The Rolling Year

Embrace the art of listening seasonally with BBC Radio 3 presenter Dr Hannah French as she explores Antonio Vivaldi’s evergreen work: The Four Seasons. ‘The Four Seasons’, Antonio Vivaldi’s famous set of highly descriptive violin concertos, was published 300 years ago, but the themes it contains continue to reveal new truths to listeners today. Through the rich imagery of each concerto and its accompanying poetry, Dr Hannah French uncovers the detail of Vivaldi’s personal and creative life. In conversation with fellow musicians and experts in health, nature, food, wine, and science, she helps bring a new perspective to the music through our shared experiences of the joys and fears of the ever-evolving seasons. To spend a year in the company of Vivaldi is to witness the sounds of both ancient festivals and the beauty and brutality of the natural world – a rolling year that enhances our sensory experience of the seasons today.