Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (March 4,
1678 – July 28, 1741),
nicknamed il Prete Rosso ("The
Red Priest") was an Italian
Baroque composer, priest, and
virtuoso violinist, born in
Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as
one of the greatest Baroque
composers, and his influence
during his lifetime was
widespread over Europe.
Vivaldi is known mainly for
composing instrumental
concertos, especially for the
violin, as well as sacred choral
works and over 40 operas. His
best known work is a series of
violin concertos known as The
Four Seasons.
Many of his compositions were
written for the female music
ensemble of the Ospedale della
Pietà, an orphanage for poor
and illegitimate children where
Vivaldi worked between 1703
and 1740. Vivaldi also had
some success with stagings of
his operas in Venice, Mantua
and Vienna. After meeting the
Emperor Charles VI, Vivaldi
moved to Vienna hoping for
preferment. The Emperor died
soon after Vivaldi's arrival, and
the composer died a pauper,
without a steady source of
income.
Though Vivaldi's music was
well received during his
lifetime, it later declined in
popularity until its vigorous
revival in the first half of the
20th century. Today, Vivaldi
ranks among the most popular
and widely recorded Baroque
composers.
