New Novel: The Four Seasons, A Novel of Vivaldi's Venice, Laurel Corona

Nov. 6, 2008 at 4:14 PM

I just finished reading a fascinating novel (historical fiction), about Vivaldi and two girls from the Ospedale della Pieta, the orphanage and musical academy that Vivaldi taught music and wrote so many of his pieces for.

One sister, Chiaretta was exuberant, full of life, and a highly accomplished singer. The other sister, Maddalena, was passive, introspective and uncommunicative except through her violin. While Chiaretta lived and experienced life directly, both inside the convent and later married to an aristocrat, Maddalena became a violin virtuoso, staying inside the convent, and living only through her music. Vivaldi recognized in Maddalena, a musician that played poetry in her music. They played images of birds singing in the trees, falling leaves, alone in the dark, snow falling on my face. Maddalena loved the intimacy of the violin, a voice that is pressed close to her chest, and expresses all of the longing and desires she could never put into words.

Here's an excerpt:

He was staring at her when she finished. "You hear it in your heart first," he said, "That's important. Most people just play with their hands. Or worse, sometimes only with their heads." He paused. "Why are you crying?"

"We are kindred souls, Maddalena Rossa," he told her one afternoon, using the name that he alone called her. "We both see that music is poetry," Maddalena felt her cheeks growing warm.

She became his muse and trusted only Maddalena to perform some of his pieces. Of course this is fiction, but it evocates the times and places of Venetian life and society so well, intertwining the musical stories with the lives of these two sisters.

From E. Smith
Posted via 70.20.155.100 on November 6, 2008 at 7:57 PM

There's another novel out with a similar topic, Vivaldi's Virgins.

From janet griffiths
Posted via 87.11.124.164 on November 6, 2008 at 9:06 PM

What a fabulous title , the mind boggles!!

From Jerald Archer
Posted via 99.50.131.203 on November 6, 2008 at 10:33 PM

Thanks for the information about about this book. I only hope that it does not strain historical facts with too many fictional incidents. We have already seen this done with "Amadeus" and "Immortal Beloved", which were a little on the creative side, but it sells tickets. A movie titled Vivaldi, a Prince in Venice was completed in 2005 as an Italian-French coproduction under the direction of Jean-Louis Guillermou, featuring Stefano Dionisi in the title role and Michel Serrault as the bishop of Venice. Another film inspired by the life of the composer was in a preproduction state for several years and has the working title Vivaldi. Filming was scheduled to begin in 2007, but was canceled and tentatively rescheduled for 2008. (Wikipedia article)I have yet to see these films.

Ordained as a priest in 1703, at the age of 25, Vivaldi was ordained a priest and was soon nicknamed il Prete Rosso, "The Red Priest", because of his red hair and penchant for wearing red robes. He was known to have been given a dispensation from having to say Holy Mass, due to a form of asthma, in 1704, but this did not seem to keep him from traveling all over Europe to promote his Operas. He met an aspiring singer named Anna Tessieri GiroI sometime around 1717 or 1718 when Vivaldi was offered a new prestigious position as Maestro di Cappella of the court of the prince Phillip of Hesse-Darmstadt, governor of Mantua.

She was to become his student, protégée, and favorite prima donna. Anna, along with her older half-sister Paolina, who became part of Vivaldi's entourage and regularly accompanied him on his many travels.There were rumours about the nature of Vivaldi's and Giro's relationship, but no evidence to indicate anything beyond friendship and professional collaboration. He composed "The Four Season cycle at this time as a part of a collection entitled Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione, his Opus 8, published in Amsterdam by Le Cène in 1725.

Charles VI was one of his greatest admirers (Vivaldi dedicated La Cetra, Op. 9 to Charles in 1727), who, in 1728, knighted the composer. Around 1730, Vivaldi sold his manuscripts at rock-bottom prices in order to finance a journey to Vennia . However, shortly after Vivaldi's arrival at Vienna, Charles died. This tragic stroke of bad luck left the composer without royal protection and a source of income. Vivaldi eventually died not long after, on the night between 27 and July 28, 1741in what would be considered a state of poverty.

(information taken from a Wikipedia article)

I am a great fan of Vivaldi and his music and times. It will be interesting to read this book.

From Anne Horvath
Posted via 97.82.24.139 on November 7, 2008 at 12:18 AM

Vivaldi's Virgins veers rather uncomfortably into "Chick Lit" territory. I recall a lot of detailed descriptions of shoes. Caveat emptor.

Thanks for the heads up about this book!

From Jennifer Leong
Posted via 75.157.134.221 on November 7, 2008 at 5:38 AM

Coincidentally, someone recently passed along the novel Vivaldi's Virgins to me. It's certainly not a "must read". I thought it was more about the escapades of the girls at the orphanage (and one girl's quest for her identity) than their musical connection with Vivaldi.

From E. Smith
Posted via 70.20.155.100 on November 7, 2008 at 12:27 PM

Coincidentally, someone recently passed along the novel Vivaldi's Virgins to me. It's certainly not a "must read". I thought it was more about the escapades of the girls at the orphanage (and one girl's quest for her identity) than their musical connection with Vivaldi.

I agree the book was trite (I read through it because of the title and subject matter) but, to be fair, it was supposed to be a novel, not an historical biography. It just wasn't a very good novel. But I feel bad about hijacking Clare's blog about what seems like a more promising novel on the same subject matter.

From Tess Z
Posted via 207.177.0.15 on November 7, 2008 at 4:54 PM

I'm a huge history fan so I appreciate the comments here, thanks. I hate to read a book and discover it's all fluff. Love the shoe comment, Anne. lol

From Paul G.
Posted via 75.169.226.143 on November 7, 2008 at 9:55 PM

Interesting.

Can anyone reccomend some excellent novels that involve classical music? It's been a while since I've read a good book...

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