Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons: A Timeless Masterpiece Antonio Vivaldi was a genius who stands out as the most inventive of the slew of composers that helped bring the Italian Baroque style to its pinnacle. His compositions exude the perfection of 17th-century Italian opera and concerto genres. They are characterized by their simplicity, elegance, and beauty. The Four Seasons is one of the most popular albums in the world, having been released on April 20, 2004. It consists of 24 pieces for solo violin, with a total running time of about an hour and a half. The album has been praised for its beauty and ingenuity. It was named after the famous hotel where it was recorded. The Four Seasons is the only complete album of Vivaldi's work that has ever been released. Vivaldi was born in Venice but moved to London when he was young. He returned to Italy when he was 30 years old and lived there until his death at the age of 75. The Four Seasons is composed over the course of several months in 1725 and is set to a poem written by Giovanni Pozzo di Borgo. The work does not include any original material; instead, it draws from many other sources including classical poetry (e.g., Theocritus and Virgil), ballet music, and folk songs. The title of the album is also the name of the first song on it.