The Four Seasons: Spring

In the second of four programmes across 2025 marking the 300th anniversary of the publication of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Hannah French explores the Violin Concerto in E major, RV.269 - better known as Spring. From the opening's chorus of birdsong to the rustic dance of the finale via the snoring goatherd of the second movement, Hannah considers the concerto's context and inspirations, and shares other early music influenced by the season of hope and new beginnings. Violinist and artistic director of La Serenissima Adrian Chandler talks to Hannah about the Op. 8 collection of concertos that Vivaldi published in Amsterdam in 1725, and what Vivaldi's Spring means to him. And Hannah sends us a sonic snapshot from a recent trip to the church where Vivaldi was baptised in 1678 in the heart of Venice. To listen to this programme using most smart speakers just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Early Music Show".

You can listen to The Four Seasons: Spring online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Four Seasons: Spring is an episode from The Early Music Show by BBC.

This episode is 30:37 long.

This episode was published on Jul 1, 2025.

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