A classic of Italian music

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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’s return to fame from the beginning of the 20th century to the modern day. 3. A classic of Italian music Phil investigates the modern history of The Four Seasons, noticing that early supporters of the rediscovered work had close links to Mussolini’s regime. Near Rome, Phil meets violinist Felix Ayo, who had the first smash-hit recording of The Four Seasons in the 1950s, helping Vivaldi on his way to becoming a household name. 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 BBC Radio 3