Filming is set to start on one of two new Vivaldi biopics. Director Boris Damast will begin filming ‘Vivaldi’ this September in Venice, Hungary, Germany and Bruges, the Hollywood Reporter claims.The announcement that filming will commence in September this year for the long-awaited homage to the ‘The Four Seasons‘ creator has coincided with news that work on a second project is due to start soon.
Movie industry insiders are already talking about the prospect of “duelling violins” at the box office and the return of the classical music biographical genre – the best-known example of which is the Oscar winning Amadeus.
Actors Max Irons and Claire Foy have been cast in the film and Jacqueline Bisset, Alfred Molina, Tom Wilkinson and Sebastian Koch are reported to be in talks to join the project.
The second biopic has seen stars such as Ben Kingsley, Jessica Biel and violinist David Garrett touted as possible stars. The movie is set to be directed by Patricia Riggen and does not yet have a date for the start of shooting, the news provider added.
While the two films share a common theme in that they both offer an insight into one of the most celebrated composers from the Baroque period.
Damast’s film looks at the composer’s work with the orphans of the Ospedalle della Pieta, while Riggen’s Vivaldi focuses on Vivaldi’s struggle to preserve his priestly vows in the face of love.
Originally from Venice, Italy, Vivaldi is known mainly for composing instrumental concertos, especially for the violin, as well as sacred choral works and over 40 operas. His best known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons.