Composer Antonio Vivaldi – who has not heard at least one of his works? The famous “Seasons” thunder through conservatories all over the world several centuries after his death, and he wrote many other equally important musical masterpieces. Vivaldi’s music touches the most delicate strings of the soul, enveloping the listener and immersing him in a world of dreams. They say that through the great musicians the music itself speaks with the world, and, judging by this composer, there is some truth in this.
The future composer was born prematurely for two months, because of which he suffered all his life. Because of the narrow, not fully developed chest, he regularly suffered from suffocation and could not bear physical exertion. It was hard for him to even climb stairs. or walk. In those years, wigs were among the high society, so most of the portraits of Antonio Vivaldi are depicted in this form, with a wig on his head. But his hair was actually a bright red color. Vivaldi’s father was a fairly famous musician. It was he who instilled in his son a love of music, and he became his first teacher. Antonio Vivaldi in his youth tried to become a priest, but he was removed from the church service, when he suddenly went to the sacristy during the mass to record the tune that came to his head, before he forgot it. Released in 1713, the Venice guide mentions the best violinists – Antonio Vivaldi and his father. And indeed, at one time they enjoyed loud fame as musicians. Not as loud as Paganini, but still.
It is not known exactly at what age Vivaldi began to compose music. The earliest of his works, preserved to our times, were written by him at the age of thirteen. The famous Johann Sebastian Bach shifted some of Vivaldi’s works to music for other instruments. Subsequently, for almost a century and a half, it was believed that Bach wrote these works. Once Vivaldi was convicted of appropriating thirty golden ducats for himself – a considerable amount. He had to buy a harpsichord at the conservatory, and received sixty ducats for the purchase. He bought the harpsichord for half the money, and just appropriated the rest. When it came to light, they demanded that he be brought to court, but the well-known name helped him to get out of this story. At one time, Antonio Vivaldi was the leader of the choir at the church conservatory. Later there he took the place of the conductor. Vivaldi knew how to sing. In addition to music, he also taught vocals. Working in the theater, he wrote operas and put them on stage himself. He also continued to write music and at the same time give lessons in music skills. Such a busy schedule is all the more surprising given the composer’s physical weakness.
It was he who became the first person in history to create a concert for violin and orchestra. Nowadays, this is a very popular format. Throughout his life, Vivaldi staged more than 450 concerts on the stage of the conservatory, where he spent most of his life. Famous during his lifetime, at sunset, Antonio Vivaldi was forgotten by the public. He died a lonely and impoverished man, and only after many years the deserved glory returned to him. During the course of his life, he wrote about 90 operas, but his authorship was proven for certain only in 40 cases.
