Antonio Vivaldi was born on 4 March 1678 in Venice. An Italian composer and violinist from Venice, Vivaldi was ordained as a priest, known for his red hair as the Red Priest, and spent much of his career at the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for orphaned girls with a renowned music programme. He wrote hundreds of concertos, as well as operas and sacred choral music, and his set of four violin concertos, The Four Seasons, is one of the most popular works in classical music. His approach to the concerto, with strong rhythms and a clear three-movement form, influenced Johann Sebastian Bach and others. He was forgotten after his death in Vienna and revived in the twentieth century.
Before and after
- from 1676 to 1681Second Russo-Turkish War
- 26 August 1676Birth of Robert Walpole
- 9 October 1676Leeuwenhoek discovers microorganisms
- 21 February 1677Death of Benedictus de Spinoza
- 4 March 1678Birth of Antonio Vivaldi
- from August 1678 to December 1678Kediri Campaign
- 4 December 1679Death of Thomas Hobbes
- 15 May 1681Construction of Canal du Midi
- 1682Founding of Philadelphia
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1 January 1519Origins of Reformed Christianity
- 1605Publication of Don Quixote
- 1652Origins of Quakers
- from 1660 to 1725Rise of Classicism
- from c. 1730s to 1780sRise of Rococo
- 1759Construction of British Museum
The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 17th century.