Renaud Capuçon recognises Vivaldi's Four Seasons as "a highlight of the violin repertoire", but it has taken him some time to add it to his discography. "For years, I refused to play it," he explains. "I'd heard it too much in the corridors of the Métro in Paris and as holding music on the phone. But once I'd accepted to play it, I was blown away by the power of the music... I realised that it's famous because it's amazing! It's a masterpiece. I've now played it frequently with Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and it feels fresh and new every time." He has chosen to complement Vivaldi's four concertos with two sparkling concertos composed in Paris some 40 years after Vivaldi's death. They are by Chevalier de Saint-George (1745-1799), born in Guadeloupe of French and African descent, who became a prominent and influential figure in Paris. He has been described in the New York Times as a composer who holds a "truly unique place in Western classical music history".
1 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in E Major, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 "Spring": I. Allegro
2 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in E Major, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 "Spring": II. Largo a Pianissimo Sempre
3 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in E Major, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 "Spring": III. Allegro. Danza Pastorale
4 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 8 No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": I. Allegro Non Molto
5 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 8 No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": II. Adagio - Presto
6 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in G minor, Op. 8 No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": III. Presto
7 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in F Major, Op. 8 No. 3, RV 293 "Autumn": I. Allegro
8 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in F Major, Op. 8 No. 3, RV 293 "Autumn": II. Adagio Molto
9 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in F Major, Op. 8 No. 3, RV 293 "Autumn": III. Allegro "La Caccia"
10 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8 No. 4, RV 297 "Winter": I. Allegro Non Molto
11 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8 No. 4, RV 297 "Winter": II. Largo
12 The Four Seasons, Violin Concerto in F minor, Op. 8 No. 4, RV 297 "Winter": III. Allegro
13 Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8: I. Allegro
14 Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8: II. Largo
15 Violin Concerto No. 9 in G Major, Op. 8: III. Rondeau
16 Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 5 No. 1: I. Allegro
17 Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 5 No. 1: II. Andante Moderato
18 Violin Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 5 No. 1: III. Rondeau
Renaud Capuçon recognises Vivaldi's Four Seasons as "a highlight of the violin repertoire", but it has taken him some time to add it to his discography. "For years, I refused to play it," he explains. "I'd heard it too much in the corridors of the Métro in Paris and as holding music on the phone. But once I'd accepted to play it, I was blown away by the power of the music... I realised that it's famous because it's amazing! It's a masterpiece. I've now played it frequently with Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and it feels fresh and new every time." He has chosen to complement Vivaldi's four concertos with two sparkling concertos composed in Paris some 40 years after Vivaldi's death. They are by Chevalier de Saint-George (1745-1799), born in Guadeloupe of French and African descent, who became a prominent and influential figure in Paris. He has been described in the New York Times as a composer who holds a "truly unique place in Western classical music history".
