beautiful Baroque masterwork, The Four Seasons, in which evocative
violin concerts depict the seasons of temperate climates. Founded in
1959 by Claudio Scimone, I Solisti Veneti is a very fine chamber
ensemble of soloists, which quickly rose to the highest international
levels of brilliance, winning admiration from both audiences and
critics.
I Solisti Veneti has performed more than 6,000 concerts in some ninety
countries and has participated in the best international festivals,
including more than thirty concerts at the prestigious Salzburg Festival.
They have released more than 350 albums, and regularly engage in
a rich selection of cultural and promotional activities, including
important music publications. I Solisti Veneti and Claudio Scimone
have won some of the highest awards in music. Among these are the
coveted Grammy Award, several Grand Prix du Disques, and
numerous Italian Music Critics’ Awards.
In four movements, the Symphony is remarkable especially for the
final movement which includes a full chorus singing Freidrich Schiller’s
souring poem, “Ode to Joy”. Joining the chorus are four superb
soloists: soprano Aga Mikolaj, mezzo-soprano Elena Manistina, tenor
Brandon Jovanovich and bass Paul Gay.