The seeds of a revival

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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. 1. The seeds of a revival Phil explores how Bach gave Vivaldi a footnote in music history, piquing the interest of scholars in the late 19th century, while also gifting the star violinist Fritz Kreisler a name to steal for a musical hoax. The musicologist Michael Talbot tells Phil that the hoax helped the burgeoning Vivaldi revival in a highly unexpected way. 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