Concerto Extravaganza, featuring well-known russian-born pianist, Julia Zilberquit, to be premiered in Malta with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under the baton of internationally acclaimed conductor and virtuoso violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky. The concert includes transcriptions of the music by Vivaldi made by Bach and contemporary composer Alexey Shor. “The Four Seasons by Vivaldi have definitely enjoyed everlasting popularity,” said Mr. Sitkovetsky. “Haydn, Glazunov, Tchaikovsky, Piazzolla, Desyatnikov were referring to them. There is some fascinating attraction in the change of seasons. This is something we all see and it affects us, especially creative people. These concerti enclose an enormous philosophical generalization; the Four Seasons symbolize a life cycle, which consists of awakening, flourishing, fading and death. I am sure that the changing climate and shifting seasons will continue inspiring composers to interpretations.”
“One of the goals that I’d set for yourself as a musician was to broaden the piano repertoire,” said Julia Zilberquit about her Vivaldi/Bach adaptation for orchestra. “Vivaldi wrote so many concertos for violin and other instruments, but nothing for piano or harpsichord. Later on, Bach did many transcriptions of his own concertos from one instrument to another, and also of concertos by Vivaldi and Corelli, which he transcribed for organ. I wanted to preserve as much as I could, so almost all of the original Vivaldi orchestration is there. In fact there’s more Vivaldi in it than Bach, that’s why I refer to it as Vivaldi/Bach not Bach/Vivaldi. It’s a beautifully thought-out programme: We’ll be starting out with something Italian — Ottorino Respighi’s Italiana from the Suite No.3 “Ancient Airs and Dances” for Strings, then on to Shor’s Four Seasons, which are being combined with Vivaldi’s Four seasons, and which we’re also tying to the Vivaldi/Bach concertos.”
Programme:
Ottorino Respighi
Italiana from the Suite No.3
“Ancient Airs and Dances” for Strings
Alexey Shor
Four Seasons of Manhattan for Violin and String Orchestra
I Spring
II Summer
III Autumn
IV Winter
Soloist: Dmitry Sitkovetsky (violin)
Antonio Vivaldi/Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto Grosso in D minor, RV 565, BWV 593
I Allegro
II Larghetto e spirituoso
III Allegro (arranged for piano and orchestra by Julia Zilberquit)
Soloist: Julia Zilberquit (piano)
Concerto Grosso in A minor, RV 522, BWV 596
I Allegro
II Largo e spiccato
III Allegro (arranged for piano and orchestra by Julia Zilberquit)
Soloist: Julia Zilberquit (piano)
Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons
Violin and String Orchestra
Concerto No.1 in E major, Op.8, RV 269, “Spring”
I Allegro
II Largo e pianissimo sempre
III Allegro pastorale
Concerto No.2 in G minor, Op.8, RV 315, “Summer”
I Allegro non molto
II Adagio e piano – Presto e forte
III Presto
Concerto No.3 in F major, Op.8, RV 293, “Autumn”
I Allegro
II Adagio molto
III Allegro
Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op.8, RV 297, “Winter”
I Allegro non molto
II Largo
III Allegro
Soloist and Conductor: Dmitry Sitkovetsky