something similar. You can find all the peace and quiet you need to
rehearse with the Figlie within these four walls. Don’t say anything
to your father just yet. When the moment comes I’ll have a word
with him myself.’
‘But have you time for this?’ Vivaldi knows how busy the
composer is already. Nor does Antonio feel entirely sure of himself,
however seductive the promise of enormous future financial
rewards.
‘Don’t you worry your head about that, priest. I’ve said it
once and I’ll say it again; you’ll master this business in no time.’
The Maestro di Coro pats Antonio encouragingly on the shoulder
with his huge paw.
To Francesco’s great joy, Antonio has wasted no time in embarking
on their new project. The priest is spending hour after hour in the
library leafing through years of vocal music written for the choir.
He is also attending rehearsals, listening with interest and taking
notes, which soon arouses the suspicion of the Ospedale della Pietà’s
singing teacher, Pietro Scarponi. What’s Vivaldi up to? Scarponi
keeps the priest under close observation and starts to have real
worries. Surely Vivaldi can’t be after his job? It begins to look more
and more like it, as Antonio selects a number of vespers and goes
through them with the choir.
Conducting choir and orchestra is a whole new experience
for Vivaldi and he discovers he relishes it. He has now set to music
a psalm and offers it proudly to the Maestro for his opinion. But
Gasparini is not impressed. ‘Read the text, man, read the text!’ he
mutters. ‘It doesn’t have to keep going off in all directions like a
firework. Here, read this through carefully and let the words sink
in.’ The Maestro indicates some rather melancholic verses. ‘You
write as though we’ve just triumphed over the Turks. Your music
fizzes and bangs and sends up cheers. But what I read here is a
completely different story! Look at the words again and try to make
your music strengthen and carry the message. That’s what it’s all
about!’ The criticism throws Antonio into an agony of self-doubt.
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