Vivaldi Biography/Context Flashcards
When was Vivaldi born?
Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) was a leading Italian composer of the Baroque period.
When was the Baroque Period?
Approximately 1600 to 1750.
Name 2 famous Baroque composers who were contemporaries to Vivaldi.
He was a contemporary of the great German-born composers J.S. Bach and Handel.
What was the main instrument Vivaldi played?
Vivaldi was a virtuoso violinist and he would have been the soloist in many of the first performances of his works.
Where did Vivaldi live for most of his life?
He was born in Venice and spent most of his working life there.
What types of musical works did Vivaldi write during his life?
He wrote church music and more than 40 operas, though he is best known today for his music for string orchestra, including his Four Seasons set of concertos for solo violin and orchestra.
What was the ‘Ospedale della Pieta’ and how is it significant to Vivaldi?
In 1703 Vivaldi was appointed as violinist at the Ospedale della Pietà, an orphanage in Venice. He eventually became the musical director and worked there on and off for over 30 years. He developed a renowned orchestra for the orphaned girls.
Who did the orchestra of the ‘Ospedale della Pieta’ perform to and why is it interesting as a piece of social history/historical geography?
It is thought that the orchestra performed in an inner courtyard upstairs behind screens, while the audience of well-to-do Venetians listened below.
What type of musical work were Vivaldi’s first 2 published pieces of music and why is this significant for the Concerto in D Minor?
His first two published sets of instrumental music were trio sonatas (works for two violins and continuo). The concerto in D minor uses the format of a trio sonata as well.
Which compositions earned him a reputation across Europe?
His opus 3 set of 12 concertos (‘L’estro armonico’), published in Amsterdam in 1711, established his reputation across Europe. Bach arranged several of the concertos, some for harpsichord and orchestra and others for solo organ.
Why were Vivaldi’s ‘L’estro armonico’ (which concerto in D minor comes from) so significant?
Earlier sets of concertos, such as those of the great Italian master Corelli, had all been for the standard concerto grosso format of a trio sonata group with string orchestra and continuo. This new set helped establish the new idea of the solo violin concerto, but it was also experimental in its instrumentation in other ways, such as the concerto in B minor for 4 violins!!
