Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons, interspersed with folk music improvisations

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 folkloric sounds and improvisations led by Pekka Kuusisto, citternist Ale Carr and Aurora’s musicians. 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.