This vanquished the last of Grimani’s doubts and,
brimming with youthful self-confidence, Carlo Goldoni now
knocks at Vivaldi’s door. The thirty-year age difference between
composer and young writer gives rise to a healthy dose of mistrust
on both sides. Vivaldi is not familiar with the work of the lapsed
lawyer, and for his part Goldoni cannot bring himself to appreciate
the eternal recitatives he has heard in some of Vivaldi’s operas. But
as the meeting progresses they get over their initial unease and
establish a sound working relationship. Goldoni soon learns
respect for the energy and practical insight of the priest, and Vivaldi
is impressed by the younger man’s supple linguistic skills. Pooling
their resources, the two swiftly come up with an opera that, at its
Ascension Day performance, is received by the snob-ridden
audience of San Samuele with its usual critical but overall
enthusiasm. It is the first time in many seasons that Michele
Grimani has closed with a viable opera.
The fact that someone such as Vivaldi has been responsible
for this positive outcome is one he readily sidesteps. And, with all
the opportunism of a patrician, he gives the priest a new scrittura
for the coming autumn. This means another busy time ahead, for
the exchange of correspondence with Marquis Luca Casimiro degli
Albizzi has at last borne fruit and Vivaldi has been invited by the
Florentine impresario to put on Ginevra principessa di Scozia as second
opera of the season there.
Despite some inevitable wrangling with Albizzi, Vivaldi has
managed to secure for Anna not only the lead role in Ginevra but
also the place of prima donna in the first opera of the new season. It
is Cesare in Egitto, commissioned from the priest a few weeks later.
Vivaldi is much amused by the letter from the marquis, in which he
elaborates upon how direly difficult it has been for him to persuade
the Accademia that Signorina Girò is really right for this leading
part.
“Whomsoever I speak to tells me the same thing; that she
is a perfect actress, only no one can hear her. But enough of this;
328
305-333 Chapter 7.indd 328 22-11-2007 14:11:55