Anna Maria della Pietà

Anna Maria
Bornc. 1696
Died10 August 1782
Venice
Alma materOspedale della Pietà

Anna Maria della Pietà (c. 1696 – 10 August 1782) was an Italian violinist, composer and teacher based in the Venetian orphanage Ospedale della Pietà.

Biography

Her exact date of birth is unknown because Anna Maria was an orphan at the Ospedale della Pietà (Pietà Hospital) in Venice. The orphanage was established to raise girls who would be useful to society. Babies would be dropped off through an opening barely large enough for them called a 'Scaffetta'. In 1696 she was left at the Osepedale della Pietà and was called Anna Maria, though later known as Anna Maria dal Violin and Anna Maria della Pietà. By the time she was eight her musical prowess had brought her to the attention of the heads of the school. She was taught the violin by the school music director Antonio Vivaldi.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Anna Maria in turn taught Chiara della Pietà and Santa della Pietà. Many of the concertos written by Vivaldi were written especially for her. She remained at the orphanage her whole life. Her music brought tourists to hear her and the orchestra play. An anonymous poet wrote that when she played, "countless angels dared to hover near". In 1720, at the age of 24, she was dubbed "Maestra", and by 1737 she had attained the leadership posts of maestra di violino and maestra di coro. Anna Maria also played the cello, oboe, lute, mandolin, harpsichord, and viola d'amore. Anna Maria composed music and performed publicly for more than 60 years, dying of a fever and cough in Venice on 10 August 1782.[1][2][3][6][5][7][4][8][9]

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, Karla (28 March 2015). "Vivaldi's lesser-known legacy: Female violin virtuosos of 18th century Venice". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Vivaldi and the Ospedale della Pietà". Explore Classical Music. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  3. 1 2 Schweitzer, Vivien (6 June 2008). "Vivaldi Set Tongues Wagging With His Music and Muses". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  4. 1 2 Berdes, Jane L. (2004). "Della Pietà, Santa [Sanza, Samaritana]". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.54018. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription, Wikilibrary access, or UK public library membership required)
  5. 1 2 Talbot, Michael (2001). "Anna Maria". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.52217. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription, Wikilibrary access, or UK public library membership required)
  6. 1 2 Pullinger, Mark (8 February 2019). "Stormy passions: The Red Priest and his Muses". Bachtrack. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  7. 1 2 Rosand, Ellen (2001). "Vivaldi's Stage". The Journal of Musicology. 18 (1): 8–30. doi:10.1525/jm.2001.18.1.8. JSTOR 10.1525/jm.2001.18.1.8.
  8. 1 2 Tonelli, Vanessa M. (2013). Women and Music in the Venetian Ospedali (M.A. thesis). Michigan State University.
  9. 1 2 Hugo A. di Leonardo (11 July 2003). "La Música Instrumental – 'Anna Maria della Pietà'". Mundoclasico.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2026.
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