What did Antonio Vivaldi do as an opera impresario?

As an opera impresario, Antonio Vivaldi took on a multifaceted role that went beyond simply composing music. After his initial success as an opera composer with Ottone in villa in 1713, he immersed himself in the operatic world by serving in the dual capacity of composer and impresario, particularly in Venice and other Italian cities.1

His work as an impresario involved the following:

• Entrepreneurial Management: Vivaldi preferred the flexibility of a freelance career, which allowed him to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities in the competitive world of commercial opera.1
• Production and Casting: He managed the production of his own operas, which included assembling his entourage. Notably, he worked closely with the contralto Anna Girò, who became the indispensable prima donna for his subsequent operatic works.1
• Business Operations: During the 1720s, he actively managed his career as an impresario, though his later ventures in the 1730s were increasingly marked by professional failure as his musical style fell out of fashion.1

While his operas were influential in their time, his impresarial career eventually declined, and he died in poverty in 1741.1