The Four Seasons - Vivaldi

Virtuoso violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, a loyal member of Les Arts Florissants since his debut, leads the ensemble on an exceptional North American tour of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, to mark the 300th anniversary of the score. A major event!

A colorful figure in fascinating Baroque Venice, Vivaldi was one of the most influential musicians in 18th-century Europe. He captivated audiences with his extravagant personality and his virtuoso violin playing. An admired composer played throughout Europe, he conducted the orchestra of orphans at the Ospedale della Pietà, a famous Venetian musical institution.

Born in Venice in 1678, Vivaldi quickly became violin master, choirmaster and then concert master at the Ospedale della Pietà. There, he explored a wide range of musical experiences, demonstrating an incomparable talent, notably in the invention of the solo concerto, which enchanted 18th-century musical Europe and inspired many composers after him, such as Mozart and Beethoven. His career also flourished in opera, particularly at the San Angelo theater in Venice, but also in Mantua, Rome and Vienna, where he died in 1741 to relative indifference.

The Four Seasons, whose 300th anniversary we are celebrating today, contributed greatly to the composer's fame. With its descriptive and imaginative writing, this work prefigures the program music of 19th-century composers. Alongside it, the concert pays tribute to the masters of the past: first Monteverdi, another musical genius representative of the early Baroque. Then Uccellini, whose Bergamasca celebrates the art of improvisation so prized by the Venetians and so dear to Vivaldi. Geminiani's Follia, a transcription of a famous theme by Corelli, shows the influence of this composer on the young Vivaldi, as well as the particularly lively and joyful vocality of the art of concerto. 

Vivaldi's singular genius continues to inspire artists worldwide, as demonstrated by this concert with Les Arts Florissants featuring violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte. "For one of the best-known composers in Western music, it's astonishing how many facets remain to be explored", as this great Vivaldi interpreter and loyal Les Arts Florissants musician likes to say!

On April 18 at 8PM (local time EDT), the Boston Early Music Festival proposes a digital broadcast of the concert (click to learn more and purchase your digital ticket).