(c) FRANZHANS 06 Festival Orchester Berlin: Vivaldi's Four Seasons at French Cathedral
Berlin, French Cathedral — Main Hall
About the Event
Experience classical music like never before in this astonishing performance of masterworks by Vivaldi at Berlin's remarkable French Cathedral.
For 25 years, the Festival Orchester Berlin, a multicultural association of musicians from the leading European orchestras, has been creating enthusiasm with its baroque, Viennese classical and romantic repertoire, supplemented by musical rarities. In this concert, the ensemble focuses on the music of the great Venetian master Antonio Vivaldi. He created a timeless work of art with his interpretation of the four seasons. As a violin virtuoso himself, the composer compiled four violin concertos in 1725 into the 'Four Seasons'. The natural phenomena of each season are complemented by various sounds. The music thus portrays nature, animals and people in spring, summer, autumn and winter. In addition to Antonio Vivaldi's masterpiece, this concert for violin and chamber orchestra will feature other important works by well‐known composers. The orchestra plays on old Italian instruments and thus guarantees a sound of exceptional beauty.
Program
- Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons
Artists
| Orchestra: | Festival Orchester Berlin |
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French Cathedral
The French Church (Französischer Dom) is one of the three key buildings at the Gendarmenmarkt, the most beautiful square in Berlin. The church was built as a place of worship for the Huguenots, followers of the Protestant Reformed Church of France, who were persecuted in their own country and found asylum in Berlin in the reign of Frederick the Great. The French Cathedral stands opposite the German Church (or Neue Kirche), their identical domes and styles forming a stunning architectural ensemble. Unusually, in this location, 'Dom' refers not to a German 'cathedral', but to the French 'dome'. The building houses the Huguenot museum, a restaurant and a viewing platform that offers a gorgeous view of Mitte district of Berlin.
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi went down in history as a creator of the instrumental concert genre and the father of orchestral music. He was born in Venice on the 4th of March 1678. Vivaldi was a weak and sickly child suffering from asthma, however could not stop him from devoting himself completely to music. His father, Giovanni Batista a professional violinist, taught his elder son Antonio to play the violin. With his father young Antonio met the best musicians of Venice of that time and gave concerts in local churches. He also worked as a violin teacher and later as a music director at the orphanage Ospedalle della Pieta. Meanwhile he composed concertos, sacred works and vocal music and in 1713 he achieved great recognition with his sacred choral music. Vivaldi got captivated by the world of opera and worked both as opera composer and impresario at the Teatro San Angelo. In 1717 he obtained a prestigious position by the prince court in Manua as a director of secular music and worked there until around 1720. During that time he composed his world-renowned masterpiece The Four Seasons. In the 1730's his career dwindled as his music became unfashionable and the great composer died in poverty. It took the world two centuries to rediscover and reevaluate Vivaldi’s music, as it was buried into oblivion after his death. In the early 20th century many previously unknown works were found and immediately captured the hearts of the music lovers.
Address
French Cathedral, Gendarmenmarkt 5, Berlin, Germany — Google Maps
