John’s, Oxford, on the orchestra’s own label, is conducted by John Lubbock and features Jan Peter Schmolck on violin. A new live recording by the Orchestra of St. Slawson’s orchestration of the entire composition would have been a welcomed addition to this publication. It’s a gorgeous piece, newly composed with tango-like syncopation and flair, yet generously studded with big, juicy nuggets of Vivaldi. This piece is on Slawson’s album Bach On Wood, with a flute playing the solo part, but this particular arrangement has the marimba taking the lead line.Īlthough the colors suit the piece very well, only the first movement has been arranged, and it is short for a featured solo, lasting just under four minutes. The Four Seasons (in Italian: Le Quattro Stagioni) by Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer and violinist, is a group of four concertos for violin solo. With some work on a few bars at the end, most high school students could play the accompanying parts, even though the tempo is brisk. The solo part has rapid scalar passages and several skips that can be handled by talented high school students and most college students. He uses ten performers playing four marimbas (three if two players share), two glockenspiels, vibraphone, crotales, chimes, high and low sleighbells, and a 32-inch timpani.įaithfully transcribing the original into the four marimba parts with player one as the solo voice, Slawson uses the metallic instruments as supporting color, filling out the continuo part in the vibes and rhythmic stability in the sleighbells. Brian Slawson has orchestrated a large keyboard ensemble to bring this work to the percussion world. The first movement from Antonio Vivaldi’s “Winter: Four Seasons” violin concerto is one of the more well-known portions of these masterpieces.

Vivaldi four seasons winter violin