Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest

Born: March 4, 1678 Venice
Died: July 28, 1741 Vienna

Antonio Vivaldi was born at a time when Venice was the music capital of Europe. His father Giovanni was a barber and part-time violinist at the famous St. Mark's Cathedral. Antonio, the oldest of nine children, showed exceptional promise on the voilin at an early age, and soon father and son were playing duets on the violin together all over Venice, much like Mozart would do later.

In 1693, however, at the age of 15, Antonio entered the seminary to begin his studies toward the priesthood. Evidently he did this with much reluctance, for it was known that he had musical aspirations instead; however, he submitted to probably parental authority, as at that time if there was a priest in the family the education of the younger siblings was free of charge. It was during this time at the seminary that he acquired his nickname the "Red Priest" because of his flaming red hair. It was known that he often excused himself during the middle of a Mass to write down his musical ideas in the back of the sacristy!

Ordained into the priesthood in 1703, he was soon thereafter excused from saying Mass because of asthma caused by the incense. Although he remained a priest on record, he never again said Mass. Instead, he was assigned as superintendent and teacher of the Conservatorio dell'Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, founded for the care and music eduation of orphan girls and famous for its high musical standards. (Although known as "orphans", in reality most of the young girls there were the illegitimate daughters of Italian noblemen, who donated most generously to the Conservatory.) Thus relieved of his priestly duties, Vivaldi was free to concentrate on his music once again.

He was evidently a wonderful teacher. He insisted on the girls playing all the instruments in the orchestra, even those considered less than feminine, which raised some Ventian eyebrows initially but won the hearts of his students. Soon, though, his older students were doing all the daily teaching for him, leaving him to concentrate on composing and performing. He was a prolific composer, as he was obligated to provide the Conservatory with new music for the girls each year, as well as a new opera. His presence was not even required. He thus built his European reputation from this base, and was soon traveling and performing all over Europe.

Known for his fiery temper and a total lack of regard for finances and manners, the Red Priest soon earned the respect and admiration of nobility and other composers. The common people liked his music as well, for there was a joy in his music that was uncommon for the time, and a memorable melody which could be hummed afterward. His compositions were especially popular in France, where it was said that King Louis XV would order Vivaldi's "Spring" (from The Four Seasons) to be performed at the most unexpected moments. Vivaldi receved many commissions for further compositions from the court at Versailles.

Many of Vivaldi's compositions reflect a flamboyant, almost playful, exuberance. His music was innovative for the time, giving a brightness and rhythmic structure to the concerto and helping to transform Baroque music into a classical style. Johann Sebastian Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi's concertos and arias, and transcribed a number of his compositions. His most famous work, The Four Seasons, is a tone poem written to accompany four sonnets ("Spring", "Summer", "Fall", and "Winter") also written by Vivaldi. His allusions are colorful and perfect for sonic description: Spring greets us with a profusion of birds, gentle breezes; Summer brings terrible heat, buzzing insects and a violent storm; Fall a harvest celebration and a hunt; and Winter chattering teeth, stamping feet, slipping on ice, a warm inside fire and, for a zesty conclusion, a howling windstorm. This was incredibly avant-garde and unknown at the time. Vivaldi clearly poured his heart and soul into this work.

In 172O Vivaldi made the acquaintance of a young singer, Anna Giraud (or Giro) and her sister, Paolina, both of whom soon moved in with him. Still officially a priest, he maintained that Anna was no more than a housekeeper and good friend. However, the rumors persisted and led to action against him by Church authorities in the 1730s. She remained with him until his death.

After this Vivaldi's popularity in Venice began to wane, and in 1740 he left for Vienna, accompanied as always by the Giro sisters. Ill and poverty-stricken, he died the next year from asthma complications.

This incredibly prolific composer was almost unheard of until the 1950s, when his recently discovered works began to gain publicity. A film inspired by his life is supposedly due out at the end of 2008.