The Seasons — SUMMER. Virtuosi of Moscow

Vivaldi’s violin concertos The Four Seasons are among the most popular works of classical music and an undisputed hit of the concert stage. This legendary cycle of four concertos instantly captivates listeners with its musical inventiveness, vivid imagery, rich expressiveness and refined melodic beauty. For centuries, this music — in which one can hear the barking of dogs, rolls of thunder, the howling of a blizzard, the murmur of a stream and birdsong — has inspired not only audiences but also composers from different eras and genres, from Philip Glass and Leonid Desyatnikov to David Garrett and Astor Piazzolla.

It is known that Vivaldi conceived the idea of portraying different states of nature in music during his journey through Italy. The composer envisioned his ingenious cycle while observing the natural world from the window of a stagecoach and listening to the sounds around him.

His homeland and its culture also inspired another composer — Nino Rota, who is rightly regarded around the world as a master of film music. His musical masterpieces for such iconic films as The Godfather, Romeo and Juliet, Amarcord, 8½, La Dolce Vita, Fellini’s Casanova and many others helped redefine the very role of the soundtrack. Film music was no longer merely background sound or an illustration of the plot; it became an essential element of the film’s dramatic structure.

On July 5, the concert program will feature two works by the Italian master — Walking with Fellini and the Concerto for String Orchestra. The audience will also hear one of the most sensual and lyrical melodies of the 20th century — a suite from Bernstein’s musical West Side Story. The program will also include a short but remarkably vivid work by Venezuelan composer Aldemaro Romero, whose music was strongly influenced by Brazilian bossa nova.