Vivaldi and Müller

Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" is undoubtedly at the top of every list of the most famous classical works, even outside circles dedicated to classical music, alongside Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik". This cycle of four three-part violin concertos, however, not only enjoys lasting popularity with audiences, but also serves as a seemingly inexhaustible source of inspiration for composers and musicians. Already in the 18th century, numerous composers arranged the work or parts of it. Michel Corrette, for example, transformed Spring into a sacred piece, while Nicolas Chédeville arranged it for musette and hurdy-gurdy. To this day it has been arranged for countless ensembles and instruments, reinterpreted in jazz, film music and folk music and quoted or reinterpreted in contemporary works. British composer Max Richter has even completely recomposed Vivaldi's Four Seasons - his Winter now pulses in an irregular, pounding 7/8 rhythm. Swiss composer Fabian Müller opts for a less radical approach. In 2016, he was commissioned by the Murten Classics Festival to compose a prelude and three interludes for violinist Kamilla Schatz, each to be performed before Vivaldi's violin concertos. Unlike Richter, Müller leaves the original unchanged and prepares the four concertos atmospherically by, as he himself puts it, "rolling out the red carpet for her". Violinist Silvan Dezini strives in this recording for a pure, unadorned version of the Four Seasons in order to capture the soundscapes of both Vivaldi's and Müller's compositions as faithfully as possible. To achieve this, Dezini worked closely with Müller: "This helped me understand what Fabian wanted to express with his pieces, and I was able to discover new connections between Vivaldi and Müller."