"It's not often that composers inspire such funny surrealism. I enjoyed these very much."--Bernard MacLaverty In these playful episodes, Ron Butlin weaves delightful fables based on the lives of the great composers and philosophers: Beethoven attempts pyramid selling; Haydn deliberates over the promotional boost he would receive by an appearance on Jerry Springer; Seneca tests the validity of stoicism by taking up residence in 21st century Edinburgh; and God entrusts Vivaldi with the gift of the number 3.Vivaldi and the Number 3 is a delightful mix of music and surreal humour by an acclaimed Scottish writer. Ron Butlin was born in 1949 in Edinburgh, where he now lives. Having worked variously as a footman, a male model and a barnacle scraper on Thames barges, he has become one of Scotland's most acclaimed writers.