Vivaldi, a priest and violinist, likely wrote little church music until the second decade of the 18th century, but his travels often led to commissions for sacred works.
Composition History
Vivaldi took over the main task of maestro di coro at the Pietà, a Venetian charitable institution, which involved supplying new compositions to attract donations.
Historical Context
Due to decorum, mixed church choirs were not acceptable in Catholic Europe at the time, so the Pietà trained and used exclusively female residents as musicians.
Composition History
Before the 1920s, it was thought that Vivaldi had composed little or no sacred vocal music, as almost none was known to have survived.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Vivaldi's sacred vocal music is noted for its consummate artistry and high level of inspiration, often stripping music to its core and reconstituting it from simple elements.
Composition History
Vivaldi's extensive collection of sacred vocal works came to light only when his own huge working collection of manuscripts was acquired for the National Library in Turin.
Compositional Technique
The Pietà choir, despite being all-female, was laid out like a normal male choir, with sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses.
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