Today The Four Seasons may be the most widely heard piece of classical music ever composed. As Max Richter suggests, “You can’t get away from the piece. It’s part of the musical landscape, and a part of my own daily life.” Like most of us, Richter retains a powerful fondness for Vivaldi’s mas­terpiece: “I’ve known The Four Seasons since childhood. It is such engaging, attractive material that it’s easy for young people to connect with it; it’s very immediate. As everyone does, I had the piece in my brain and knew my favourite moments.”

Affection is an integral part of Max Richter’s Vivaldi Recomposed. He has approached the project as an admirer of Vivaldi, but no less importantly, as a composer. Richter’s co-conspirators on Vivaldi Recomposed are Daniel Hope, the British violinist; the German conductor André de Ridder; and the Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin. A former member of the Beaux Arts Trio, Hope is both a notable champion of contemporary music and an exponent of the standard classical repertoire. That makes him the ideal soloist for Richter’s piece. The Four Seasons is a radical tour de force for the solo violinist, and Max has approached it with the keen eyes and open ears of the 21st century.