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Welcome to a page that is entirely devoted to Antonio Vivaldi and the Women of the Pietà. On this page, you can find information on Vivaldi's Venice, The Red-Headed Priest, or Antonio Vivaldi, A Timeline of Vivaldi's Life, The Orphanage Where Vivaldi worked, or the Pietà, A Little Orphan Anna, or Anna Giraud, Top Ten List , and our Bibliography. We hope you enjoy it and find it interesting. If you have any comments or concerns please send them to the e-mail address listed below. Thank you and enjoy "Antonio Vivaldi and the Women of the Pieta."
This Ain't Manhattan. . .by Allison HarveyBy the time Vivaldi was born, Venice was not the trading center it once was. Instead, Venice began to focus on the arts. Soon, the city became a tourist favorite, offering casinos and carnivals. Thousands of poeple flocked to Venice for amusement as well as the art exhibits of every kind. As far as artistic achievements in Venice goes, the city is known for its plasitc arts, music, painiting, and the theatre.
As far as music goes, no city in Europe could compete with Venice. Heller goes as far as to say that the city was a center of musical life and that the Venician culture influenced all of European music. Tourists would come from many different countries to hear the operas and other open-air concerts that took place during the year.
It is because of this cultural focus that orphanages began to train their inmates in music which resulted in the first conservatories. In Vivaldi's time, four such orphanages were in existance. These orphanages or ospedales were for orphaned, abandoned, illegitimate, or indigent young girls and women. Among these four institutions, the Pio Ospedale della Pietà was the most famous.
The Red-Headed Priest. . .by Kiley SwicegoodAntonio Vivaldi was the most prolific composer of eighteenth century in Venice, Italy. His works and the styles he used were and are used as models for the works of his contemporaries continuing through the composers of the nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. Much of his life, thrity-seven years, was spent as a composer, violin teacher, conductor, and violin virtuoso at the Pietà asylum for orphaned young women and girls.
This sanctuary represented many things to Vivaldi including a source of income, a place to teach, a place to learn, a home base, performance space, a place where he was given free range to compose his masterpieces, and most importantly, his own refuge and sanctuary. Though he enjoyed many years of travel in Italy, Venice was his home and he always found his way back to the Pietà. This institution is where Vivaldi created his most famous work and where most of his works are preserved.
Antonio Vivaldi was born in approximately 1678 in Venice to Giovanni and Camilla Vivaldi. His father was a barber and taught Antonio how to play the violin. The Vivaldis were a wealthy family and it was common in this time period for upper class families to send the eldest son into the priesthood. Vivaldi was ordained in 1703 and hired as the violin teacher at the Pietà the same year.
It soon became apparent from Vivaldi's lack of involvement and enthusiasm that he wanted to be more of the musician than the priest. His heart was drawn to salvation through music, which is why he was not recognized as a priest, except for the flaming red hair which coined him the nickname "the red priest.
The Pietà was an orphanage for young girls who had been neglected by their parents or their parents were dead. They were taught by teachers such as Vivaldi. However, when they reached a certain age, they were expected to teach the younger orphans. This was a common practice in these orphanages to help keep expenses down. Vivaldi was hired because of his expertise with the violin.
The asylum, governed by twelve governors, was highly praised for its musical contributions to Venetian society especially after Vivaldistarted composing for the Pietà. Concerts were held at the Pietà for a small charge and many notable and influential Venetians were frequent audience members. This was how the Pietà made money and earned recognition. It was one o four institutions of its kind in Venice and it some points it was documented to have onver five thousand orphans enrolled at once. All of the girls were expected to sing and most of them were taught how to play an instrument of the orchestra, primarily violin.
Vivaldi was a newly ordained priest when he arrived at the Pietà. His role as a practicing priest came to a quick end when he gave up his obligation to say the Mass. There are many theories as to why he refused to say the Mass. One theory is that he wanted to spend more time on his music and taking so much time to prepare for and perform the Mass was hurting his concentration on his music. During a certain service, Vivaldi was said to have stopped saying the Mass, gone to write down a calm melody he had in his head and come back and finish the service.
