Théotime Langlois de Swarte and his Orchestre Le Consort mark the tercentenary of the publication of Vivaldi’s greatest hit with a compelling take on the work’s deep meaning. The Four Seasons emerges here as a profound meditation on the cycle of life, its changing moods illustrated with dramatic contrasts, impassioned gestures and a nerve-jangling exhilaration that reveals countless fresh perspectives on even this often performed work.
De Swarte’s mesmerising artistry—by turns ravishing, poetic, iconoclastic, spiritually charged—is matched by that of a Baroque big band alive to every nuance. The pattern of birth, death and rebirth is mirrored across the album, which includes the world premiere recording of delightful dances by Gregorio Lambranzi, and a rapt vision of Vivaldi’s motet Nulla in mundo pax sincera.
