The Red Priest

I'm fascinated by the musical aspect of Venetian orphanages (ospedali) in the 18th century. Abandoned girls were brought up, educated and evaluated for musical talent.  These girls were given lessons: instrumental & voice and were trained to perform sacred choral and orchestral music.  Antonio Vivaldi, the red haired priest, was the musical director of  one of the four Ospedali of Venezia, the Ospedale Pieta.  He gave violin lessons, wrote tons of music (in a flash), and conducted the performances.  It's amazing how different a society can be when the priorities are more pro-life and pro-God.  To think that one of the most entertaining attractions of a city could have been groups of female orphans trained to perform divinely inspired music.  In the performances, the girls were separated from the public by a gate. Their beauty was hidden and enhanced by the imaginations of the listeners. Most of these girls were born out of wedlock nine months after the Carnevale Season and left on the steps of the Ospedale which were run by the government and church.  The things that go on when people wear masks!