Led by Baroque violin soloist, Daniel Lee, Early Music Missouri concludes its 2024 – 2025 Season with Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Probably the best-known program music in the classical repertoire, these concerti depict roiling streams, wintery blasts, dancing peasants, baying dogs and more. Performed by a chamber ensemble playing period instruments, this concert offers listeners an exciting introduction to the sound of Vivaldi’s musical world.
In addition to these wildly popular concerti, the concert also includes two other selections from Vivaldi’s 500 concerti. The first is Vivaldi’s charming Concerto alla rustica, a little piece that mirrors the Seasons just a bit with country dancing and rollicking fiddles.
And for the second, EMMo’s regular violist, Timothy Eshing, steps in front of the ensemble to perform Vivaldi’s Concerto in D minor for Viola d’amore & Strings. A more restrained contrast to the flamboyance of The Four Seasons, this concerto features the seldom-heard but evocative, viola d’amore. Trained as a composer and modern violist, Tim first investigated Early Music performance under the guidance of William Bauer, St. Louis’s early bowed string specialist. With Bill’s encouragement, Tim added the viola d’amore to his collection and EMMo is very pleased to present this unique concerto on our all-Vivaldi program.
Soloist Daniel S. Lee (Baroque violin) has become a regular part of EMMo’s concerts, visiting St. Louis several times each season to lead our string ensembles. Praised for his “fleet-fingered, passionate…soulful performance” (The New York Times), he is the founding director of the Sebastians, an award-winning period ensemble based in New York City. He frequently performs as a soloist and leader with Early Music Missouri, the Kansas City Baroque Consortium, the Providence Baroque Orchestra, and the Washington National Cathedral Baroque Orchestra. In previous seasons, Daniel has appeared as a soloist and leader with such ensembles as Early Music New York, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Juilliard415, New York Baroque Incorporated, Trinity (Wall Street) Baroque Orchestra, and the Yale Schola Cantorum. Daniel studied at the Juilliard School (B.M.), Yale University (M.M., Art.Dip., M.Div.), and the University of Connecticut (D.M.A.). He currently teaches Early Music in the School of Music at Yale University.
This concert will be held at St. Paul United Church of Christ, 115 West B Street, Belleville, Illinois 62220.
Early Music Missouri is the region’s foremost promoter and presenter of Early Music concerts. Its performances feature Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque repertoire performed on period instruments by expert performers from the region and nation. For more information, visit earlymusicmissouri.net.