Another theory, and the one that Vivaldi gives as his excuse, is that he suffered from a severe case of asthma that inhibibed his speech and made him weak and dizzy when he spoke. Vivaldi did have respiritory problems, but whether they were harsh enough to keep him from performing Mass is questionable.
Vivaldi's early years, as the violin master of the Pietà, were spent composing and publishing instrumental works, primarily, and some vocal pieces for the orphans. 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 governors of the Pietà gave Vivaldi a leave of absence to travel outside of Venice. This may have been to their dismay, for he enjoyed the places where he travelled, especially Mantua, where his passion for Opera was spurned. This passion was turned into production and the records show that Vivaldi's first opera was Ottone in Villa produced in 1713 in Vincenza, Italy.
Vivaldi starts to spread his wings a bit and finds himself composing for the well-known San Angelo theatre. He composed eighteen operas for this theater in 1715 alone! He did not forget the Pietà, though. He continued to compose two oroatrios for the orphans entitled, Moyses Deus Pharaonis and Juditha truimphans. As long as they were paying for him he was composing for them.
Vivaldi goes to Mantua and stays from 1718-1720 or so to write operas. This is not favored by the Pietà, but is permitted. He continues to teach and compose for the Pietà until 1728. Thus begins his extensive travels that last around ten years. He wrote operas in Rome, Florence, Vienna, Verona, and Ancona. He found inspiration in all of these cities and wrote many operas on these travils.
Vivaldi was most famous for his concerti during his lifetime. Vivaldi had his own style with his concerti. This style has been emulated by other composers like Bach and Albinoni. His instrumentation is noted to have a lot of tone painting and "color." He composed mostly solo concerti but wrote many concerti grossi as well. Since he was such a virtuosic violinist, he probably spent a lot of time creating complex and virtuosic vioin parts.
Vivaldi's latter opera career took a plenge because operas were not in high demand like before. His lack of "passion" and creativity when writing his operas perhaps is due to how hectic his life was at the time. Vivaldi was composing both instrumental works and operas at the same time. He conducted, performed, and organized all of the business stuff for the performances. He obviously liked having his hands in every aspect of his music.
As his operatic career dwendled, so did his health. He died in Vienna in 1741 and was buried in a pauper's grave. He sold most of his compositions to try to get money, but was not successful financially. Most of his compositions were sold to the Pietà, which is where they were preserved.
The man known as Antonio Vivaldi, was a semi-handsome man with red hair and a large nose. He is always portrayed as a healthy man, but he was not healthy. He had a strong heart, though, and a strong will. He never married but was said to have had a relationship with his star pupil Anna Giraud.
Vivaldi was a devout Catholic. Sometimes, he would hold on to his rosary while composing . He was a humble man, a man full of life, but plagued with bad health. He did, however, have a bit of a lack of patience with people who had no common sencse, and he was said to have been overly sensitive. He was also not always sympathetic to the needs of his performers.
Overall, Vivaldi had this insatiable urge inside him to write music. After he was employed to do so, he pumped out compositions one after the other. Some critics say that the quality of his music decreased as his demand and supply increased. He seemed to work really well under pressure though. It seems as if his melodies were just waiting to be set free. Vivaldi was and is still an inspiration to musicians. He maintained a well-recognized performance career as well as a teaching career. Most importantly, he was the most prolific and gifted composers of instrumental music of his time. Vivaldi owes a lot of gratitude to the Pietà for believing in him enough and appreciating him enough to keep him employed for around thirty years. They gave him guidelines, bu t for the most part, he was unable to create freely. We were left the beautiful music and an instpiration to model ourselves musically.
