Despite his reputation today as one of Venice's greatest sons, Antonio Vivaldi wasn't always lionized in the city of his birth. In wealthy Venice of the 18th century, despite having been ordained a priest, he was forced to defend his music against the church, particularly in the person of the Bishop of Venice, who was determined to destroy Vivaldi's career and his operas. Vivaldi managed nevertheless to turn out a remarkably large and varied body of music, but even during his lifetime he had to struggle to make ends meet. When changing musical tastes made his work outmoded, he chose to sell off many of his manuscripts for pittances to finance a move to Vienna. It seems his greatest consolation was the presence at his side of his favorite prima donna, Anna Giro. Like many composers of his time, he died in poverty and obscurity, and it took another three centuries for his musical genius to be recognized.