Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons Rediscovered”? No, the classic and famous musical composition wasn’t lost.

For Apollo’s Fire (a Knight Arts grantee) and its founder and music director Jeannette Sorrell, the title of the Baroque music orchestra’s upcoming concert refers to finding and using the original source material for the concerto – four sonnets, which may have been written by Antonio Vivaldi – and going “a step further,” as Sorrell said in a telephone interview, by relating the music carefully and meaningfully to the text.

Apollo’s Fire. Photo via www.apollosfire.org

As Sorrell noted, the “Four Seasons” is an earlier work for Vivaldi, one included in a book about experimental music that incorporated “program music,” or music illustrating an idea. In this case, Vivaldi clearly wrote music that, as Sorrell added, sounds like the bubbling brook or wind mentioned in the text.

We all probably know that the piece intends to represent the seasons, but in a general way. During this concert, Sorrell said that she will give explanations between each of the four movements of the things the composer was particularly going for, along with musical illustrations. “Four Seasons” should be more meaningful as a result.

Vivaldi, who was called the “Red Priest” because of his earlier chosen vocation and his hair color, has a colorful history. According to Sorrell, during his first mass after being ordained, Vivaldi at one point simply “left the altar and walked away.” Rumor had it that he either was having an attack of asthma or that a random melody was floating through his head, Sorrell explained, that he couldn’t shake. Maybe both, as Sorrell noted.

As a result, church authorities relieved the famous composer of his post and sent him to teach music at a girls’ school. There, he only composed music that was to be performed by the students, to include “Four Seasons,” Sorrell added.

All that may explain why Sorrell sees the rock and roll elements in Vivaldi. He was “to inspire” the young talent there, and the “raw, driving energy” he exhibited in his music would have done that for the students. No other 18th century composer, Sorrell noted, showed the same characteristics, not even J.S. Bach.

When asked if Antonio Vivaldi should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for this, Sorrell laughingly allowed that he should. Give him an honorary membership, she said, as a precursor to rock and roll. Good idea.

During the nearly two-hour concert by Apollo’s Fire, the audience will get to see the “lovely range of emotion” in the composer’s writing, especially some of the rough-and-tumble sections. Sorrell said that she was visiting Italy when a storm brewed up. It came fast, was furious, and finished quickly. The same experience is done musically in the third section of the “Summer” movement of the work, where you can hear a rumble followed by dangerous pounding elements, all within a two-and-a-half minute span.

It’s those qualities of nature in the work that make it the classic that it is. And they will be illustrated, explained and played out by the astounding Apollo’s Fire orchestra.

Although Sorrell noted that she does not have “one favorite” portion of the larger work, you might want to listen carefully to a few that speak meaningfully to her – the summer storm described above; the opening of the “Autumn” section that depicts musically a “merry drunken gathering of peasants” (now that sounds like fun); and “the opening of ‘Spring.’”

Sorrell commented that “we need” the “Spring” section at this moment in our lives after the harsh winter, and Vivaldi “captured it.”

During performances, Sorrell will direct the music as she is seated at her harpsichord amidst orchestral string players.

The concert will feature violinist Olivier Brault. Other solo work will be performed by Julie Andrijeski, Johanna Novom, and Rene Schiffer.

Olivier Brault, violinist. Photo courtesy of Apollo’s Fire

A pre-concert talk will be given by music writer and editor of “Early Music America” Donald Rosenberg.

Apollo’s Fire will present “Four Seasons Revisited” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16 in Fairlawn Lutheran Church, 3415 W. Market St., Akron; 216-320-0012; apollosfire.org. Tickets start at $21 and can be purchased online.