This red-headed priest-then-musician spent most of his career at the Pietà. Below is a brief outline of his start and the main events of his life while at the Pietà. Timeline of Vivaldi's Life1678 -- born March 4, Venice (day of an earthquake which may have contributed to his aesthmatic condition) 1685-1703 -- Vivaldi studies to become a priest 1703 -- ordained a priest, accepted a position as maestro di violino and chaplain at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice 1705-1709 -- published works at the Pietà while teaching 1709 -- lost his position as maestro di violino because position was discontinued; continued to compose 1711-1716 -- retained his former position at the Pietà; 1715 -- given special recognition for his composition of vocal works for the Pietà 1716 -- appointed to the position of maestro de' concerti and received a pay increase 1718-1720 -- took his opera to Mantua and stayed 1723 -- asked to compose and direct two new concertos every month for the Pietà, teaching position there is a memory, he travels too much 1724 -- Anna Giraud's debut in Venice 1725-1729 -- works published including six flute concertos, twelve concertos, a serenata, and his opus 9 La cetra 1729-1730 -- in Germany 1731 -- back to Italy 1732-1739 -- travels to Verona, Amsterdam, and Ferrara, where he was forbidden entry by the Cardinal into the city to direct his opera Cantone in Utica 1739 -- opera Feraspe last opera written by Vivaldi; his vocal and instrumental compositions purchased by the Pietà 1740 -- moves to Vienna and tries to make a living unsuccessfully by selling his concertos 1741 -- dies from an internal inflammation and is buried in a pauper's grave
An Orphanage Full of Female Musicians. . .by Rosemary BehizadehThe actual conservatory part of the ospedale made up a small part of the orphanage itself. The girls who showed musical talent were put into the figlie di coro of the music school while the rest of the ospedale made up the figlie di commun and received a general education. In 1745, the group of girls in the figlie di coro consisted of eighteen singers, eight string players, two organists, two soloists, and two maestra (directors -- one vocal and one instrumental). In addition to these, fourteen initiates and an unrecorded amount of wind players were present.
These girls were highly talented in the field of music, as they were able to play multiple instruments as well as sing. The most well-known girl at the Pietà was a young woman by the name of Anna Maria. Not only was she known to be one of the best violinists in Italy, she also excelled at the viola, cello, lute, theorbo, mandolin, and the harpsicord. Like Anna Maria, most of the girls were experts in multiple instruments and voice. The range of instruments available to them was extensive of the time and excluded brass instruments that were associated with the unladylike hunt.
The term "girls" was always used when anyone referred to the players at the Pietà. This term is misleading. Some of the residents and perfromers were actally middle aged women. These women, for whatever reasons, decided not to choose the two choices available to women of that period: the nunnery or marriage. Performing outside of the Pietà was not an option since, while women vocalists were allowed to tour all of Europe, professional women instrumentalist were nto allowed. The four ospedales in Venice were an exception because, naturally, the performers always performed at the Pietà . In today's world, this is comparable having a home concert.
Also, the single sex nature of the group made things easier for the performers. When a woman tried to be a professional musician, she would not only threaten the men who were inferior players, she would also be cramped up next to strange men in pit orchestras. The orphanage of all women eliminated this problem.
The playing ensemble also included girls from outside the figlie di coro. Sometimes, girls from the figlie di commun or an initiate would be allowed to play a solo. Also, young ladies from local nobles' households took lessons from a select group of inmates and sometimes would join the performances. Therefore, the ensembles at the Pietà were more diverse than the conventional impression or description conveys.
The Pio Ospedale della Pietà was ruled by a board of governors elected by the Senate. This group of men were in charge of everything in the Pietà. They decided the allotment of funds, the hiring and firing of teachers and all other affairs of the ospedale. These men worked with money set aside by the city of Venice and, just as in modern times, the amount of funds alloted to charitable institutions was never enough. Therefore, the governors had various saving strategies which they employed to afford the high level of musical excellence at the Pietà.
One way the governors saved money was to use a teacher for a year and then fire him when his yearly review came. Then the girl who was taking from that teacher would teach the other students what she had learned from the teacher. Also, the governors allowance of women to stay on until middle age is more understandable when they are veiwed as free teachers and performers which save the Pietà money.
