". The huge success accompanying this bright creation of Kreisler, by inertia, aroused interest in the works of Vivaldi, which were thoroughly forgotten. Thus began the victorious return of the famous Venetian and his masterpieces to the musical Olympus. Today, Vivaldi's music is one of the most beloved by violinists around the world.

Great and famous about the work of Vivaldi

Violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov poetically called "The Seasons" "a fresco human life”, since man has to overcome the same path as nature - from birth to death.
According to the Austrian scientist W. Kollender, Vivaldi was several decades ahead of the development of European music in terms of the use of dynamics and purely technical methods of playing the violin.
Vivaldi's ability to write an infinite number of variations on the same musical theme became the basis for a sarcastic remark by I. Stravinsky, who called Vivaldi "a bore, capable of composing the same concerto six hundred times in a row."
“Vivaldi is a celebration of instrumental music, a violin extravaganza. Hehe himself was a virtuoso violinist and knew better than others how to show the mostspectacular in the sound of the violin”, - this is how the modern violinist, the winner of the competition, commented on the work of the great maestro early music in Bruges Dmitry Sinkovsky.

Film biographies:

The personality of the composer has always attracted the attention of filmmakers, who, based on the biography of Vivaldi, shot several films that tell about the life of a musician.

Documentary "4" (2007)
"Viva, Vivaldi" (France, 2000)
"Vivaldi in Vienna" (1979)
"Vivaldi, Prince of Venice" (France, 2006)
"Vivaldi, the red-haired priest" (Great Britain, Italy, 2009)
"Antonio Vivaldi" (USA, Belgium, 2016)

Vivaldi music in films

Work	Movie
Concerto for violin and orchestra in C major	"Mozart in the Jungle" (2015-2016)
"Seasons. Winter"	The Fault in Our Stars (2014), Beta (2014), Hannibal (2013)
"Seasons. Spring"	"Sing" (2016), " secret life Pets (2016), Fantastic Four (2015), Beauty and the Beast (2014), Arrow (2015), Bosch (2015), Castle (2014), House of Lies (2014 ), The Simpsons, Diana: A Love Story (2013), Bob's Diner (2013), Grimm (2012), Madagascar 2 (2008)
"Seasons. Summer"	"Force Majeure" (2014), "Three Nights" (2013), "Hummingbird Effect" (2013), " House of cards"(2013)," And yet Laurence "(2012)
"Seasons. Autumn"	"Marguerite and Julien" (2015), "These people" (2015)
Violin Concerto No. 6	"Agent Carter" (TV series, 2015-2016)
Cello Concerto in C minor	"Love and Friendship" (2016)
Sonata No. 12 "La Follia"	"Casanova" (2015)
Concerto for Strings and Basso Continuo in G Major	"Better Call Saul" (2015)
Concerto for lute and broken strings	"Hotel Grand Budapest" (2014)

The work of Antonio Vivaldi has become the quintessence of all best features and outstanding successes of the Italian musical school. But the fate of the maestro is a vivid illustration of the fact that fame and oblivion in human life go hand in hand. Just 30 years after his death, mention of Vivaldi, even in passing, is not found in any official sources, unlike other Italian composers. And only at the beginning of the 20th century, Vivaldi's music returned to us, touching souls with its sincerity and melody. Today it adorns the repertoires of the most famous orchestras. It took almost two centuries for the world to rediscover the music of the great Venetian and appreciate its magnificence.

Video: watch a film about Vivaldi

The unique style of Vivaldi revolutionized the European musical world at the beginning of the 18th century. The work of Vivaldi is the quintessence of all the best that has been achieved italian art by the beginning of the 18th century. This brilliant Italian made the whole of Europe talk about "great Italian music."

Even during his lifetime, he received recognition in Europe as a composer and virtuoso violinist, who approved a new, dramatized, so-called "Lombard" style of performance. He is known as a composer who is able to create a three-act opera in five days and compose many variations on one theme. He is the author of 40 operas, oratorios, more than 500 concerts. The work of Vivaldi had a huge impact not only on contemporary Italian composers, but also on musicians of other nationalities, primarily German. Here it is especially interesting to trace the influence of Vivaldi's music on J.S. Bach.

Vivaldi wrote music in the Baroque style. The word "Baroque" translated from Italian sounds weird, weird. The Baroque era has its own time limits - this is the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century (1600-1750). The Baroque style influenced not only the fashion of that time, it dominated all art: architecture, painting and, of course, music. Baroque art has a passionate character: splendor, brightness, emotionality.
Vivaldi entered the history of music as the creator of the instrumental concerto genre. It was Vivaldi who gave it the traditional three-part form. Of the three concertos, he also created a work of a larger form, reminiscent of a modern symphony. One of the first works of this kind was his essay The Four Seasons, written around 1725. Truly innovative in concept, the cycle “The Seasons” was significantly ahead of its time, anticipating the search for romantic composers in the field of program music. 19th century.

