One of the most famous works in classical music, Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," remains as popular today as when it was written nearly three centuries ago. The appeal of this timeless Baroque masterpiece, a musical portrait of spring, summer, autumn and winter, extends beyond the concert hall and has captured popular imagination through its use in films, television, advertising, and even cell phone ring tones.
Vivaldi's vivid depiction of the seasons comes to Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center this holiday season as part of the Chrysler Foundation Signature Series. Led by witty guest conductor Nicholas McGegan and joined by violin soloist Jennifer Koh, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will perform the work on Thursday, December 6 at 8 p.m.; Friday, December 7 at 10:45 a.m.; and Saturday, December 8 at 8:30 p.m.
An additional performance on Friday December 7 at 8 p.m. is a DSO "Unmasked" Series concert. Hosted by CBC radio personality Tom Allen, this style of presentation is a fun, informal and informative approach to the music incorporating video images and dialogue from the stage. For "Unmasked: The Four Seasons," Allen will intersperse poetry readings to accompany the work between the concerti and will talk about the composer's use of natural sounds in the pieces, taking audiences through excerpts such as those depicting a barking dog, buzzing flies and dripping icicles.
Nicknamed Il Prete Rosso, or "The Red Priest," because of his vivid red hair and his career as a Venetian priest, Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was born and raised in the Republic of Venice in 1678 in the midst of the European Baroque period. In addition to music composition, he was a famous violin virtuoso. "The Four Seasons" is a series of four violin concertos, each with three movements - a slow one sandwiched between two faster ones. The music of each concerto, through specific styling and texturing, reflects the season it represents. For instance, the staccato notes of the high strings in "Winter" evoke the sleet and snow of an ice storm while a raging thunderstorm is musically depicted at the end of "Summer" as it leads into "Fall." In fact, the composer's accuracy in portraying natural sounds made it an instant hit; unlike today, when composers feel obliged to apologize for imitative music, the goal then was to create as realistic a copy as possible. Although some works take years, or even centuries, to earn recognition, "The Four Seasons" gained popularity immediately after its publication and initial performances, and it remains a favorite of music aficionados and casual listeners alike to this day.
Nicholas McGegan is a man on the move, appearing frequently as a guest conductor with orchestras in locations around the globe. Born in England and educated at Cambridge and Oxford Universities, he holds an honorary degree from London's Royal College of Music. His expertise ranges from Classical to Baroque to early-Romantic repertoire.
Violinist Jennifer Koh is increasingly in demand as a guest soloist for prestigious orchestras around the world. As a virtuoso whose natural flair is combined with a probing intellectual acuity, her programs often present rare and revealing juxtapositions, offering works by composers as divergent as Mozart and Ornette Coleman, Schubert and Wuorinen. Koh received a bachelor's degree in English literature from Oberlin College in Ohio and is an alumna of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Born in Chicago of Korean parents, Koh currently resides in New York City.
Tom Allen is the host of CBC Radio Two's morning show, "Music & Company." He is the author of "Toe Rubber Blues: Mid-life Thoughts on the Prospects of Aging" (1999) and "Rolling Home: A Cross-Canada Railroad Memoir" (2001). Allen lives in Toronto with his two children. -- www.detroitsymphony.com
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