Berlin (AFP)
A symphony orchestra will unveil on Saturday at the Elbe Philharmonic in Hamburg an original adaptation of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" revisited to "take climate change into account" and "make it audible".
Specially titled "For Seasons" - instead of "Four Seasons" in the original version of 1725 - this version will be played by the NDR Symphony Orchestra, owned by the German public broadcaster.
"This project is close to my heart." + For Seasons + clearly demonstrates the impact of climate change and adds an emotional dimension to the current controversial debate. "We must not refuse to listen," Alan Gilbert, conductor, said in a statement. .
The original version of the four violin concertos opening the collection "Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'invenzione" ("The confrontation between harmony and invention") was composed by Antonio Vivaldi from his experiences and discoveries seasons.
In particular, he annotated his score with explicit comments on what the music seeks to illustrate, such as barking dogs, specific bird songs such as those of the cuckoo or turtle dove, or even strong winds.
"For Seasons", which took six months of work, seeks to update its work: its creators have used climate data to show their influence on sound elements that, through algorithms, create a " new musical experience ".
A team of sound artists, software developers and music arrangers relied on raw climate data from research institutes, universities and environmental agencies.
In particular, it took into account the increase in global temperature, the frequency of extreme weather events, and their consequences, such as the extinction of bird and insect species.
The result: "Harmonious passages become disharmonic, the lines between spring and summer fade and the notes representing the singing of birds are completely left out," warn his creators.
The work seems thus asymmetrical and unbalanced for its auditorat.
"For Seasons" highlights the facts of climate change: the climate and our seasons have become unbalanced, according to its authors.
© 2019 AFP