For an exhibit focused on the music and life of composer Antonio Vivaldi, the orphanage and church where he worked still exists today.
Antonio Vivaldi: Venetian Virtuoso Antonio Vivaldi was a virtuoso violinist, a virtuoso composer – at least in terms of quantity – and a virtuoso teacher, as clearly. This is a small, private museum, and one needs to make a reservation to see it. Some of the memorabilia is very interesting. Concerts of Vivaldi’s Music. Venice abounds with performances of Vivaldi’s music, especially “The Four Seasons”. But the trick is to know which concerts are of much higher quality than the rest. Hear Antonio Vivaldi’s magnificent ‘Four Seasons’ performed by Venice’s acclaimed I Musici Veneziani. The 1.5-hour show will whisk you back to 18th-century Venice, with performers dressed in traditional Venetian costumes and a spectacular setting in the exclusive Salone Capitolare at the Scuola Grande di San Teodoro. Vivaldi had five known siblings: Bonaventura Tomaso Vivaldi, Margarita Gabriela Vivaldi, Cecilia Maria Vivaldi, Francesco Gaetano Vivaldi, and Zanetta Anna Vivaldi. 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.
The museum, Piccolo Museo della Pieta 'Antonio Vivaldi', chronicles the history of the Ospedale della Pieta, the orphanage where Vivaldi worked from 1703 to 1740 as the chorus master and violin teacher to the orphans. Here, he composed much of his music for the church orchestra. The museum displays original documents and the musical instruments used by the women of the choir, the students of the orphanage, and by Vivaldi himself.
The church holds regular services as well as presents programs of Baroque music. It even has a boarding house where guests can stay the night. The museum can be visited by appointment only.
In addition, to Ospedale della Pieta, the Giorgio Cini Foundation maintains manuscripts of Antonio Vivaldi on San Giorgio Maggiore.
Vivaldi Spring
Vivaldi Four Seasons
Born in Venice in 1678, Antonio Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque music composers. Vivaldi is best known for his violin concerto The Four Seasons.
Concerts of Vivaldi's work are held throughout the year in Venice.