After the first leave of one month’s absence, the composer often left the institution for longer or shorter periods, but he invariably returned, even though he must surely have been offered posts that would have been more lucrative and carried more prestige. In any case, from 1713 on, a peculiar indecisiveness between his position at the Ospedale and his life as an operatic composer can be felt. But it may be supposed that Vivaldi was also very conscious of the antithesis between the world of musical theatre and that of musica da chiesa e camera, and he may also perhaps have suffered from this division of his attention. Vivaldi’s extensive operatic works-we know of 48 dramatic stage works by him - were certainly born of the urge for wide social recognition. In this connection Vivaldi would feel an inner liberation from the relatively strict confines of his activity in the seminary, and besides he apparently very quickly developed a certain skill in the business side of operatic life.
#WHEN DID ANTONIO VIVALDI DIE SERIES#
With the composer’s second opera, Orlando finto pazgo, was begun in 1714 an evidently very successful series of performances of his stage works in Venice for it comprised no less than eight operas in five years, including two in each of the years 17. For instance in 1713 he had even taken a month’s leave, apparently for the premier of his first opera, Ottone in villa, which took place that year in Vicenza. But the real reason should be sought in the fact of Vivaldi’s turning to the theatre. Perhaps it was denied him on account of the precarious state of his health, or maybe an older and more experienced master was preferred for the directorship. It is surprising that Vivaldi was not called upon to take up this position. So Vivaldi became the official house composer, particularly since Dall’Olio, Gasparini’s successor as director of the course, was hardly forthcoming creatively. In 1713 Gasparini took a long sick leave, never to return to his post. II.Īt this time changes of personnel came about at the Ospedale which had a favourable effect on Vivaldi’s creative activities. On this occasion Vivaldi was probably presented to the guest, to whom he dedicated his twelve violin sonatas, Op.
Thus in 1709 Frederick I V of Denmark was in Venice and attended the performance of an oratorio at the Ospedale della Pieta. In fact, the city was at that time a centre of international tourist traffic at least as important as it is today, and the many princely personages, great and small, from Northern and Western Europe, bringing their entourages to visit the city of lagoons, never failed to hear Vivaldi’s concerts. At that time the young master’s reputation began to be firmly established in his home town, and was gradually spreading abroad too, fostered by foreign visitors to Venice. However Vivaldi’s father, whose name appeared together with his son’s in a ‘visitors’ guide to Venice’ of 1713 as one of 1713 as one of the city’s best violinists, must have been more than a capable orchestral violinist, and was evidently very well equipped to guide his pupil through to the highest grades of violin-playing.įor his first years as violin teacher at the Ospedale della Pieta we must imagine him as having been industrious in his activity as a pedagogue and composer the institution’s administrators soon acknowledged his successes: in 1708 he was given a pay rise, and in 1711 Vivaldi stepped into a vacated position which held a secure yearly wage.
Conversely there is also no support for the supposition that in addition to his stay in Rome Somis studied composition with Vivaldi in Venice. No proof could be given either for a period of study with Somis in Turin, such as has likewise been suggested. Besides, Corelli’s works, came out in print in Venice immediately after their appearance in Rome, and were thus well known there. However, no evidence has been found for any period of study with Corelli, although it would explain the strikingly long interval of three years that elapsed between his deacon-ship and his priesthood – one year being the minimum time prescribed by the Church. Vivaldi’s virtuoso playing of the violin as well as many stylistic echoes of Corelli, particularly in the early sonatas, have given rise to conjectures that he was actually a pupil of that master in Rome, where Somis studied with him in 1703.
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