Carla Moore’s Musical Seasons: A Playful Journey Through Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Her Career

by Carla Moore

As PBO embarks on its Season of Seasons when we celebrate the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, I reflect on my relationship to Vivaldi’s concerti and how that relationship has deepened during the seasons of my career.

In the spring of my career, I moved to New York City, formed a group with harpsichordist Dongsok Shin, and programmed Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. This was my first opportunity to perform these pieces on the Baroque violin. We prepared carefully, playing from a facsimile of the original music. We paid attention to dynamics, articulation, and the attached descriptions by Vivaldi. The performance, in a church with a wonderfully live acoustic, was a nerve-wracking but thrilling experience! These were the heady early days of period performance in the United States. European groups dominated the scene. I loved listening to various artists’ interpretations of The Four Seasons, their ideas sparking my imagination.

Transitioning into the summer of my career, I moved to California and became more established as a Baroque violinist. I was invited to play The Four Seasons in Santa Fe, NM. We performed this program in the Lensic Theater, an old movie and vaudeville entertainment house built in 1931. I played The Four Seasons with my group, Archetti, in various locations around the Bay and I performed and recorded “Autumn” with Voices of Music.

Summer turns to fall, a time to celebrate the harvest. My children are grown and I am teaching at the University of California, Berkeley, where I instruct young players who are learning the concerti for the first time on a Baroque instrument. With a mix of amusement and frustration, they ask me how to overcome technical difficulties without a chinrest.

Throughout the seasons of my career, I have participated not only as the soloist in The Four Seasons but as a member of the ripieno. This means that I play one of the supporting parts, learning accompanying voices and becoming intimate with different interpretations of the solos. My most memorable experiences as ripieno were with Monica Huggett and this orchestra. Monica’s technique and personality turned the notes into an over-the-top romp!

I am now embarking on the winter of my career. I am not ready to “rest by the fire in peace and contentment” as Vivaldi wrote in the sonnet for “Winter,” but it is a time for reflection. Each experience I have had with The Four Seasons has been unique. Throughout the 2024-25 season, you will hear four different soloists, Rob Diggins, Toma Iliev, Adam Lamotte, and myself, each with their own interpretation of “Spring,” “Summer,” “Autumn,” and “Winter.” I will perform my version of “Autumn,” my favorite. I hope to see you there!

The Season of Seasons:

Concerts featuring The Four Seasons

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