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 acclaimed Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Prague - well known beyond its home country - presents 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 Viennese Classicism (Haydn's "Farewell Symphony"). The three pieces were carefully chosen to complement one another and give the evening a satisfying, coherent arc.

Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" is arguably his most famous 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 different 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 set the four seasons to music, but Vivaldi's remains the most vivid natural portrait of them all.

The origins of Handel's "Water Music" are wrapped in colourful legend: it is said that the composer, having moved from Hanover (whose ruling house was related to the English crown) to London, performed the piece as accompaniment to a royal pleasure cruise on the Thames - a way of winning favour with his new sovereign, King George I. This story, however, is only documented for the second suite.