(4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741)

Student: Nebojsa Vidic

Born in VeniceAccomplished composer, virtuoso violinist

and Catholic priestNicknamed ‘il Prete Rosso’ (the red priest)

because of his hair Recognized as one of the greatest Baroque

composers

His father Giovanni Battista, who was a barber before becoming a professional violinist, taught Antonio to play the violin and then toured Venice playing the violin with his young son.

Because of his weak health as a child, his mother wanted him to become a priest, so that God would watch over him

Being a priest influenced him greatly, for most of his compositions were religious pieces

At the age of 25, he got the job at an orphanage called the Pio Ospedale della Pietà (Devout Hospital of Mercy) in Venice. Here, he worked for almost 30 years, composing and performing with the orphans’ choir and orchestra

As a profitable ‘side-job’ Vivaldi got into writing operas. His first opera that he fully wrote (Arsilda, regina di Ponto) was banned by censors because the main character, Arsilda, falls in love with another woman. Later, the opera proven to be a great success.

Around 1725, Vivaldi wrote ‘The Four Seasons’ (Le quattro stagioni), his most famous work

Few years later, he got into financial problems because his Baroque style got out of fashion

Died in Vienna in July 1741, aged 63, and buried at a public cemetery

Four Seasonshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Concerto for Two Violins in A Minorhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-RTI-H2oI

Stormhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N00XKtROddc