2959 A prolific Italian composer of over 750 works discovered so far, renowned in his time as a violinist and known for solo violin concertos, including the famous L'Estro armonico, op. 3. In tone-painting works such as I Quattri Stagioni ("The Four Seasons"), Vivaldi established the essential drama and strong rhythms applied to basic harmonies that would prepare the way for the symphonic sonata-allegro form and the 18th-century "sound." He invented the idea that the soloist and orchestra should be in conflict with each other, holding a dialog that was essentially developmental, with effects like swift scales, arpeggios, and tremoli adding to the drama. ~ <I>Blue</I> Gene Tyranny, All Music Guide 2307