[Boston, MA – August 31, 2021] The Handel and Haydn Society will open its 2021-22 season with one of classical music’s most spectacular masterpieces, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons on Friday, October 8 and Sunday, October 10 at Symphony Hall in Boston. The performance will be led by Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky, performing on violin alongside the H+H orchestra.
Famed for its use in countless movies, television shows and commercials, and video games, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons gives musical expression to each season of the year. Published in 1725, The Four Seasons stands as one of the earliest examples of music with a narrative element, evoking the sounds of nature. One of the most innovative pieces in classical music, Vivaldi spent years perfecting The Four Seasons, translating the poems he had written into beautiful music. Audience members can close their eyes and escape to a picturesque Northern Italy and follow along as shepherds tend to their flock, hunters stalk their prey, and villagers celebrate the fall harvest.
“The Four Seasons is a joy to play because of Vivaldi’s brilliance,” said Aisslinn Nosky, concertmaster. “You can hear the wind blowing and the thunder crashing and for a moment you get to see the world through the lens of a true virtuoso who experienced everything around him through music.”
The evening will begin with a joyous curtain-raiser, selections from Handel’s effervescent Water Music, a suite of short pieces known for its high-spirited movements which first premiered in 1717. Performed by the H+H Orchestra, it will be a moment to celebrate live performance and a community gathering once again.
“The wait is over – H+H is excited to welcome audiences back to live performances. What better way to start the season than with Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, one of the most sensorial pieces of Baroque music. It enables even casual fans of classical music to experience the sounds and feelings of each of the seasons,” said Handel and Haydn Society President and CEO David Snead. “One of the most dynamic and versatile violinists of her generation, Concertmaster Aisslinn Nosky will bring a dazzling virtuosity to this performance, our first subscription concert since the lights went dark in March 2020. It will be a celebration not to be missed.”
The evening will continue with the live concert premiere of acclaimed bass-baritone and composer Jonathan Woody’s Suite for String Orchestra after the works of Charles Ignatius Sancho. Sancho was born on a ship carrying enslaved people in the Atlantic, sold into slavery, escaped to England to become a business owner, writer, composer, and the first Black man to vote in a British election.
H+H is dedicated to following historically informed performance traditions of Baroque and Classical music, creating a sound every bit as fresh and contemporary as when the music was first written. Performing on period instruments, the H+H orchestra brings an exhilarating sound to the original compositions.
Tickets for individual performances may be purchased by calling 617.266.3605, or visiting handelandhaydn.org. Student and group discounts are also available.
Handel and Haydn’s 2021-22 Season Performances include:
Beethoven Symphony No. 6, Pastoral November 5 + 7 Symphony Hall
Handel Messiah November 26-28 Symphony Hall
Bach Christmas December 3 + 5 St. Cecilia Parish, Boston
& First Church in Cambridge
Beethoven Symphony No. 7 January 7 + 9 Symphony Hall
Haydn + Mozart January 28 + 30 Symphony Hall
Bach + Vivaldi Gloria April 1 + 3 Symphony Hall
Haydn The Creation April 29 + May 1 Symphony Hall
About the Handel and Haydn Society
Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society is dedicated to performing Baroque and Classical music with a freshness, a vitality, and a creativity that inspires all ages. H+H has been captivating audiences for 207 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States) speaking to its singular success at converting new audiences to this extraordinary music, generation after generation. Today, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50,000 listeners annually with a nine-week subscription series at Boston Symphony Hall and other leading venues. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program, H+H supports seven youth choirs of singers in grades 2-12 and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and communities throughout Boston, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H’s numerous free community concerts include an annual commemoration of the original 1863 Emancipation Proclamation concert on December 31. The artistic director of the Handel and Haydn Society is Harry Christophers. Under Christophers’s leadership, H+H has released 15 CDs on the Coro label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these ways, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect, touch the heart, elevate the soul, and connect us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music.
