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The Philadelphia Orchestra

Conductor

Xian Zhang

Instrumentalist

Violinist

David Kim

Violin

Orchestra

Vivaldi and Mozart

Philadelphia

United States

Verizon Hall

Vivaldi and Mozart: The Four Seasons Vivaldi (+1 More)

Public

The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires

Symphony No.39 in E-flat major, K.543

Approved

More than 200 years after Baroque master Antonio Vivaldi wrote his classic Four Seasons, Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, famed for his tango-flavored works, created his Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. The unique suite heard in this program matches Vivaldi’s and Piazzolla’s seasons in hemispheric order, pairing Argentina’s summer with Italy’s winter, and so forth. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition, hearing Vivaldi’s silvery, singing strings followed by Piazzolla’s dramatic dance rhythms, spiked with col legno (a playing technique literally translated as “with the wood,” where the players use the wooden surface of their bows to create percussive sounds). This centuries-spanning montage is a brilliant showcase for Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim, hailed for his “scintillating, silken tone” (New York Classical Review). 

In the three years leading to his death, Mozart experienced an intensely focused burst of creativity, dashing off masterworks as though they were nothing. In just three months he wrote his last three symphonies, each expanding the scope and ingenuity of his previous compositions. Despite his failing finances and the personal tragedy of the death of his young daughter, his feverish output was as brilliant as it was prolific, as you’ll hear in his grand Symphony No. 39.

One of the most dynamic brilliant women conductors of today, Xian Zhang is a “bundle of energy, conducting with feet firmly grounded and big, purposeful motions of the torso and arms … she is a natural communicator, brimming with enthusiasm and humor” (The New York Times).

English

Vivaldi and Mozart by Vivaldi, Piazzolla, Mozart, From (2024/2024), Conductor Xian Zhang, Verizon Hall, Philadelphia, United States

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