Antonio Vivaldi and the Women of Pieta

In Venice during this time there were four orphanages. These orphanages or ospedales were for orphaned, deserted, unlawful, or poor young girls and women. The most famous was the Pio Ospedale della Pieta`. Vivaldi was hired as the violin teacher at the Pieta` in 1703, the same year he was ordained as a Priest.

It was obvious soon enough that Vivaldi enjoyed his music more than being a priest. The only apparent reason Vivaldi was recognized as a priest was because he gained attention with his flaming red hair, giving him the nickname of “the red priest”. His love of music caused him to focus on teaching the young women of Pieta` about music. When the young women reached a certain age they were expected to teach the younger orphans. Vivaldi later began composing for the Pieta`. Concerts were held for a small fee. Influential people could often be found attending Vivaldi’s concerts, this is how the Pieta` gained popularity.

In A Little Orphan Anna by Carmen Pastorek, we are told of one of Vivaldi’s students, Anna Giraud. It is said that Anna was not a lovely woman, but did possess a nice figure and nice features such as her mouth, eyes, and hair. Vivaldi took her as his protégée. Anna traveled with Vivaldi for about 14 years.

Because Anna traveled for so long with Vivaldi, speculations begun about them having an affair. Cardinal Ruffo of the Papal Nuncio banned him from being “artistically” active in Ferrarra. Vivaldi responded “and this because I am a priest who does not say mass, and because I have the friendship of the singer Giraud.” The ban was for the purpose of making him an example because he had spent so much time with Anna and her sister all while being an ordained priest.

Vivaldi added fuel to the fire of gossip when he moved Giraud into his home. There were further rumors of a secret marriage between the two. Next, Paulina, Giraud’s sister, moved in supposedly to be his nurse in his time of sickness. Of course, rumors were started about Paulina being his mistress. However, his attention was more focused on Giraud. Proving this he says in reference to her, “It is not possible to perform the opera without Giraud, because no comparible prima donna is to be found.”

Of his compostions, his first published work was a book of sonatas, Opus One, published in 1705. His L’estro armonico, op. 2, published in 1712 has been called one of the most influential collections of the eighteenth century. In 1713, the governers of Pieta` gave Vivaldi some time off to travel beyond Venice. This is how Vivaldi’s passion for the opera began. Vivaldi fell in love with Mantua, where he was first exposed to opera. Mantua inspired him to write his first opera Ottone in Villa, produced in 1713 in Vincenza, Italy.

Next, Vivaldi composed for the San Angelo theatre. In 1715 he composed 18 operas for the theatres. Pieta`was still in his heart so he composed two oratorios entitled, Moyses Deus Pharaonis and Juditha triumphans. Vivaldi returned to Mantua to write operas from 1718-1720. Though he was in Mantua he still continued to teach and compose for the Pieta`until 1728. He then traveled for about ten years. He composed as he traveled being inspired by the different cities he visited.

Famous composers like Bach and Albinoni strived to equal Vivaldi’s unique style with his concerti. The instrumentation Vivaldi used was said to have a lot of timbre. Vivaldi composed mostly solo concerti but wrote many concerti grossi in his lifetime.

His opera career was not long because the popularity of operas diminished. It is believed he started to show a lack of passion and creativity when composing his operas. Vivaldi was perhaps taking on too many responsibilities. He was composing instrumental works and operas concurrently. He also conducted, performed, and organized the business aspects of the performances. Vivaldi died in Vienna in 1741. It has been reported that he was buried in a pauper’s grave.