Ever since I first encountered Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at school when it was a set work for O-Levels, I have loved the imagery and variety these four
concertos for violin and string orchestra conjure up. There have been many reinterpretations of this work over the years, a sure testament to its enduring popularity, but almost none have involved the human voice, and I have long thought of using the original Vivaldi as a basis for a new choral work, setting poems suggested to me by the contrasting atmospheres and scene-setting of the 12 individual movements that make up the four concertos.
Paul Carr
Shostakovich Five
Bartók, Prokofiev, Shostakovich Wednesday 15 May, 7.30pmKirill Karabits conducts his final concert as Chief Conductor of the BSO in powerful style with Shostakovich's rousing Fifth Symphony.
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