On August 12, 1703, Vivaldi, a twenty-five year-old priest, was hired by the board of governors to strengthen the string program at the Pietà. Vivaldi's duties were buying and repairing instruments, teaching the violin and the viole all'inglise, and probably some conduting and composing. Since the Pietà already had a good string section, Vivaldi was probably valued more for his conducting and composing abilities than for his teaching.
Due to his outside interests, Vivaldi had an off and on relationship with the Pietà for over thirty years. In 1709, Vivaldi failed to get the two-thirds vote required to rehire every teacher every year. In 1711, he was reappointed to his former position by the unanimous vote of the board of governors. The maestro di coro left in 1713 and Vivaldi unofficially filled the gap. Vivaldi was never actually given the position as the maestro di coro probably because of his outside interests.
By 1716 , Vivaldi may have started neglecting his duties at the Pietà in order to pursue opera. Yet, Vivaldi had fulfilled his purpose for the Pietà because by this time the Pietà had risen to the enviable reputation of being the best of the four ospedales. This reputation was earned due to the excellence of the orchestra and instrumental programming. Since Vivaldi conducted the ensembles and trained the violinists, this reputation was a direct reflection on Vivaldi.
After 1716, Vivaldi was not as active in the Pietà as he was before. This was not detrimental for, in the thirteen years that he was most closely linked with the Pietà, he taught the girls enough to keep his employment for a number of decades. From 1718 to 1722, Vivaldi was not on the pay lists at the ospedale. Instead, he was cavorting around Europe writing, promoting and conducting his operas. In 1723, Vivaldi's position was renewed as part of his contract required for him to produce two concertos each month even if he was traveling.
Some reports show that the contemporaries of Vivaldi found the playing at the Pieta unparalleled. What evidence is there that these young women were as good as all accounts say they are? The cadenza, a place where a player can show off his or her technical expertise, in the thrid movement of Vivaldi's violin Concerto in D major (PV 165), illistrates the girls' ability.
Vivaldi would improvise or memorize a favorite cadenza to play. Therefore, the ones he wrote out were probably to help show and instruct students in the art of the cadenza. If so, this cadenza which takes the violinist into difficult position, serves as an example of the player's ability. This cadenza in one conjectured to have awed audiences when Vivaldi played it. Particularly impressive was how high Vivaldi went up on an instrument.
It seems that the girls benefitted so much from their association with Vivlaldi that they were able to perform the same maneuvers on the intrument that Vivaldi used to stun audiences.
A Little Orphan Anna. . . by Carmen PastorekOne of Vivaldi's students in particular, Anna Giraud, received quite a lot of recognition because of her extensive history with Vivaldi. Anna was a Venetian-born singer, a contralto, who was believed to be the illegitimate daughter of a French wigmaker. No one knew for sure if she really was his daughter, but she lived with him as a very young girl and took his last name. Apparently, she was not considered beautiful by any means, but was said to have a delicate figure and pleasant individual features such as her mouth, eyes, and hair. Her peers thought her skillful and pleasant, but possessing a small voice.
Vivaldi had taken Giraud as not only his pupil, but his protegée. She is noted as having performed in an innumerable amount of Vivaldi's operas, including Farnace and Ercole Sul Termodonte. The curiosity surrounding this product of the Pietà stems from the large amount of time she spent traveling with Vivaldi around Europe. Apparently the two traveled together for almost fourteen years.
Giraud's contemporaries were seemingly more impressed with her acting ability than with her voice, which leads modern scholars to ask a very important question: If her virtuosic voice, or lack thereof, was not the reason for the extreme favoritism bestowed upon her by Vivaldi, what was it? There is some discrepancy over the truth of this matter due to the watchful eye of the Pietà, who kept in close contact with the girls' whereabouts and actions. Giraud was reputed as being a very proper lady, and certainly not the type to engage in such scandalous atrocities.
