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The Rolling Year: Listening to the Seasons with Vivaldi
On the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’, broadcaster and musicologist Dr Hannah French embraces the art of listening seasonally in her exploration of this classic work.
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Summary
Embrace the art of listening seasonally with BBC Radio 3 presenter Dr Hannah French as she explores Antonio Vivaldi’s evergreen work: The Four Seasons.
‘The Four Seasons’, Antonio Vivaldi’s famous set of highly descriptive violin concertos, was published 300 years ago, but the themes it contains continue to reveal new truths to listeners today.
Through the rich imagery of each concerto and its accompanying poetry, Dr Hannah French uncovers the detail of Vivaldi’s personal and creative life. In conversation with fellow musicians and experts in health, nature, food, wine, and science, she helps bring a new perspective to the music through our shared experiences of the joys and fears of the ever-evolving seasons.
To spend a year in the company of Vivaldi is to witness the sounds of both ancient festivals and the beauty and brutality of the natural world – a rolling year that enhances our sensory experience of the seasons today.
Critic Reviews
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons come round as reliably as spring, summer, autumn and winter, so reliably you might think there’s nothing more to say about them. Wrong. Hannah French’s fascinating, seasonally-structured exploration restores their freshness, their glow, their mellowness, their chill, so effectively it is like discovering them for the first time.
Critic Reviews
Vivaldi stepped out of the pages in a whole new light and Hannah’s infectious enthusiasm for his music coupled with her extensive knowledge has felt like a new introduction to an old friend. I thought I knew ‘the Red Priest’, his famous works, his legacy, yet Hannah gives us a chance to delve far deeper, and what a surprise awaits. A book for all seasons.
Critic Reviews
Delightful . . . French takes you on a technicoloured journey into the history, politics, landscapes, sounds, smells and foods of Vivaldi’s world. Mindful listening might be an overused phrase but The Rolling Year shows us just how it should be done.
Critic Reviews
Rich in surprises and detail ... Such an engaging read.
Critic Reviews
Fresh and original.
Critic Reviews
A joyous celebration and essential background reading about one of the great, enduring classical works.
HannahFrench
Dr Hannah French is a BBC Radio 3 presenter and host of The Early Music Show. She previously spent twelve years as a lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music. A specialist in baroque music, she is a regular face at music and literary festivals, a presenter for the BBC Proms and an expert commentator on radio and TV.
Read MoreHannahFrench
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Faber is delighted to announce the acquisition of Hannah French's The Rolling Year: Listening to the Seasons with Vivaldi.