Listed are those who contributed to the creation of this unique multimedia production of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. All deserve great credit for their distinctive roles.
Orchestra
Bernard Holland, then chief Music Critic of the New York Times said of Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra’s first concert there in 1981: “…the most impressive small ensemble to come through Carnegie Hall in quite some time.” Concerto Soloists, now the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, debuted in 1964 and has been an important fixture in the Philadelphia cultural scene ever since. A founding resident company of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the orchestra has a well-established reputation for distinguished performances of repertoire spanning the Baroque period through the 21st century.
Violin Soloist
Mi-Young Park is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. While at Curtis and following her graduation, she performed as a soloist and member of Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra and was regularly featured in 18th and 19th century solo violin works. A number of her performances were taped and can be heard here. Ms. Park collaborated with Concerto Soloists Music Director, Marc Mostovoy, in developing an informed performance approach to The Four Seasons beginning in the early 1980s. The resulting “realistic” interpretation brings an entirely new meaning to many passages in the music that have previously been little understood. Mi-Young Park played a Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesu dated 1722. She is now retired.
Continuo Cellist
James Holesovsky was a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and served as principal cellist / personnel manager of Concerto Soloists / Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for more than 50 years. Highly admired, his specialty was performing continuo in 17th and 18th century works. Many considered him among the finest continuo cellists in the country. During the summer months, for over 40 years, he was principal cellist of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. James Holesovsky passed away in 2015.
Continuo Harpsichordist
Temple Painter was a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. He performed with Concerto Soloists / The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for 40 years and was consistently featured in concertos during that time. His 1962 critically acclaimed recording “Temple Painter-Harpsichord Recital” on the Artia-Parliament label was cited by the New York Times in 1964 as “the most satisfying” of the five harpsichord recordings reviewed that year. Temple Painter passed away in 2016.
Program Narrator
We are most pleased to welcome actor Greg Wood as host and program narrator for our multimedia production. His impressive background and extraordinary thespian skills are just what is needed to bring history alive through his eloquent discourse on all aspects of The Four Seasons.
Sonnet Reader
From the mid-1980s through the late 1990s when performing The Four Seasons, Concerto Soloists often had professional actors read the corresponding sonnet before each season. They included such notables as John Barrymore Jr., Celeste Holm, Werner Klemperer, and Shirley Knight. We are delighted to have actress Susan Riley Stevens as Reader for this performance. Her inspiring manner of delivery brings Vivaldi’s poetry to life with a reading designed expressly for this production.
Sonnet Translator
Louise McCabe has created an historically informed and carefully considered translation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons sonnets for this presentation.* In translating the sonnets from Italian (click here to read the original sonnets in Italian) to English, numerous factors were taken into account including historical context, word implication, rhythm and flow, imagery in relation to the art, comprehension by a contemporary audience, among others. She wrote her Harvard Ph.D. dissertation on the early works of the late nineteenth-century Neapolitan poet and lyric writer, Salvatore DiGiacomo. In addition to her Ph.D. in Italian literature, Dr. McCabe holds a Master of arts in Teaching from Yale University and a BA in History from Smith College.
*The commonly-held opinion is that the sonnets (most likely written by Vivaldi) are—as one author put it “…clumsy, amateurish verse of little merit: they disappoint because we expect them to be polished jewels.” To the contrary: The sonnets’ subject matter does not lend itself to polished poetry but rather verse that exudes the activities of peasants and farmers. Eloquent poetry would not fit the program nearly as well as what Vivaldi wrote. Keeping in mind that he was following preset literary rules of the Italian sonnet, they are commendable as written. Louise McCabe’s inspired English translation is especially appealing, expressively capturing what Vivaldi intended. – Marc Mostovoy
Multimedia Designer
The video in this production was created by Carl Weiss of Weiss Communications in consultation with Marc Mostovoy. They began working together in the early 1990s presenting live multimedia performances for classical music audiences in multiple settings. As multimedia designer and technical director for this new performance concept, Mr. Weiss brings his unique style to the production. Advancement in video technology has made this presentation possible.
Website Designer
This website itself plays an integral role in our presentation of the The Four Seasons. It was designed by Ann Campbell, who earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry but soon found her niche designing computer software for scientists to run their instruments and analyze their data. She formed her own company, Foxglove Systems, in 1994 and a decade later built its website, starting an “encore career” as a web designer.
Recording Engineer
The Four Seasons was recorded live in concert and edited by Joe Hannigan of Weston Sound in consultation with Marc Mostovoy. Joe began recording Concerto Soloists in the early 1980s and continues to this day. Over the years, he has produced numerous radio broadcasts featuring the Orchestra live in concert.
Producer/Conductor
Marc Mostovoy founded Concerto Soloists in 1964 and served as its Music Director for 40 years. In the early 1980s, he began experimenting with new approaches to classical music presentation, eventually incorporating fine art and other visual elements into orchestral and choral performances via multimedia projection. His innovations in this area gained national interest and were especially appreciated by those eager to make classical music more relevant to younger audiences. Mostovoy mounted numerous successful multimedia productions over a twenty-five-year period. He co-founded the Wolf/Mostovoy Initiative that presented outstanding multimedia productions on the See! Hear! series at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts where he served as Multimedia Artistic Director from 2004 to 2007. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons has continued to be of special interest to him. Its presentation on this website is the culmination of years of thought on how to present this unique piece to the public in the most meaningful way. Mostovoy considers it to still be a work in progress.
Marc Mostovoy and Carl Weiss reviewing and preparing art slides in the early nineties for upcoming multimedia performances of The Four Seasons—a new concept then of classical music presentation.