***
Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice on March 4, 1678. His father Giovanni Battista (nicknamed "Redhead" for his fiery hair color), son of a baker from Bresci, moved to Venice around 1670. There for some time he worked as a baker, and then mastered the profession of a barber. In his spare time from earning his daily bread, Giovanni Battista played the violin. And he turned out to be such a gifted musician that in 1685 the illustrious Giovanni Legrenzi, conductor of the Cathedral of St. Mark, took him to serve in his orchestra.

Vivaldi's house in Venice

The first and most famous of the six children of Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, Antonio Lucio, was born prematurely due to a sudden earthquake. The boy's parents saw the birth of a new life under such strange circumstances as a sign from above and decided that Antonio should become a priest.

From birth, Antonio had a serious illness - a constricted chest, he was tormented by asthma all his life, suffered from asthma attacks, could not climb stairs and walk. But a physical handicap could not affect the inner world of the boy: his imagination truly knew no barriers, his life was no less bright and colorful than others, he just lived in music.

When the future great composer was 15 years old, he was shaved off tonsure (a symbol of the crown of thorns), and on March 23, 1703, twenty-five-year-old Antonio Vivaldi took holy orders. However, he did not feel a sincere desire to be a priest. Once, during a solemn mass, the “red-haired priest” could not wait for the end of the service and left the altar to capture on paper in the sacristy what came to his mind interesting idea about the new fugue. Then, as if nothing had happened, Vivaldi returned to " workplace". It ended with the fact that he was forbidden to serve the mass, which the young Vivaldi, perhaps, was only happy about.

From his father, Antonio inherited not only the color of his hair (rather rare among Italians), but also a serious love for music, especially for playing the violin. Giovanni Battista himself gave his son the first lessons and brought him to his place in the orchestra of the Cathedral of St. Mark. Antonio studied composition, learned to play the harpsichord and the flute.

Among the many palaces and churches that adorned Venice, there was a modest cloister - the Ospedale della Pieta girls' shelter (literally - "compassion hospital"), where in September 1703 Vivaldi began to teach music. All music lovers in Europe considered it an honor to go there and hear the famous orchestra, consisting entirely of orphans. This "musical miracle" was led by Abbot Antonio Vivaldi, who was called Pretro Rosso - the Red Monk, the Red Priest. The nickname betrayed a cheerful disposition and fiery temperament. And all this despite the fact that Maestro Vivaldi was seriously ill all his life and choked when walking.

In 1705, the Venetian publisher Giuseppe Sala published the first collection of sonatas for three instruments (two violins and bass) by Antonio Vivaldi. The next "portion" of Vivaldi's violin sonatas was published four years later by Antonio Bortoli. Soon the writings of the "red-haired priest" gained extraordinary popularity. In just a few years, Antonio Vivaldi became the most famous violin composer in Europe. Subsequently, Vivaldi's creations were printed in London and Paris - the then publishing centers of Europe.

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi

At the beginning of 1718 he received an invitation to serve as a conductor at the court in Mantua. Here the composer stayed until 1720. And here, in Mantua, Vivaldi met the singer Anna Giraud, the owner of a beautiful contralto. At first she was his student, then - the main performer in his operas and, finally, to everyone's indignation, became his mistress.

Mantova

In 1740, Vivaldi finally abandoned work at the Ospedal della Pieta and went to Vienna, to the court of Emperor Charles VI, his longtime and powerful admirer. But the bright plans of the great composer were not destined to come true. Arriving in Vienna, he no longer found the monarch alive. In addition, by this time, Vivaldi's popularity had begun to decline. Public preferences changed, and baroque music quickly found itself on the fringes of fashion.

The sixty-three-year-old musician, who had never been distinguished by good health, could not recover from these blows of fate and fell ill with an unknown disease.

Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741 in Vienna from "internal inflammation" (as it was recorded in the funeral protocol), in the arms of his student and friend Anna Giraud. The funeral was modest: only a few strokes of the bell sounded, and the procession consisted only of people hired to carry the coffin.

After his death, the musical heritage of Antonio Vivaldi was forgotten for almost 200 years. Only in the twenties of the twentieth century, an Italian musicologist accidentally discovered a collection of Vivaldi's manuscripts. It contained 19 operas and more than 300 instrumental compositions, as well as a large number of vocal and sacred music. Since that time, the revival of the former glory of this once widely famous composer.

Popular in category: