There is no mistaking the Vivaldi sound - what Professor Robbins Landon calls a wiry, nervous sound, with that concentration of rhythmic designs which, once experienced, is literally unforgettable. Even those who have never listened to another piece of classical music know The Four Seasons. Vivaldi's music is deeply personal and sharply characterized; the man behind it is fascinating - a Catholic priest who gave up celebrating Mass almost as soon as he was ordained and who shared his house with an attractive soprano; a lifelong invalid who could travel all over Europe when it suited him; a dazzling violin virtuoso whose compositions captivated Venice but who died poor and forgotten in Vienna. New compositions by Vivaldi are still being brought to light, as are letters and documents connected with his life. In this newly researched biography, H.C. Robbins Landon brings his expertise to bear on Vivaldi. Every document that sheds light on the composer's career is translated complete. The book's strength, is in Professor Robbins Landon's integration of analysis and biography, using each to illuminate the other and unravel the riddle of Vivaldi's identity and extraordinary gift. H.C. Robbins Landon, is one of the world's leading musicologists. He is the author of Haydn: Chronicle and Works, Mozart and Vienna, 1791: Mozart's Last Year, Mozart and the Masons and Beethoven: His Life, Work and World; and editor of The Mozart Compendium, all from Thames and Hudson.