The life and career of Antonio Vivaldi and the contemporary events of the time. Timeline provided by Lynne Murray and formatted by staff at the Brandenburg.
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Born in Venice.
Contemporary Events
Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia becomes the first woman to be awarded a university degree, a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Padua.
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Bartolomé Esteban Murillo The Immaculate Conception Los Venerables (c. 1678)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Ordained as a priest; appointed violin teacher at the Pietà in Venice.
Contemporary Events
The Great storm of 1703 claims the lives of over 1,000 seamen, destroys the original Eddystone Lighthouse in Plymouth, and wreaks havoc in London, toppling over 2,000 chimney stacks and blowing the roofing off Westminster Abbey.
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Anonymous Engraving of the Great Storm of 1703 (c. 18ᵗʰ century)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Acclaimed as virtuoso violinist & composer after publication of L’estro armonico concertos.
Contemporary Events
Handel's first London opera Rinaldo performed. British attempt to attack Quebec in Queen Anne's War fails with the sinking of 8 ships in the Saint Lawrence River and the loss of 890 lives (mostly soldiers).
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Godfrey Kneller Portrait of Sir Christopher Wren (c. 1711)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
First opera Ottone in villa performed in Vicenza.
Contemporary Events
Arcangelo Corelli dies in Rome.
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Hugo Howard Portrait of Arcangelo Corelli (c. 1697)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Becomes impresario of Teatro San Angelo in Venice.
Contemporary Events
Ottoman Empire declares war on Venice to revenge territorial losses from the Great Turkish War of 1684-1699.
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Portrait of Ahmet III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1703-30 (c. 18ᵗʰ century)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Composes Gloria in D major, RV 589 about this time.
Contemporary Events
Louis XIV king of France dies in Versailles after a reign of 72 years; leaves throne to his great-grandson, having outlived his son and grandson.
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Title page from holograph manuscript for Vivaldi's Gloria (c. 1715)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Leaves the Pietà to mount productions of own operas throughout Italy.
Contemporary Events
Handel's Water Music Suite performed on the River Thames in London.
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Balthasar Denner Portrait of George Frideric Handel (c. 1726-28)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Employed again by the Pietà; paid for 140 concerti between 1723-1733.
Contemporary Events
Giovanni Antonio Canal, known as Canaletto, produces his first known signed and dated work, Architectural Capriccio (now in a private collection in Milan).
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Anonymous Portrait of Antonio Vivaldi (c. 1723)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Publication of The Four Seasons violin concertos in Op. 8, Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione (The Contest Between Harmony and Invention).
Contemporary Events
Bach's St John Passion receives its second performace in Leipzig. Giacomo Cassanova born in Venice.
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Sebastiano Ricci Apotheosis of Saint Sebastian (c. 1725)
Vivaldi's Life and Career
Vivaldi dies poor and alone in Vienna.
Contemporary Events
Handel composes music for the oratorio Messiah in just 24 days.
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Section of holograph manuscript for Handel's Messiah (c. 1741)
Live in Sydney, Parramatta and Melbourne from 28 April until 14 May.
