As the wintry weather subsided last Sunday, a full house took refuge inside Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church near Lincoln Center for a timely performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The Sebastians, the noteworthy New York-based period-instrument ensemble that performs music of the baroque and classical eras, gave an evocative performance of these beloved concertos among other pieces from the baroque repertoire.
But music was not the only feature. Multimedia pairings heightened the evening’s theme of seasons, change, and new perspectives, with photographs taken for the occasion by four photographers (Grace Copeland, who also curated the photography, Ramuel Galarza, Rachel Monteleone, and Izaiah Rosado). Hannah Fox’s projection designs, featuring the photographs and her own visual effects, were paired with each season above the musicians. All together, these visual elements added another reflective, expressive layer to the concert.
Now in its eleventh concert season, the Sebastians (a nod to J.S. Bach’s middle name) consists of a core quartet: violins (Daniel S. Lee, Nicholas DiEugenio), cello (Ezra Seltzer), and harpsichord (Jeffrey Grossman). Known for its inventive programming, the Sebastians pairs music with complementary art and media, and frequently collaborates with leading musicians specializing in baroque music. Violinists Beth Wenstrom and Isabelle Seula Lee joined the Sebastians as concerto soloists on Autumn and Spring, respectively. Bassist Nathaniel Chase and lutenist Joshua Stauffer rounded out the bass section of the ensemble.
The Four Seasons, first published in 1725, is meant to dazzle and delight, and the soloists delivered. Featuring a different soloist for each “season” lent a captivating change of color and character to the work as a whole. Vivaldi included a poem with each movement that reflects the musical story, and highlighting each season’s mood is essential to a vivid interpretation. For example, in Autumn, soloist Beth Wenstrom played in a bright manner reminiscent of the fiddle which brought out the spirit of peasant dance and song celebrating the fall harvest. As there was no dedicated violist, the viola was passed around between each concerto, heard most prominently in its character as a barking dog in the middle movement of Spring. The sparser chamber music texture may have been an unexpected change for those used to a fuller sound with multiple players per part. But the ensemble produced a resonant, potent sound that deftly brought The Four Seasons to life.
The musical programming was especially thoughtful. In addition to The Four Seasons, arranged in order from coldest to warmest, musical interludes carried one concerto into the next. Harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman played a spirited prelude and fugue by J.S. Bach—who was himself a great admirer of Vivaldi’s—to transition from the dark, wintry key of F minor to the lighter key of F major in Autumn. Cellist Ezra Seltzer played a delightful rendition of a solo cello piece by the lesser-known baroque composer Giuseppe Colombi, the first of its kind written specifically for the cello, rather than for any kind of stringed bass instrument. In a moment of tranquility, a hush descended over the audience as they leaned in to hear Joshua Stauffer’s solo performance of a tender lute piece by Giovanni Zamboni, rendered beautifully on the theorbo. A succinct and cheeky concerto for four violins alone, by Vivaldi’s contemporary Georg Philipp Telemann, highlighted another renowned composer’s approach to violin writing and united the soloists before Vivaldi’s scorching Summer.
This kind of multimedia concert asks the listener to reflect on the evolving moods and emotions one experiences as life ambles on throughout the seasons. The weekend’s harsh weather was a reminder that with winter may come challenges. But the final line of Vivaldi’s poem for Winter reassures us: “This is winter, but it brings joy.” Indeed, winter is made more joyful with music. The audience agreed, giving a standing ovation as the concert came to a close.
For more information about the remainder of the Sebastians’s season, view this link.
The next concert, “The Italian Bach” on Saturday, February 17 at 5pm, explores the influence of Italian elements in J.S. Bach’s music.
