Vivaldi Essay

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The lives of composers have interested people for as long as music has been introduced to the human civilization. Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most influential composers of his time. Vivaldi’s early life, musical career, later life and death all lead to him being recognized as one of Europe’s most renowned figures in classical music during the 17th and 18th century.
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born to his parents, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio, on March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy. His father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, started working as a barber, but eventually became a professional violinist. Camilla Calicchio was the daughter of a tailor, and married Giovanni Vivaldi in 1676. Antonio was the oldest of nine children. His father taught him to be a violinist and took young Vivaldi on a tour of Venice playing the violin, similar to himself and Mozart (Kolneder 153).
In 1693, at the age of 15, Vivaldi entered a life of priesthood at the local churches of S Geminiano and S Giovanni in Oleo, while still living with his parents. Through his priesthood, Antonio Vivaldi was granted the nickname, il Pete Rosso or “Red Priest,” due to his red hair. He became an ordained priest in the year of 1703. Antonio Vivaldi’s career in the clergy was a short one. His health problems prevented him from delivering mass (Heller 39). Vivaldi’s health problems led to him to abandon the priesthood soon after he became ordained.
Howerton 2
Immediately after leaving priesthood, Vivaldi became maestro di violino at a home for abandoned, orphan and needy children called Pio Ospedale della Pietà (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice. The Pietà specialized in teaching music to girls who showed a natural ability in music. Vivaldi was in charge...

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... has been a long period of rediscovery where researchers are finding and celebrating his work. Antonio Vivaldi’s music, along with Wolfgang Mozart’s, Pyort Tchaikovsky’s, and Arcangelo Corelli’s have been included in many studies to see the effects of music on human behavior. The music is also used very often in music therapy.
Antonio Vivaldi is given credit for inventing the newest themes of nearly any composer in history, and he was able to make music that was entirely made for many different classes of society. Others have said, and most agree, that the music he wrote reflects the joy he took in composing. The spirit of his music is one of the major reasons it has become so extremely popular and remains outstandingly well respected today. Though he did not die a wealthy man, his music shaped musical compositions created from then to modern music heard today.

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