Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

BEMF presents Les Arts Florissants in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons—April 4 in Boston, MA

DOWNLOAD PDF

ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Don’t miss a blockbuster musical event as one of Early Music’s definitive ensembles, Les Arts Florissants, are joined by the mesmerizing violin virtuoso Théotime Langlois de Swarte to commemorate the original publication of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in 1725. Rediscover this iconic masterwork as Vivaldi’s beloved concertos are presented alongside Venetian music that inspired the great composer—or was inspired by him—with selections by Monteverdi, Uccellini, and Geminiani.

“I've always loved The Four Seasons,” exclaims violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte. “I listened to it as a child and as a teenager—I could even say that it was partly because of these concertos that I became a violinist! Vivaldi's music is wildly energetic and inventive, but it also uses a whole palette of colors to depict different aspects of nature. His music can be both contemplative and expressive, introspective and open to the world. The Four Seasons concertos are among the great Baroque masterpieces of the 18^th century, partly because they were extremely original for their time. When it was written, it was highly revolutionary, as shown by the fact that it resonated throughout Europe. Today, The Four Seasons are perhaps victims of their own success, and a little stripped of their original flavor. This is why I want to play them: to let the audience hear a version that tries to convey Vivaldi's original ideas, in a fairly raw way, without any aesthetic filter. As if we were discovering The Four Seasons for the very first time.”

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300: Promotional Video: https://youtu.be/n4w07LbmvUY

ASSOCIATED EVENTS
A pre-concert video featuring Théotime Langlois de Swarte will be shared on BEMF.org and social media the week of March 31, 2025.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
An ensemble of singers and instrumentalists who specialize in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments, Les Arts Florissants has played a pioneering role in the revival of Baroque repertoire. Founded in 1979 by William Christie, Les Arts Florissants offers approximately one hundred concert and opera performances throughout France and internationally each season, in France and internationally, and has produced an extensive discography—especially in its own collection with the harmonia mundi record label. British tenor and conductor Paul Agnew became its co-musical director in 2020. It has launched several education programs for young musicians, among which include Le Jardin des Voix academy, the Arts Flo Juniors program, and a collaboration with The Juilliard School. In 2012, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants created the festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie, in partnership with the Conseil départemental de la Vendée. An annual event, the festival brings together artists from Les Arts Florissants, pupils from The Juilliard School, and finalists from Le Jardin des Voix for concerts and promenades musicales in the gardens created by William Christie at Thiré, in the Vendée. In addition to the festival, Les Arts Florissants are working with the endowment fund Les Jardins de Musique de William Christie towards the creation of a permanent cultural venue in Thiré. In 2017, following a decision by the French Ministry of Culture, Les Arts Florissants has been awarded the national label Centre culturel de Rencontre, which distinguishes projects associating creation, patrimony, and transmission. In 2018, Les Arts Florissants became the Foundation Les Arts Florissants – William Christie.

Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte is rapidly emerging as a much sought-after violin soloist on both Baroque and modern instruments, as well as a chamber musician, recitalist, and conductor. He became a member of Les Arts Florissants while still a student at the Paris Conservatory, and regularly appears as soloist with the ensemble. His many awards include a 2022 Ambassador of the REMA European Early Music Network, and winner of the Diapason d’Or for his Vivaldi-Locatelli-Leclair album. As co-founder—with harpsichordist Justin Taylor and violinist Sophie de Bardonnèche—of the Baroque ensemble Le Consort, de Swarte can be heard on international stages and on numerous Alpha Classics recordings, including “Specchio Veneziano”, “Opus 1”, and “Philarmonica.” Other recital collaborators include harpsichordist Justin Taylor and lute player Thomas Dunford, with whom he recorded a much-praised album, The Mad Lover. Another notable recording, A Concert at the Time of Proust, was made on the newly-restored Davidoff Stradivarius at the Philharmonie de Paris Museum. His most recent recording—Antonio Vivaldi Concerti per una vita (harmonia mundi)—has garnered wide acclaim, and early 2025 marks the release of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons to commemorate the 300^th anniversary of the work’s publication. Alongside his instrumental work, de Swarte is emerging as a conductor. In 2023 he led performances at l’Opera-Comique of Lully’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme and Gretry’s Zemire et Azor. He returns to l’Opera-Comique to lead Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride in November, 2025. De Swarte plays a 1665 Jacob Stainer violin loaned to him by the Jumpstart Foundation.

ABOUT THE BOSTON EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Recognized as the preeminent early music presenter and Baroque opera producer in North America, the Boston Early Music Festival (BEMF) has been credited with securing Boston’s reputation as “America’s early music capital” (The Boston Globe). Founded in 1981, BEMF offers diverse programs and activities, including one GRAMMY Award–winning and five GRAMMY Award–nominated opera recordings, an annual concert series that brings early music’s brightest stars to the Boston and New York concert stages, and a biennial week-long Festival and Exhibition recognized as the “world’s leading festival of early music” (The Times, London). The 23^rd Boston Early Music Festival—themed Love & Power—will take place from June 8 to 15, 2025, and will feature a fully staged production of Reinhard Keiser’s Octavia. BEMF’s Artistic Leadership includes Artistic Directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs, Opera Director Gilbert Blin, Orchestra Director Robert Mealy, and Dance Director Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière.

The Boston Early Music Festival is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Constellation Charitable Foundation, and WCRB Classical Radio Boston, as well as a number of generous foundations and individuals from around the world.