Vivaldi, at the height of his career,…

Vivaldi, at the height of his career, is receiving commissions from European nobles and royalty.

He writes the wedding cantata Gloria e Imeneo for the marriage of the king of France Louis XV, and dedicates Opus 9, La Cetra, to the Austrian Emperor Charles VI.

Vivaldi had had the chance to meet the Emperor in person in 1728, when he came to Trieste to oversee the construction of a new port.

Charles had admired the music of the Red Priest so much that he is said to have spoken more with the composer in that occasion than with his ministers in two years.

He had given him the title of knight, a gold medal, and an invitation to come to Vienna.

On his part, Vivaldi had given Charles a manuscript copy of La Cetra; this is a set of concertos almost completely different from the one published with the same title as Opus 9.

Probably the printing had been delayed and Vivaldi had been forced to gather an improvised collection.

He had Iin 1730 traveled in the company of his father to Vienna and Prague, where his opera Farnace (RV 711) had been presented.