Vivaldi's Four Seasons at Chiesa Anglicana All Saints in Rome
Rome, All Saints Church
About the Event
Experience classical music like never before in this astonishing performance of Vivaldi's masterwork at Rome's remarkable Chiesa Anglicana All Saints.
The Four Seasons by A.Vivaldi
The Four Seasons is the best known of Antonio Vivaldi's compositions. They are actually four separate concertos, written from as many sonnets by an unknown author and each inspired by a season of the year. They are part of Opus 8 'Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'invenzione' .
SPRING
The music describes the individual events of Spring step by step: the birdsong, the thunderstorm, and in the final dance the solo violin represents a sleeping shepherd, the violas the barking of the faithful dog, and the rustling leaves are played by other violins.
SUMMER
This is definitely the concerto with the most descriptive effectiveness. The summer storm is its protagonist and one can hear it approaching in the summer heat and then burst out in the finale in all its violence. The shepherd frightened by the sudden storm is described by the solo.
AUTUMN
Here the protagonist is Bacchus. Vivaldi unparalleled reproduces the symptoms of intoxication caused by wine while in the middle movement, titled the 'Drunken Sleepers,' he enjoys the dreamy and peaceful atmosphere of the after‐party. Finally, the third movement describes the excited rhythms of hunting.
WINTER
This concerto, with its pastoral tones, was conceived by Vivaldi to be performed in church in fact, the entire orchestra always plays almost 'in mute' as if not to disturb the faithful gathered in prayer.
Practical Information
The 'reduced' categories can be booked by Students, Roma passport holders, under 18, over 65
Program
- Antonio Vivaldi – Four Seasons
All Saints Church
All Saints' Church serves the Anglican community in Rome. It is an active English-speaking parish that continues the ministry of the Church of England in Italy - a tradition that began in 1816. All Saints' Church was built in 1880 on a design by architect George Edmund Street, a leading light of the Victorian Gothic Revival, and the church is an excellent example of the Victorian English aesthetic. The interior of the church is decorated with mosaic roundels in which typically-Anglican symbols can be seen. Today, All Saints' Church hosts a variety of classical concerts, including opera performances featuring talented artists from all over the world.
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
All Saints Church, Via del Babuino, 153, Rome, Italy — Google Maps
