Sat 7/1 @ 7:30PM
Sun 7/2 @ 4PM
Sat 7/29 @ 8PM
Sun 7/30 @ 6PM
Every classical music listener knows Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons violin concerti, a staple of the repertoire, written and debuted in the 1720s. Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s baroque orchestra, is presenting them in a different way in its next series of concerts, “Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Rediscovered.” They’ll focus on the descriptive qualities of the pieces, which had accompanying poems whose seasonal descriptions of nature were reflected in the music.
“If you thought you knew the Four Seasons — be prepared for surprises!” AF tells us. “From the bird calls and storms to a barking dog, flies and wasps, drunken peasants, an exhilarating fox hunt with ‘gunshots,’ and more, the story that Vivaldi intended with these pieces is made clear as each concerto is preceded by a quick and polished ‘tour’ of the sound effects to come.”
Three violinists will rotate as soloists: Olivier Brault, Susanna Perry Gilmore and Alan Choo. In addition, the ensemble will perform Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos, with René Schiffer and Mimé Brinkmann handling the solo roles.
They’ll perform twice this week, at the First United Methodist Church in Akron on Sat 7/1 and St. Raphael Catholic Church in Bay Village on Sun 7/2. Then they’ll pack up their instruments and head to the Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts to perform the same program Wed 7/5.
They’ll take a break until the end of the month when they head to Chicago’s north suburbs to perform at Ravinia Thu 7/27. Then they’re back in northeast Ohio for two special performances: Cleveland Heights’ Cain Park on Cain Park Sat 7/29, preceded by a “Viva il Vino!” wine-tasting from 6:30-7:45pm prior to the 8pm concert and a picnic concert at Laurel School’s Butler Campus Sun 7/30 with a picnic dinner, beer and wine available for purchase.
There are no pre-concert talks before these events. Tickets range from $22-$42.
The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44308
Bay Village, OH 44140
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118