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Marking 300 years since The Four Seasons was published, music journalist Phil Hebblethwaite explores how a lost composer returned to fame in the 20th century.

In his day, Antonio Vivaldi was well-known as a composer of operas, concertos and choral works, influencing the likes of J. S. Bach. But music careers can collapse quickly and when Vivaldi died in 1741, penniless, so did his music. Incredibly, the man and his work only became widely known again after the Second World War, with The Four Seasons leading the charge.

In this series of The Essay, celebrating 300 years since The Four Seasons was published, Phil Hebblethwaite traces Vivaldi鈥檚 return to fame from the beginning of the 20th century to the modern day. He speaks to leading Vivaldi scholars and musicians who played an essential part in the revival to reveal a story of brisk technological change, war, politics and commerce, as well as music.

4. Let鈥檚 murder Vivaldi

Vivaldi鈥檚 resurgence caught the cultural zeitgeist after the Second World War. Phil looks at the success of wider early music revival and speaks to harpsichordist and conductor Trevor Pinnock about his two landmark recordings of The Four Seasons using period instruments.

Presenter and writer: Phil Hebblethwaite
Script editor: Jo Glanville
Producer: Joanna Jolly
Series editor: Kirsten Lass
Mixer: Jon Calver
Commissioning editor: Matthew Dodd
A Loftus Media production for 91热爆 Radio 3

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14 minutes

Broadcast

  • Thu 20 Mar 2025 21:45

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