Renaud Capucon-Four Seasons – Chevalier (LP)

 Orchestre De Chambre De Lausanne

Classical 1 LP

It is no surprise that Renaud Capuçon recognises Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as “a highlight of the violin repertoire”, yet only now has it joined his extensive Erato discography. “For years, I refused to play it,” explains Capuçon. “I’d heard it too much in the corridors of the Métro in Paris and as holding music on the phone. But once I’d accepted to play it, I was blown away by the power of the music … I realised that it’s famous because it’s amazing – a masterpiece. I’ve now played it frequently with Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and it feels fresh and new every time.”

Complementing Vivaldi’s ‘greatest hit’ are two sparkling concertos composed in Paris, some 40 years after the Italian composer’s death, by Chevalier de Saint-George. Of French and African descent, he was born on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and went on to become a prominent and influential figure in Paris The composer of 12 violin concertos, 10 symphonies, two sets of string quartets and a number of operas, he has been described in the New York Times as a figure who holds a “truly unique place in Western classical music history”. In Saint-George’s own time, John Adams, the second President of the USA, described him as “the most accomplished man in Europe in riding, shooting, fencing, dancing and music”.