Vivaldi's The Four Seasons could be rightfully called the most noted work of classical music.
Contemporary composer Max Richter explains the motivation behind his 'Recomposed,' which adds modern flavor to The Four Seasons listening experience:
"The Four Seasons is something we all carry around with us. It's just everywhere. In a way, we stop being able to hear it. So this project is about reclaiming this music for me personally, by getting inside it and rediscovering it for myself - and taking a new path through a well-known landscape."
Part of the joy of the 'Recomposed' album is that your mind ends up playing tricks with your memory of the source. Familiar themes can generate surprising effects, resulting in an experience that's full of strange pleasures.
Imagine how it felt for Daniel Hope, having played the original for many years, when he first had to familiarize himself with Richter's score:
"What really threw me was the first movement of Autumn. He pulls the rhythm around, starts dropping quavers here and there. You end up with a rickety and slightly one-legged Vivaldi. It's incredibly funny. But even in poking fun at the original, there's always enormous respect."
First spring movement:
Second spring movement: