[asa]B000002RXL[/asa] In 1989, the classical world was marking the end of an era with the death of Herbert von Karajan. Then Kennedy burst onto the scene and launched a new one. He was the polar opposite to every expectation we had of classical musicians: scruffy, cheeky, spiky-haired, foot-stamping, ‘Mockney’ speaking; he called us ‘cats’ and ‘monsters’! Agreed, The Four Seasons was the first time that a classical artist had been given the full pop marketing treatment. There was a promotional ‘single’, billboard posters, TV and radio commercials. But there was more to this phenomenon than marketing – Kennedy is a brilliant violinist and performer. His full throttle version of Vivaldi sold more than three million copies worldwide, held onto the No.1 spot in the classical chart for more than a year, and entered the record books as the best-selling classical recording ever. I’d spent my youth playing in bands and I vividly recall hearing Kennedy’s album for the first time and thinking ‘This guy knows how to let rip!’ I’d never heard baroque that sounded like rock before – and Kennedy looked the part too. If you need a reminder, join me on Classic FM Drive after 6pm to hear a track from the classic recording. [[asa]B002HIEIN8[/asa]