Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, born on 4 March 1678 in Venice, Italy, was perhaps best known as a composer of the Baroque period. He was also a priest, nicknamed Il Prete Rosso ("The Red Priest") and an accomplished violinist. Vivaldi's composing style had considerable influence on other famous composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach. Vivaldi wrote 46 operas and hundreds of concertos, as well as sinfonias, sonatas, chamber music, sacred music, and one of his best known works, The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni), in which he attempted to capture the moods of the four seasons through his music. Vivaldi died on 28 July 1741 in Vienna.

Vivaldi had a huge impact on Baroque music. Although Baroque music is usually associated with Bach or Handel, Vivaldi was one of the epitomized composers. His music is basically what Baroque music is about.

Vivaldi wrote 2 concertos for the lute as well as 2 trio sonatas for lute and violin. Concerto for Lute and 2 Violins in D Major, RV 93 Concerto for Viola d'Amore and Lute in D Minor, RV 540

The Four Seasons is usually performed with a solo violin and string orchestra (violins, violas, celli, double basses and a harpsichord). Vivaldi's original arrangement was for solo violin with string quartet (violin, viola, cello) and basso continuo (cello or double bass and harpsichord or other chord instrument).

The style of music Antonio Vivaldi played was Baroque music which he turned into a classical style.

Nah Bro

no

Ritornello

Vivaldi is best known for his composition of The Four Seasons.

From 1997 to about 2003 they were imported by a firm in Los Angeles and they were pretty good violins. They were hand crafted from mahogany but the violins vary depending on the person that made them. Some are much better then others.

On the bottom end you'll get a student model that is probably worth around $500-$600, which is what they sold for. Some of them were exceptional and worth several hundred more.

I am judging this based on about 1,000 violins that I personally set up and made ready for market. I made a habit of collecting the best of them for myself and reselling them because of all the china violins, they were about the best, low cost violin out there.

If you are buying one today (2012) and can find one from 10 years back or more, you're probably going to get a really great instrument. Be sure that all the joinery is together and that there is no warping. If the instrument as been taken care of, the wood will have dried out nicely by now and the instrument will be worth at least what it was worth new.

The smaller sizes are also very nice instruments compared to most smaller violins. Any small violin will sound more like a box then a violin so don't expect the world. Once you get down to 1/4 or smaller, you're really buying an instrument that is a fingering trainer more then a sound maker. In the case of the small instruments, be sure the action is set correctly and don't spend more then $200 on any instrument. Originally, the Vivaldi 1/4 and 1/8 etc were about $350 new. They were probably worth it but used I would suggest you don't pay more then $150-$200 condition dependent.

The Antonio Vivaldi violins are not the only good violin made in China. The name is not what you are looking for. You're looking for the quality of the wood and how the instrument resinates. Play the thing and if it sounds like a good violin, it probably is. The glue used these days usually holds together forever. The real problem with cheap violins are the bows. Get a quality bow and most violins will sound ok.

That being said, there are a flood of garbage violins on the market that are priced $200 and under at places like musiciansfriend.com and similar. Those should be avoided by all but the families that just can't afford anything else. They make sound but its not a good one. They don't have the action to train fingers and the bows are worthless. For $200, you can't expect much - and you won't get it either.

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy

63 years (1678-1741)

In pop culture? Short answer: no.

Though elements of vlasdical music in background teacks have become rather popular.

In the classical world, also yes. Vivaldi composed timeless pieces that are still performed throughout the world.

His father was a barber and then became a musician.

I like Antonio Vivaldi songs it makes me calm and happy.

Vivaldi wrote 46 operas and hundreds of concertos, as well as sinfonias, sonatas, chamber music, sacred music, and one of his best known works, The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni), in which he attempted to capture the moods of the four seasons through his music.

because he had red hair and he was a priest

Antionio Vivaldi did not have any children. This was because he was an ordained priest and did not have a wife.

Nobody really knows, as much of Vivaldi's work is undated. Paul Everett has attempted to date them in a book entitled Dating Vivaldi's Manuscripts: An Adventure of Discovery.
The first collection, Trio Sonatas, was published in 1703-5 approximately. So, not an entirely satisfying answer, but the book may shed more light.

Although he was very famous as a Violin Virtuoso and composer, his popularity waned shortly before his death in 1741 and (yes) he died in poverty.......

200 years later, he became very popular again!

Died in Vienna on July 28th 1741 "of internal fire" (probably the asthmatic bronchitis from which he suffered all his life) and, like Mozart fifty years later, received a modest burial.

Vivaldi wrote one violin concerto five hundred times, as it goes.

in his 20s

Vivaldi was born to Giovanni Battista Vivaldi and Camilla Calicchio. He had five siblings, a brother, Francesco Gaetano, and four sisters, Zanetta Anna, Margarita Gabriela, Cecilia Maria, and Bonaventura Tomaso.

March 4, 1678 - July 28, 1741