The Musical Influence of Antonio Vivaldi

Antonio Vivaldi was born March 4, 1678 in Venice and eventually became a Venetian Priest as well as a baroque music composer. Vivaldi’s style of writing made him a success when he first published L’Estro Armonico, The Musical Inspiration. This composition used tight rhythmic compositions that included three fast-slow-fast movements with astounding solos.

Vivaldi may have received some of his musical influence from his father who was a barber turned violinist. Vivaldi’s father, Giovanni Batista, taught his son to play the violin at an early age. Giovanni also had his son accompany him on tours in Venice in which Vivaldi could take in the different sounds that other musicians had to offer.

It is believed that Vivaldi would have seen his greatest influence from Giovanni Legrenzi. Giovanni Legrenzi was the president of a trade union for musicians and composers, an organization that was started by Giovanni Batista. Not only was Giovanni Legrenzi the president of this organization, but he was also the maestro of St. Mark’s Basilica and an early Baroque composer. During this time, Vivaldi received some of his early composition lessons from the great composer Legrenzi.

Vivaldi didn’t just receive influence, he also gave it to children at the Devout Hospital of Mercy in Venice. During his on and off tenure, Vivaldi taught orphans how to play the violin in the hopes of providing these children with a trade before they reached fifteen years of age. Because of his recognition as a master of the violin and concert, he was later offered a position in the court of Prince Phillip of Hesse-Darmstadt, where he further honed his skills and abilities.