Antonio Vivaldi died on 28 July 1741 in Vienna, aged 63. 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
- 14 November 1740Founding of University of Pennsylvania
- from 29 November 1740 to 6 May 1757Restored Hanthawaddy Kingdom
- from 16 December 1740 to 18 October 1748War of the Austrian Succession
- 1741Steller's sea cow is discovered and then hunted to extinction
- 28 July 1741Death of Antonio Vivaldi
- 13 April 1742Handel's Messiah premieres in Dublin
- 14 August 1742Birth of Pius VII
- 2 April 1743Birth of Thomas Jefferson
- 27 June 1743Battle of Dettingen
More in Art, literature & culture
- 15th centuryConstruction of Red Square
- 1600Rise of Baroque music
- 1602Publication of Hamlet
- c. 1653The Taj Mahal is completed
- 17th centuryRise of ukiyo-e
- October 1745Publication of God Save the King
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 18th century.