Vivaldi and the Virtuosa: The Four Seasons

Vivaldi’s fantastically imaginative musical pictures of the changing seasons paint nature in astoundingly vivid detail, and it is no wonder that they have become his best-loved work.

Whilst the Four Seasons were published in Amsterdam, Vivaldi spent most of his career working at the orphanage of La Pietà in his native Venice, where girls were given an extensive musical education. Consequently, many of his works – including the two other concertos featured here – were composed for performances by the girls and young women there, which reached international renown. Anna Maria dal violin (‘of the violin’) was one of La Pietà’s most famous pupils, later working as a teacher – and Vivaldi’s colleague – there, and he composed dozens of concertos for her.

Part of Blackheath International Chamber Music Festival