Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 -
1741).Biography:Antonio Lucio
Vivaldi was born in Venice,
the capital of the Republic
of
Venice. He was baptized
immediately at his home by
the
midwife. It is not known how
the life of the infant was in
danger, but the immediate
baptism was most likely due
to
his poor health or to
more

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 -
1741).Biography:Antonio Lucio
Vivaldi was born in Venice,
the capital of the Republic
of
Venice. He was baptized
immediately at his home by
the
midwife. It is not known how
the life of the infant was in
danger, but the immediate
baptism was most likely due
to
his poor health or to an
earthquake that shook the
city
that day. Vivaldi's official
church baptism (at least, the
rites which remained other
than the actual baptism
itself) did not take place
until two months later. His
father, Giovanni Battista, a
barber before becoming a
professional violinist,
taught
him to play violin and then
toured Venice playing the
violin with his young son.
Giovanni Battista was one of
the founders of the Sovvegno
dei musicisti di Santa
Cecilia, a sort of trade
union
for musicians and composers.
The president of the
association was Giovanni
Legrenzi, the maestro di
cappella at St. Mark's
Basilica and noted early
Baroque composer. It is
possible that the young
Antonio's first lessons in
composition were imparted by
him. The Luxembourgish
scholar
Walter Kolneder sees in the
early liturgical work
Laetatus
sum (RV Anh 31, written in
1691, at the age of 13) an
influence of Legrenzi's
style.
His father may have been a
composer himself: in 1688 an
opera titled 'La Fedeltà
sfortunata' was composed by a
Giovanni Battista Rossi, and
this was the name under which
Vivaldi's father had joined
the Sovvegno di Santa Cecilia
('Rossi' for 'Red', because
of
the colour of his hair, a
family trait).Vivaldi had a
medical problem which he
called the tightening of the
chest (probably some form of
asthma). His medical problem,
however, did not prevent him
from learning to play the
violin, composing or taking
part in many musical
activities. However, he could
not play wind instruments due
to his lack of breath. At the
age of 15 (1693), he began
studying to become a priest.
In 1703, at the age of 25,
Vivaldi was ordained a
priest,
and soon nicknamed Il Prete
Rosso, 'The Red Priest',
probably because of his red
hair.Not long after his
ordination, in 1704, he was
given a dispensation from
celebrating the Holy Mass
because of his ill health.
From that point onward he
appears to have withdrawn
from
active practice, but did
remain a priest.Cessate omai
cessate (RV 684):1.
Aria:Nell'orrido albergo,
ricetto di pene,Potrò il
mio
tormento sfogare
contento,Potrò ad alta
voce
chiamare spietataDorilla
l'ingrata, morire
potrò.Andrò d'Acheronte
sù
la nera sponda,Tingendo
quest'onda di sangue
innocenteGridando vendetta,Ed
ombra baccante vendetta
farò.1. Aria:In this grim
refuge, abade of pain,I may
give free went my torment,I
may louedly call the
ungrateful Dorillamerciless,
and I may die.I go to the
black shores of
Acheron,dyeing
its floods with innocent
blood,crying for vengeance,
and shall then,as a raging
shade, take revenge on
her.Ensemble 415.Andreas
Scholl (Countertenor).Dir.
Chiara Banchini.

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Tags Antonio, Vivaldi, Cessate, RV, 684, Ensemble, 415, Chiara, Banchini