The majority of the speculations on this matter, suggest an affair between the two. Things became especially sticky for Vivaldi when Cardinal Ruffo of the Papal Nuncio forbade him to be "artistically" active in Ferrarra. In response to this, Vivaldi is quoted as saying, "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 a political move that diredctly disciplines Vivaldi for his time spent with Giraud and her sister, especially while being a priest. The rumors of an affair between Vivaldi and Giraud were further confirmed in the public's eyes when Anna moved into the Vivaldi house, which does not leave a lot of room for argument on the subject. It has even been suggested that Vivaldi and Anna had, in fact, entered into unannounced marriage. This is absurd considering that he had taken Holy Orders within the Catholic church.
Not long after Anna's initial move, her sister, Paulina, also took it upon herself to follow in her sister's footsteps and become an addition to the Vivaldi household. Her job was supposedly to act as a "nurse" for the consistently sick red-headed priest, although questions arise as to whether or not she, too, was a mistress to Vivaldi.
Although Anna Giraud is not noted for her amazing vocalic virtuosity, her portrayal and performance of Vivaldi's compositions seem so unified and essential in reflecting Vivaldi's intentions and personality. Although Giraud's contemporaries were not terribly impressed with her voice, perhaps Vivaldi saw in her or heard in her voice something which struck him as deeply personal. "It is not possible to perform the opera without Giraud, because no comparible prima donna is to be found." He said in reference to her.
It is quite possible that his obsession with her as a prima donna had much more to do with her voice than many may think. As speculative as the gossip may hvave been , he truly loved and thought very highly of her voice, which may have been after all, his main incentive for traveling about Europe with the two sister for such a lengthy amount of time.
For a female singer coming from a poor orphanage, Anna Giraud certainly attracted a lot of attention. Unfortunately she is remembered more for her scandalous lifestyle with Vivaldi than for her mediocre voice.
The Top Ten Reasons Why Vivaldi's Life at the Pietà is No Daddy Warbucks StoryVivaldi had flaming red hair; Warbucks was bald as a cue-ball. Daddy G.B. Vivaldi owned a barber shop; Warbucks probably never stepped foot in a barber shop. Orphan/Musician Anna Giraud was not freckle-faced and cute like Little Orphan Annie; she did, however, probably equal Annie's squeaky, bad voice. Daddy Warbucks adopted Little Orphan Annie; Vivaldi might have slept with his little orphan Anna. Little Orphan Annie got in trouble if she sang; Anna got in trouble is she didn't. The orphans in Ms. Hannigan's orphanage made percussion instruments out of mops and brooms as they sang "It's a Hard-Knock Life," while the Pietà orphans played sophisticated string instruments and sang intricate Masses. Vivaldi was a violin virtuoso; Warbucks was a tap-dance virtuoso. Vivaldi composed magnificent operas; the closest thing Warbucks came to seeing an opera was when he took Grace to see the Rockettes. Warbucks died a happily married, wealthy, adoptive father; Vivaldi died a lonely, poor, struggling composer. Vivaldi's story is true; Daddy Warbucks's story is a creation from Thomas Meehan's book Little Orphan Annie.
BibliographyHeller, Karl. Antonio Vivaldi: The Red Priest of Venice. Portland Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1991. Kolneder, Walter. Antonio Vivaldi: His Life and Works. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970. Landon, H.C. Robbins. Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque. New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc., 1993. Larson, David. "Women and Song in Eighteenth-Century Venice: Choral Music and the Four Conservatories for Girls." Chorale Journal 18.2 (1988), 15-24. Pincherle, Marc. Vivaldi: Genius of the Baroque. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1957. Talbot, Michael. Vivaldi. New York: Schirmer Books, 1992. Talbot, Michael. "Vivaldi's Venice." Musical Times 119 (1990), 314-319. "Vivaldi, Antonio." The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. 1980.
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Comments to: Allison.L.Harvey@Vanderbilt.edu
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