Les Arts Florissants

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Courtesy of Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech

Pioneering a revival of Baroque repertoire long neglected, internationally renowned early music ensemble Les Arts Florissants takes the stage with one of today’s most sought-after young early music stars, violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, to perform Vivaldi’s masterpiece, Four Seasons.

When published in 1725, no one imagined these works would become, perhaps, the most frequently heard music of all time. Prefacing them with foundational pieces by Geminiani and Monteverdi, the program frames these iconic works in a new light, inviting questions about the fleeting, cyclical nature of our existence; our relationship with the natural world; and the eternal renewal of Earth’s cycles. 

The Program

The opening Monteverdi brings us to a Venice prior to Vivaldi’s birth. The Madrigalesco concerto shows Vivaldi paying homage to the master, echoing Monteverdi’s bold harmonic approach, and thus providing a bridge between this earlier style and 18th-century virtuosity. 

Uccellini’s La Bergamasca plunges us into the improvisational practices of the Venetians, with a bass line familiar from today’s pop music.

Geminiani’s popular transcription of Corelli’s sonatas for chamber orchestra unites two geniuses of the baroque era. Corelli, whose groundbreaking Op. 5 (concluding with Follia and published in 1700), was an inspirational figure to the young Vivaldi. Geminani traveled widely and helped establish Italian repertoire throughout Europe. This Follia, published in 1729, was almost certainly influenced by the appearance of Vivaldi’s Op. 8 just four years prior.

"Vivaldi's Four Seasons at 300"

Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 7:30 PM

Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

This performance will last approximately 100 minutes, including one intermission.

*Run times listed here are based on information provided at this time and are subject to change.