Antonio Vivaldi: THE FOUR SEASONS - plus works by G.F. Handel and J. Haydn

Antonio Vivaldi:
The Four Seasons

Georg Friedrich Handel:
Water Music, Orchestral Suite No. 1

Joseph Haydn:
Farewell Symphony

The Czech Chamber Philharmonic Prague, well known beyond its home country, brings three highlights from its extensive repertoire: two masterworks of Baroque music (Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and Handel's "Water Music") alongside a cornerstone of the Viennese Classical era (Haydn's "Farewell Symphony"). The three pieces were carefully chosen to complement one another and form a coherent, satisfying programme.

Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" is probably his most celebrated work. The composer, himself a virtuoso violinist, wove four violin concertos together, each depicting one season. Nature is the central subject throughout: spring brings a tangle of birdsong from many species; summer conveys oppressive heat and the longing for relief, then a violent thunderstorm, then the hum of bees and swarms of mosquitoes. A drinking song and hunting calls paint autumn. Wind, rain, perhaps snowfall - set against warming by the fireside and a skater on the ice - capture winter's contrasts: the comfort of home and the harshness outside. Many great composers (Haydn among them) have tackled the four seasons as a theme, but Vivaldi's musical portrait of nature remains the most inspired.

The origins of Handel's "Water Music" are wrapped in anecdote. One story has it that Handel, having moved from Hanover (a court connected to the British royal family) to London, composed the piece as accompaniment to a royal pleasure cruise on the Thames - a way of winning favour with his new patron, King George I. This account is, however, only documented for the second suite.