When we think of Vivaldi, we imagine him in the courts of princes and emperors. Opera director Damiano Michieletto brings him back to Venice, his musical home base, to the simple hospital of La Pietà where he started his career. He was hired there as a violin and viola teacher, taught other string instruments to orphan girls, and wrote concertos for them. His students would go on to form Italy’s first all-female orchestra.
The screenplay by Ludovica Rampoldi weaves a tale of vocation and musical ecstasy around the maestro, co-written with Tiziano Scarpa, who collaborated on the adaptation of his own novel, “Stabat Mater.” In early 18th century Venice, Vivaldi, appointed as music master at La Pietà, disrupts the strict Ospedale where orphan girls are taken in, abandoned because they are sickly, poor children, daughters of courtesans or unfaithful aristocratic fathers. They receive an education to become good future wives, to be sold off to wealthy men at a cheap price.
In a familiar role, Vivaldi, played by Michele Riondino, embodies an impulsive, tormented, egocentric, solitary musician. He sparks the calling of a young orphan, played by the wonderful Tecla Insolia, in a restrained and refined interpretation. The character is inspired by the maestro’s most talented student, Anna Maria “dal violin,” the most famous of the girls from La Pietà.
This first feature film by Damiano Michiellto, a prominent figure in the world of opera, known internationally and part of the creative team of the opening ceremony of the Cortina-Milan Winter Olympics, is a meticulously crafted production with demanding artistic direction. The film’s music, composed by Fabio Massimo Capogrosso, blending Vivaldi’s compositions, is led by the Orchestra and Chorus of La Fenice, Venice’s prestigious operatic theater, under the direction of great conductor Carlo Boccadoro. The music, ranging from syncopated and biting to febrile and melancholic, captures the humanity of Vivaldi and the humility of his student, beautifully captured by cinematographer Daria d’Antonio in stunning chiaroscuro images.
“Vivaldi et moi” by Damiano Michieletto will be in theaters starting this Wednesday, April 29. Duration: 1 hour 51 minutes.
[Context Note: The article discusses a film revolving around the life and career of composer Vivaldi, with a focus on his time teaching music to orphan girls in Venice.] [Fact Check: Vivaldi was a renowned Italian composer, best known for “The Four Seasons.”]
