Pekka Kuusisto: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

The evening

Ale Carr cittern Pekka Kuusisto violin & conductor Aurora Orchestra

Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto joins forces with Aurora Orchestra, bringing his folk-inspired interpretation of Vivaldi’s greatest nature-inspired work: The Four Seasons.

From Finland to Italy, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is re-imagined for the 21st century, infused with Nordic and traditional tunes led by Pekka Kuusisto and citternist Ale Carr. Folk dances from the Åre Swedish mountain range become the Apres-ski to Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’; a lazy Finnish summer evening unfurls in the form of a folk song before Vivaldi’s summer storm hits.

To open, Caroline Shaw’s Plan and Elevation, a driving yet reflective work inspired by nature and architectural drawings. A bird’s-eye “plan” shows the whole structure, while an “elevation” reveals its intricate details and ornaments – much as tonight’s improvisations illuminate music centuries old from a new angle.