Recomposition: Vivaldi's Four Seasons

I have no love for recompositions.

I prefer originals, as I feel that it would be what the original composer would want it to be, rather than a twisted new version of somebody else's interpretations on the piece. Or even books. Or even art. Any redo, no thanks. It feels like plagiarism to me.

However, this recomposition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (even if you don't know it, you will definitely have heard at least one of the pieces before) by Max Richter is so beautiful that I have completely eaten my words.

For any fan of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, to have a new musician come along and redress them with his own original ideas is like insulting the original. It is old classical music, so why turn it into something new? However, Richter, a fan of the music himself, felt that the music has become so familiar to the listeners that they have "stopped listening to it" and it is up to him to recreate something that would make people fall in love with it again. Hence: a recomposition, by adding new layers to a beautiful masterpiece without being too different from the original one.

The scores are familiar, yet infused with new notes and melodies. However, Richter has maintained the minimalistic quality of the pieces by keeping many of the fast, repeated key notes, over twelve tracks (for twelve months) plus a new short "prelude". Even though the music is based on the original Four Seasons, it is an entirely new stand-alone piece altogether.

The prelude is...different. I can almost feel the shimmering mist of the coming Spring through the ambient of both electronic and acoustic strings creating a sonic tide before the actual music begins. The solo lines in the works are more elegant and on its own. The result throughout the sequence is exquisitely played, refreshing and full of charm.

The really interesting part of the new album is that the overfamiliar melodies played tricks with your memory. You remember this...and suddenly, it became different. How is this possible? It's strange, but very interesting. Solo violinist Daniel Hope played the original for decades, and imagine how it was for him to play the recomposed score for the first time.

Max Richter, Daniel Hope

The musicians were a talented bunch as well! Daniel Hope's violin virtuosity is out of the world. If you have even a small interest in classical music, it deserves a listen. It is an absolute delight and you won't be disappointed. :)

Listen to it HERE!