The Eight Seasons in winter

Eight seasons, not the usual four – this sounded like a bargain, and an interesting afternoon of classical music.

Violinist Robert McDuffie made the Eight Seasons performance possible – he sought a companion piece to Antonio Vivaldi’s cherished group of violin concerti, and one of America’s preeminent 20th century composers took up the task. I lucked into a front-row seat in the center section, as always wanting to see the finger movements. With the scaled-down orchestra for Vivaldi, there was another treat in store.

Outside the Ent Center for the Arts on UCCS campus, a winter storm rolled in; whether it would pound Colorado Springs was unclear.

In  his role as soloist, McDuffie stood through both pieces. The Four Seasons requires 12 violins, four violas, three cellos, two bassists and a harpsichord. McDuffie paced and moved around the space in the middle of the orchestra’s semi-circle, making frequent eye contact with the orchestra and show a lot of unexpected animation for a soloist.

One of the most commonly performed classical pieces, it was still new to me in this setting, and fascinating to watch. At more than 300 years old, Vivaldi’s suite holds up well. The instruments summon the seasons in question. I generally favor Winter for its stark passages that evoke a cold, snow-driven night. Today it felt especially appropriate, even in the storm over the mountains never hit the city.

McDuffie paused between performances to explain the American Four Seasons, which he approached composer Philip Glass to write. Glass might seem like an odd choice given his association with minimal music, but McDuffie said as he has grown older, he’s come to better appreciate the composer.

McDuffie premiered the piece in 2009 and continues to present it on tour. I think of the experimental music premiered with the Nashville Symphony – the solos often akin to the pianist mashing hands on the keyboard repeatedly – and found this modern piece much more appealing.

Listed as Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 2, he composed with Vivaldi’s instrumentation in mind. The only difference in orchestras was a substitution of synthesizer for harpsichord, not one most would mind.

The best thing about the composition is Glass did not assign seasons to the movement like Vivaldi. As a result, Glass and McDuffie picked the opposite order for the seasons, and McDuffie encouraged the audience to assign seasons to the movements as they saw fit. “We agreed on everything but the order of the seasons. His summer was my winter. You decide,” he said.

The Glass versions required a virtuoso, and McDuffie was certainly that. It’s a monumental piece, with similarities to Vivaldi’s original but able to stand on its own. The American Four Seasons move at a prodigious clip, providing a workout for the soloist while challenging the orchestra.

When McDuffie rested his violin, I had no idea we reached the end. But the combination of a familiar Four Seasons and a fresh American take proved an exhilarating pairing.