Royal Conservatory of Music: Vivaldi at 400 | Claudio Monteverdi: Adoramus te, SV 289 (transcription); Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto madrigalesco, for strings and basso continuo in D Minor, RV129; Marco Uccellini: Bergamasca; Antonio Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in D Minor, RV 813; Francesco Geminiani: Concerto Grosso No. 12 in D Minor (“La Follia”) (after Corelli); Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in E Major, op. 8, no. 1, “Spring” from The Four Seasons, RV 269; Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in G Minor, op. 8, no. 2, “Summer” from The Four Seasons, RV 315; Antonio Vivaldi: Overture to La fida ninfa, FV 714; Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in F Major, op. 8, no. 3, “Autumn” from The Four Seasons, RV 293; Antonio Vivaldi: Grave from Violin Concerto in B flat Major, RV 370; Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto in F Minor, op. 8, no. 4, Winter” from The Four Seasons, RV 297. Les Arts Florissants, Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin. March 29, 2025, Koerner Hall.
Les Arts Florissants returned to Toronto, this time with Théotime Langlois de Swarte — a young, stunning violinist — at the helm, bringing a mixed Italian baroque program centered on Vivaldi. It was full of rocket-fuel energy, where familiar music freed itself from expectations to become new, with great depth of expression — everything from the curiosity of the Cheshire cat, to the most tender gentleness from the heart, and vehement fury.
Glancing at the printed program, many would’ve been curious about the Monteverdi ‘Adoramus Te’ transcription, and Uccellini’s ‘Bergamasca’, while the name, Vivaldi — especially when attached to the words ‘violin concerto’, and Four Seasons — must’ve brought a sense of comfort and familiarity.
Opening the concert with the fresh selection of Monteverdi and Uccellini, carefully curated to run seamlessly from one to another, with Vivaldi’s Madrigalesco concerto in the middle — an homage to Monterverdi — the group immediately commanded the room with pin-drop silence. The incredible dynamic breadth and colours, from hearing 13 ensemble string players negotiating the gentlest pianissimo with straight tones, then exploding into percussive, hot-driven crescendos into the fortes, was truly impressive.
The balancing of tutti sections vs. accompanying sections for de Swarte’s flexible, yet incredibly accurate solos, were excellent; the conversational exchanges between de Swarte, and ensemble leaders Augusta McKay Lodge (Violin), and Hanna Salzenstein (cello), were especially captivating.
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
However, when de Swarte requested the audience to pretend that we’ve never heard of the Four Seasons, it felt like an impossible request — it’s been used everywhere, for international commercials from Audi to Beats by Dre, and God only knows how many other brands and events. Everything from birthdays and weddings, to funerals, have quoted the Four Seasons. A fragment of it even made it onto the front cover of the New Yorker.
However, LAF and de Swarte’s Four Seasons were fresh — so much life and inspiration elevated this familiar classic to a genuinely new listening experience. The additional companion pieces, original and striking in their own right, though undoubtedly Vivaldian, broke the familiar flow of the Four Seasons — a noble concept for many of us, who came to rely on recordings moving from one track to another in automation. The sequence of events and learned expectations are powerful, especially when such a sequence is disturbed, forcing us to create new spaces in between things that we know so well.
The progression of speed and momentum of phrases, often marked with dramatic pause and silence, were free of bar lines and note stems, conjuring real time magic from the static score.
Judicial rhythmic bowing for certain sections created a vital rhythmic drive bordering on folk/metal music, contrasting sharply with the sinewy elan of the linear phrases. The pacing, ranging from barely detectable gestures born out of silence, to true propulsions, were mesmerizing. Salzenstein’s continuo cello playing was exceptional, as she matched de Swarte’s energy and complexity, elevating the solo and cadenza sections as a duel of equals, then weaving back into a singular, beautiful running engine.
The most stunning of the Four Seasons was the Largo from ‘Winter’. Instead of the usual sparse pizzicato that depicts gentle rain, the group presented a swirl of pizzicatos in sixteenth notes. The heightened contrast between the endless raindrops falling all over the space, and de Swarte’s endless linear melody was incredible.
Many have attempted to make the Four Seasons anew, yet this particular performance succeeded by simply changing the pulse of the pizzicato — simple changes can be so stunning.
Final Thoughts
In this noisy world where anything and everything goes together, Interchangeability and substitution often lead us astray, and the devil is thriving on the details.
As we casually refer to musical scores as music, we lose a lot, and that loss is difficult to measure until we truly experience what music is. The idea of tradition and history are also a double-edged sword. We dig through history to form traditions to help us understand: however, once we build a dependable tradition, it quickly shackles and restrains us.
LAF and de Swarte’s Four Seasons presentation gave us a trajectory that most of us have not ever dreamed of, yet remained true to Vivaldi’s narrative arcs. The unfamiliar selections from Monteverdi, Uccellini, and Geminiani, were true gifts to be able to see things anew for the audience.
The inspiration and energy of the evening, drawing from careful curation of musical selections, with superb musical and technical playing, resonated through everyone’s heart in Koerner Hall. It was an exhilarating evening, and it is exciting to see how young de Swarte and LAF continue to ignite the passion for beauty in all of us.
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