VeniceVenice

Venice was founded in CE 421 on April 25th, St.Mark's day (the patron saint of Venice)

The original Basilica St. Mark's was begun in CE 834 but burned down

Marco Polo traveled from Venice to China

Giacomo Casanova was born in 1725 in Venice

VeniceVenice

Why is Venice famous? Exotic mix of natural beauty,

architecture, pageant, and self-importance

– Opera– Film festivals

No individual could be more important than the city

– Doge - chief magistrate - elected for life -Sebastiano Mocenigo (reigned 1722–1732) - Le quattro stagioni was composed in 1725

VeniceVenice

The nobility made the decisions– Clothing– Who could leave the city– No one must discredit the place– No individual could become more important than the

city– They looted and hoarded items to “dress up” the city– Smuggled in the remains of St. Mark– Beggars were expelled unless licensed– The shipbuilding area became one of the first

“industrial” areas with 16,000 fixed wage workers in on-site housing, locked there for life

VIVAVIVALDI

VIVAVIVALDI

The most remarkable violinist-composer was Antonio Vivaldi

–Composed more than 450 concertos–40 operas–solo, chamber, and vocal works

Timeline of Vivaldi's LifeTimeline of Vivaldi's Life

•1678 -- born March 4, Venice (day of an earthquake which may have contributed to his aesthmatic condition)•1685-1703 -- Vivaldi studies to become a priest•1703 -- ordained a priest, accepted a position as maestro di violino and chaplain at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice•1705-1709 -- published works at the Pietà while teaching•1709 -- lost his position as maestro di violino because position was discontinued; continued to compose•1711-1716 -- retained his former position at the Pietà; 1715 -- given special recognition for his composition of vocal works for the Pietà•1716 -- appointed to the position of maestro de' concerti and received a pay increase•1718-1720 -- took his opera to Mantua and stayed•1723 -- asked to compose and direct two new concertos every month for the Pietà, teaching position there is a memory, he travels too much•1724 -- Anna Giraud's debut in Venice•1725-1729 -- works published including six flute concertos, twelve concertos, a serenata, and his opus 9 La cetra•1729-1730 -- in Germany•1731 -- back to Italy•1732-1739 -- travels to Verona, Amsterdam, and Ferrara, where he was forbidden entry by the Cardinal into the city to direct his opera Cantone in Utica•1739 -- opera Feraspe last opera written by Vivaldi; his vocal and instrumental compositions purchased by the Pietà•1740 -- moves to Vienna and tries to make a living unsuccessfully by selling his concertos•1741 -- dies from an internal inflammation and is buried in a pauper's grave

Born Venice, March 4, 1678 Father was barber turned violinist who played

in St. Mark’s orchestra

Antonio also became an outstanding violinist He began religious studies age 15, ordained in

1703– Why?

He was excused from liturgical duties– failed to finish saying Mass

» Why?

Retired from clerical duties 1705

Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

Known as “the red priest”– Why?

His first known musical activity was in 1696 as an extra violinist at St. Mark’s

Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

Ospedali (hospitals)Ospedali (hospitals)

Four ospedali were created to gather up all the abandoned or terminally ill children

– A contributing factor being the 20,000 active prostitutes

One of the four Ospedali, the Pieta, for orphaned girls, served the entire city. The remaining three served the shipbuilding (Arsenal) workers

This Ospedale was in fact a home for the female children of noblemen and their mistresses

It was well endowed by the "anonymous" fathers; its furnishings were opulent, the young ladies were well looked-after, and the musical standards among the highest in Venice

The PietaThe Pieta

The girls in the Pieta (up to 6,000) lived in closed communities and were used for lace-making, textile manufacturing, hat production, silk laundry work and domestic work

Staffed by nuns and priests, the school also employed distinguished musicians

The school hoped to find husbands for the girls but many never married and stayed at the school to develop their musical skills

They were provided a superior education The most talented students received training

similar to conservatory studies and many became virtuoso performers

Antonio Vivaldi 1678-1741Antonio Vivaldi 1678-1741

In 1703 Vivaldi was appointed to the faculty of the Ospedale della Pieta and became its music director and conductor in 1716

Concerts were among the premier music events in Venice

Vivaldi began at the Pieta as a violin instructor

– active as a composer– began to cultivate the concerto

The impression he made with his music, his students, and the concerts resulted in his promotion to the post of maestro dei concerti

