3rd of January 2021, 16:45 – ARTE
Vivaldi’s music has fantasy, emotion and temperament – Italian grandeur. Today the venetian composer is known around the world, his music is played in lifts, performed on opera stages, adapted into techno and rock music, and rehearsed by puristic ensembles or fashionable baroque groups. Vivaldi is hailed everywhere, he has long since become the “popstar” of classical music, but the man behind the music is still a puzzle. In Vivaldi’s case unlike other legends, namely Mozart and Beethoven, precious little is known about his life. More and more documents have emerged in recent years which shed light on his life. For the first time a prime-time documentary will look at the life of the mysterious “red priest”. The film shows how the son of a humble craftsman could work his way up to the wealthy aristocracy of the venetian republic, detailing his meteoric rise and his sharp fall ending in a pauper’s grave in Vienna. A journey through time into opulent venetian baroque, a view into the manic, genius personality. A story of musical vogues, intrigues, eroticism and the first “Rockstar” in music history.