Vivaldi: Four Seasons

This concert by the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra features a performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s (1678-1741) timeless classic The Four Seasons, presented in an exciting new approach guided jointly by soloist László G. Horváth and Soma Dinyés, who will lead the continuo part, with Vivaldi’s programme music appearing before the listener’s eyes as a living story. In the course of the performance, we will gain insight into how the textual references placed in the scores to the works serve as a source of inspiration aiding musicians in the musical formation of natural sounds. Also included will be the sonnets that Vivaldi wrote as a – programmatic – supplement to the musical works. Before performing each of the four violin concertos that make up the cycle of ‘seasons’ – the artists will give a presentation in which they break down Vivaldi’s music into its various elements in an interactive manner, accompanied by musical examples.

Spring reveals the music of birds along with that of a gentle breeze and a spring shower before offering us an idyllic image of the merry dancing of nymphs and shepherds. Summer brings unbearable heat, various winds and a devastating storm, along with a peasant lamenting her ruined crops and the appearance of annoying mosquitoes, flies and wasps.

Autumn, as the harvest season, presents listeners with the joyful celebration of its bounty, with the fun – after reaching its climax – suddenly replaced by sleep and snoring.

This is followed by the frost and teeth-chattering cold of Winter, where the lonely wanderer desperately seeks shelter, later watching the snow and ice melt from the warm room next to a crackling fire as the sounds of springtime are evoked yet again, conveying the eternal cycle of nature. The winner of several competitions both in this country and internationally, and a regular guest at prestigious concert venues in Budapest and across Europe, the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra is one of the most exciting young ensembles in Hungary.

The program is held in Hungarian.