Hill Auditorium
Les Arts Florissants
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300
$15-20 student tickets available
When published in 1725, nobody could imagine Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons would become perhaps the most frequently heard music of all time. Yet today, 300 years on, the concertos remain as popular as ever.
Early music specialists Les Arts Florissants and violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, whose baroque and modern violin mastery has been called “a stunner by any standard” (The Strad), celebrate the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s most iconic concertos.
A colorful figure in Baroque Venice, Vivaldi was one of the most influential musicians in 18th-century Europe, captivating audiences with his extravagant personality and his virtuosic violin playing. The Four Seasons contributed greatly to the composer’s fame with its descriptive and imaginative writing.
The program frames the iconic masterpiece afresh, setting it alongside music the composer would have heard while he was growing up in Venice, and compositions that were, in turn, inspired by his bold artistic vision.
Program
Claudio Monteverdi Adoramus te, SV 289
Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for strings and basso continuo, RV 129 (“Madrigalesco”)
Marco Uccellini Bergamasca
Vivaldi Concerto in d minor, RV 813
Vivaldi Concerto in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 (“Spring”)
Vivaldi Concerto in g minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 (“Summer”)
Domenico Gabrielli Sonata in G Major – Grave (for cello and continuo)
Vivaldi Overture to La fida ninfa (“The Faithful Nymph”), RV 714
Vivaldi Concerto in F Major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 (“Autumn”)
Vivaldi Grave from Violin Concerto in B-flat Major, RV 370
Vivaldi Concerto in f minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 (“Winter”)
Encores:
Francesco Geminiani Concerto No. 12 in d minor “La Folia” (after Corelli)
Charles Avison Concerto Grosso No. 6
Valet parking will be available beginning 1 hour before the performance for $30 per car (cash only) on N University Ave in front of Hill Auditorium.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
PERMANENTLY ENDOWED SUPPORT
- Darragh H. and Robert O. Weisman Memorial Endowment Fund
TITLE SPONSOR
- Richard Caldarazzo and Eileen Weiser
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
- Sid Gilman and Carol Barbour
- Claire L. Turcotte
-
MEDIA PARTNERS
BIOGRAPHY
“Performances so special that I feel a changed man from listening” [Gramophone]; “A stunner by any standard” [The Strad]; and “Mesmerizing” [The New Yorker] – these represent common reactions upon encountering violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, who is rapidly emerging as a much sought-after violin soloist (on both baroque and modern instruments), chamber musician, recitalist, and conductor. Whether wielding bow or baton, de Swarte has built a reputation for breathing new life into centuries-old music, whether it be standards of baroque repertoire, an obscure, unfinished work by Vivaldi, or the trio sonatas of his long-forgotten Venetian contemporary, Giovanni Reali. Regardless of what is on his music stand, and whatever his role on stage, de Swarte’s dynamic, spontaneous, and frequently improvisational approach delights audiences the world over.
Recognition has come in the form of major awards, including the 2022 “Diapason D’or of the year” for his recording of Vivaldi, Locatelli, and Leclair concertos (harmonia mundi), and the 2022 “Ambassador of the Year” award from the European Early Music Network (REMA), along with multiple additional recording awards and a February, 2022 cover story in The Strad magazine.
In solo appearances on both baroque and modern violin, de Swarte regularly offers concertos by all of the baroque masters, along with those of Haydn and Mozart. He has appeared with Les Arts Florissants, Le Consort, Orchestre de l’Opera Royal, Holland Baroque, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Les Ombres, and Orchestre National de Lorraine. His engagements have brought him to prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms) the Philharmonie de Paris, Vienna’s Musikverein, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Berlin’s Philharmonie, Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Hall, and the Shanghai National Art Center.
Théotime Langlois de Swarte studied at the Paris Conservatory under Michael Hentz, and became a regular member of Les Arts Florissants at William Christie’s invitation in 2014, while still a student. In 2025 he led the ensemble on two North American tours comprising 31 venues including Carnegie Hall, Boston, Berkeley, Ann Arbor, Toronto, and Washington DC. He has also appeared in recital with William Christie, including a 2021 recording of sonatas by Leclair and Senaille (“Generations” on harmonia mundi).
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