Seasons Turn at St. Matthew’s

By JOHN HARLOW | Editor-in-Chief

“Spring,” the first movement of Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons,” was recycled from an earlier opera composed by the man known as the Red (haired) Priest of Venice.

And as the work approaches its third centennial, with festivals already planned to celebrate in three to five years’ time (there are arguments about when to date the original from), there will be a lot more serious-minded recycling—or reappraising, or restructuring, or in homage, pick your nomenclature.

The quartet of violin concerti has survived desiccation through film scores and television advertisements (and purloining by pizza bakers) to find its place in the canon.

Few outdoor festivals survive without at least one movement as an audience-pleasing lollipop, like fireworks with the “1812 Overture.”

In 1952 there were only two recordings of the work: Now there are more than 1,000, topped by Nigel Kennedy’s vigorous performance that has sold more than two million copies on CD.

But it has “good bones” and allows improvisation—every generation finds its own season.

It was recently rebooted by British composer Max Richter, whose works are usually described as ambient or even art-pop—but that sold lots on Universal’s Deutsche Grammophon (thank you, Palisadian/Universal boss Sir Lucian Grainge), so it is still officially classical.

Now, thanks to St. Matthew’s Music Guild, we shall get an opportunity to hear the latest reinventions live in our town—to prove that, after three centuries, it can still thrill and surprise.

The Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Tomasz Golka, will unveil a program called “Four Seasons of the Americas” at St. Matthew’s Church at 1031 Bienveneda Ave. on Friday, April 20.

There will be a Vivaldi-flavored work by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla called “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.” It was originally composed as a quintet for tango and has been reworked since, but it still includes “quotes” from the 1721 (or 1723) original.

Also on the bill is “American Seasons” as inspired by Vivaldi and composed by contemporary bluegrass/jazz/country fiddler Mark O’Connor.

O’Connor worked with the late Stéphane Grappelli and James Taylor, and won a Best Classical Crossover Grammy with Yo-Yo Ma for their “Appalachian Journey,” but this is a new take on an emerging sound that blends southern music with an even older Italian feel.

The evening will mix O’Connor’s “Spring” and “Autumn” with Piazolla’s “Summer” and “Winter” movements. The featured violinists will be Yi-Huan Zhao, concertmaster at St. Matthew’s, and Kevin Kumar, co-founder of the Pasadena-based Salastina Chamber Music Society.

There are samples of both post-Vivaldi works on YouTube.

One suspects that the Red-Haired Priest, a composer so irascible he had difficulties even holding on to his music teaching job at the Venice orphanage he put on the map, would be happy to give his absolution to the taken liberties.