discreetly that, try as they may, no one else can hear what is said.
The ruler of the Habsburgs is clearly a very busy man. By the time
three endless hours have crawled by, Venetian enthusiasm for this
mission has seriously cooled. Antonio is tired of pacing up and
down and has taken a seat next to his father. Anna hums scales to
herself, and Paolina has finally got immersed in her book.
Antonio must have dropped off to sleep for a moment too,
for he has not heard the approach of the servant now tapping him
on the shoulder. ‘Don Vivaldi?’ enquires the man stiffly. Antonio
gets to his feet and the man bows before him. The priest feels
momentarily light-headed.
‘A thousand apologies, Don Vivaldi, but Herr Kapellmeister is
no longer able to receive you today. I shall show you and your
company to your quarters.’
‘Herr Kapellmeister?’ responds the priest, outraged. ‘I am
here at the personal invitation of His Episcopal Highness Charles
VI!’
Entirely unmoved, the manservant returns, ‘Herr Fux will
receive you tomorrow morning. Would you kindly follow me!’ It is
as good as an order. Vivaldi and company find themselves humbly
trailing behind the man to a side wing of the Hofburg, where the
‘sisters’ are given one guestroom and another is allocated to father
and son. All but Antonio collapse gratefully upon their beds. A real
bed, with clean sheets… a thing unheard of since their departure
from Venice! Deeply disconcerted, Antonio stares of the window
and notes the descending twilight. It will take more than clean
sheets to calm his nerves. Why does the emperor not wish to see
him? Did he take too long in responding to his invitation? Should
he have come sooner? Had the monarch wished more promptly to
take delivery by hand of the manuscript of Opus IX? The night is a
long one for Antonio.
Only towards the end of the following morning are father and son
Vivaldi shown into the presence of Johann Josef Fux, composer and
choirmaster to Charles VI. About the same age as Giambattista,
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