He achieved international reputation with the publication of L’estro armonico “The Inspiration of Harmony” (a set of 12 concertos)

Vivaldi’s music became very popular and was even arranged by Bach

Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

His operas were very popular at the time Vivaldi enjoyed life and money, expensive

clothing, luxurious accommodations, and was the source of scandalous rumors

– He became friends with the singer Anna Giraud and she moved in him

– Italian playwright Carlo Goldoni described Vivaldi and Giraud: » "This priest, an excellent violinist but a mediocre

composer, has trained Miss Giraud to be a singer. She was young, born in Venice, but the daughter of a French wigmaker. She was not beautiful, though she was elegant, small in stature, with beautiful eyes and a fascinating mouth. She had a small voice, but many languages in which to harangue."

Vivaldi stayed together with her until his death.

Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

Vivaldi traveled extensively, played violin for the Pope, and produced operas at leading theaters

In the 1730’s his operas began to fail In 1738 his contract with the Pieta was not

renewed In 1740 he resigned and left Venice for Vienna

where he planned to work under the patronage of Charles VI

By his death on July 28, 1741 Anna Giraud returned to Venice, where she died

in 1750 His music fell into obscurity As Vivaldi served no more purpose to the city of

Venice, he was “removed” from its history

Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

In the 19th century a Bach scholar discovered 17 of Bach’s compositions were actually composed by Vivaldi

In 1926 - a Salesian friar from a small monastery discovered 100 volumes of musical scores from the early 18th century

Sold to the Turin Nat. Library to finance repairs

Most by Vivaldi It was the composer’s personal autograph

collection Half of a larger collection - the remaining

located in Genoa This restored Vivaldi to the world

Antonio Vivaldi 1678 - 1741

SummarySummary

Three kinds of musical institutions with which Vivaldi associated:

– The Church, especially St. Mark’s– the “Pieta”– the theater

The Concerto– more than 450 composed

The Baroque period saw the birth of concert music Advances in instrument making - the violin makers

and woodwind makers - gave rise to the orchestra– Italian violin makers

» Nicolo Amati 1596 - 1684» Antonio Stradivari 1644 - 1737» Giuseppe Bartolomeo Guarneri 1698 - 1744

– oboe, bassoon, transverse flute

The Four SeasonsThe Four Seasons

The concertos– fast - slow - fast– ritornello– virtuoso passages featuring his solo instrument– expressive arias for solo instrument

The concerto is the perfect form for technical display

Vivaldi published six major collections, four have programmatic titles

“The Four Seasons” is the best-known set– pub. 1725 as part of a collection of 12 concertos known

as “The Contest Between Harmony and Invention”– “program” music

Vivaldi also provided a detailed written program

Vivaldi: “The Four Seasons”–Concerto No. 1 in E “La primavera”

–Concerto No. 2 in G minor “L’estate”

–Concerto No. 3 in F “L’autunno”–Concerto No. 4 in F minor “L’inverno”

La primavera (Spring)La primavera (Spring)

Concerto No. 1 in E “La primavera” I. Spring has come and joyfully

the birds welcome it with cheerful song,and the streams at the breath of zephyrsflow swiftly with sweet murmurings.

But now the sky is cloaked in blackand thunder and lightning announce themselves;when they die away, the little birdsturn afresh to their sweet song.

Kennedy

Loussier

La primavera (Spring)La primavera (Spring)

II. Then on the pleasant flower-strewn meadow,to the gentle rustle of the leaves and branches,the goatherd rests, his faithful dog at his side

Kennedy

Loussier

La primavera (Spring)La primavera (Spring)

III. To the rustic bagpipe’s gay sound,nymph and shepherd dance beneaththe fair spring sky in all its glory.

Kennedy

Loussier

Jacques Loussier Trio

– Telarc CD-83417

Nigel Kennedy

– EMI CDC 549557

The Baroque Concerto

CriticismCriticism

“Vivaldi played a solo accompaniment. . . But I cannot say it pleased me, for it was not so pleasant to listen to as it was skillfully performed.”

– Johann von Uffenbach, 1715

TerminologyTerminology

Concerto Opera Chamber music Conservatory Transcription