Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons are continually reinterpreted and presented in new versions. The brilliant Erik Bosgraaf decided to substitute the violin parts in these famous works with the instrument that he plays with utmost virtuosity , an instrument that brought him fame: the recorder. The admirers of the Italian composer's legacy rightly point out that the domination that Seasons have over the other works by Vivaldi, as well as their prevalence in concert programs, is deeply unfair. For this reason, in this performance, musicians will play them in the context of three other concertos conceived by the famous Venetian.

What exactly is the reason for such immense popularity of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter by the Red Priest? The answer may seem obvious – it is the illustrative associations and the genius play of titles of the successive concertos, which the composer uses to help listeners find their way in the world of sounds, which is, in the end, abstract. Yet, there must be something more to the Vivaldi cycle – after all, this is not the only depiction of the seasons in the history of music, and none of the others have gained such fame. Let us compare Vivaldi's Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with Johann Sebastian Bach's concertos written during a similar period: Bach's music is exquisitely beautiful, but the melodicity and simplicity of the Italian works make these pieces incomparably easier on the ears. Perhaps, then, these qualities are the key to their repertoire immortality?

Erik Bosgraaf, who will play at the National Forum of Music together with the Wrocław Baroque Orchestra led by Jarosław Thiel, has already performed Four Seasons on an album few years ago, recorded by Brilliant Classics. At the time of the release, he explained that in these works “the violin part can be played on the recorder with surprising ease, without having to introduce many changes”. The contrasts coming from this substitution allow the listener to discover new colors and details in the music, and the sound of the new instrument “in some aspects works even better here than in the concertos that Vivaldi himself wrote specifically with the record in mind” – explained Bosgraaf.