http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61147&rws=%2Fantonio-vivaldi%2Fmusic-videos.rssAntonio Vivaldi not only revolutionized the concerto form; by sidelining as a concert master, opera impresario, and ordained priest, he's the quintessential 18th century Renaissance man.<p> Born in Venice on March 4, 1678, Vivaldi was ordained at 25 and nicknamed "The Red Priest" for his shock of red hair. He disliked giving Mass -- blaming a medical condition now thought to be asthma -- and took an appointment teaching violin at a Venetian girls' orphanage. Including the ubiquitous "The Four Seasons," Vivaldi's concertos -- marked by vigorous energy and thematic uniformity -- earned him wide renown and remain his greatest legacy. Starting with a 1717 position on the court of the prince Phillip of Hesse-Darmstadt, Vivaldi had unrivaled popularity among European royals, yielding numerous commissions (including Louis XV's wedding cantata "Gloria e Imeneo") and a knighting from Emperor Charles VI. By the 1730s, Vivaldi's popularity faded, leaving him in financial ruin at his death in July of 1741. <p> Researchers unearthed over a dozen folios of his work between 1926 and 1930, which saw a revival of interest and secured his reputation as one of his era's greatest minds. - Nate CavalieriBaroqueen720Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:56:32 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.61147&rws=%2Fantonio-vivaldi%2Fmusic-videos.rss Antonio Vivaldi not only revolutionized the concerto form; by sidelining as a concert master, opera impresario, and ordained priest, he's the quintessential 18th century Renaissance man.<p> Born in Venice on March 4, 1678, Vivaldi was ordained at 25 and nicknamed "The Red Priest" for his shock of red hair. He disliked giving Mass -- blaming a medical condition now thought to be asthma -- and took an appointment teaching violin at a Venetian girls' orphanage. Including the ubiquitous "The Four Seasons," Vivaldi's concertos -- marked by vigorous energy and thematic uniformity -- earned him wide renown and remain his greatest legacy. Starting with a 1717 position on the court of the prince Phillip of Hesse-Darmstadt, Vivaldi had unrivaled popularity among European royals, yielding numerous commissions (including Louis XV's wedding cantata "Gloria e Imeneo") and a knighting from Emperor Charles VI. By the 1730s, Vivaldi's popularity faded, leaving him in financial ruin at his death in July of 1741. <p> Researchers unearthed over a dozen folios of his work between 1926 and 1930, which saw a revival of interest and secured his reputation as one of his era's greatest minds. - Nate Cavalieri