Nigel Kennedy – Vivaldi: The New Four Seasons
His first “Four Seasons” sold two million copies and entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the best-selling classical music recording. On the album “The New Four Seasons,” Nigel Kennedy returns to Vivaldi, albeit in a rather surprising version. The concert premiere is on January 1, 2016, at the ICE Kraków Congress Center.
The 1989 recording of Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” proved to be a breakthrough in Nigel Kennedy’s career. The British violinist proved that classical albums can conquer the world—literally. The record-breaking two million album sales are now a golden age in contemporary music history. Kennedy’s recording topped the global charts for two years and also topped the UK Pop Albums Chart, reaching a respectable third place. Can today’s recording of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” interpreted by the British violinist, achieve similar success? Kennedy returns to popular compositions after many years, but—as befits a controversial artist—he does so in a rather unusual way. He invited vocalists Zee Gachette and Xantoné Blacq (known for his work with Amy Winehouse, among others) to collaborate on the recording, as well as Damon Reece, until recently associated with Massive Attack and Goldfrapp, who mixed the material for Kennedy’s new album, adding his own electronic percussion. The recording of “The New Four Seasons” also features the artist’s long-time jazz band and the young Orchestra of Life, with whom he also collaborates regularly. The results of these new experiences will be revealed on January 1, 2016, at the ICE Kraków Congress Center. In this concert version of this project, presented for the first time in Poland, the eccentric violin virtuoso will be accompanied by the Beethoven Academy Orchestra and a jazz ensemble. In addition to Antonio Vivaldi’s award-winning “Four Seasons,” fans of the British violinist’s talent will also be treated to musical surprises, including compositions by Kennedy himself.