The composer

Born in Venice in 1678, Vivaldi lived and worked in the city for most of his life. His ordination in 1703 plus the colour of his hair earned him the nickname Il Prete Rosso – ‘The Red Priest’ – and a significant proportion of his music was written for sacred rather than secular purposes. He was also an exceptional violinist, and wrote a considerable number of concertos for his own instrument. These include, most famously, The Four Seasons, composed while employed in Mantua from 1717-21. Despite his success, he was nearly penniless when he died, aged 63, in Vienna in 1741.