OUT NOW | VC Artist Francisco Fullana's New "Vivaldi The Four Seasons" CD

The disc was recorded with conductor Jannette Sorrell and the Grammy-winning baroque ensemble Apollo's Fire

Avie Records announced the release of Spanish-born VC Artist Francisco Fullana's new album entitled "Vivaldi The Four Seasons."

The CD features Vivaldi's Four Seasons Concerti coupled with a new chamber orchestra arrangement of Vivaldi's "La Follia" Trio Sonata in D Minor for Two Violins & Continuo, with the ensemble and violinist Alan Choo.

"We turned it into more of a group-jam session," Apollo’s Fire Founder and piece arranger Jeannette Sorrell said.

The Apollo’s Fire ensemble was founded in 1992 by the harpsichordist and conductor with the strong dedication to the baroque ideals.

"I grew up listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons practically on loop anytime that I was in my parents’ car," Francisco told The Violin Channel. "My mom had a copy of the famous recording where four violin legends play one season each (Perlman, Zuckerman, Stern, and Mintz) under Zubin Mehta, and we listened to it for years.

"Vivaldi’s music was ever-present, from road trips through the beautiful landscapes of the north of Spain to long drives to participate in local competitions in the Castilian countryside," he added. "The connection between curiously peeking out the car window while driving through all these rural environments and the music of the Red Priest was forged deep into my growing brain as the years went by.

"My biggest hope in this recording is that the listener rediscovers Vivaldi as a human being: A mysterious man, full of joy yet at times, deeply frustrated and ashamed of his own desires. A person that tries to hide his real self behind a golden mask made of beautiful catchy melodies and virtuosic trills.

"Vivaldi and his music are so much more than that. While I was preparing this piece before going into the recording sessions with Jeannette and the incredible musicians of Apollo’s Fire, I felt I finally got to understand him so much better. I focused my efforts on peeling away that ‘mask’ and connecting with the complex emotions that are present in his works.

"I believe with the writing of The Four Seasons, Vivaldi found the only outlet where he could express himself as a complete being, through his own music. His masterwork communicates both his pure joy about life and nature while also subtly sharing his innermost pain. A deep sorrow that, I believe, he suffered throughout his life: The emotional burden that came from longing for a way of living that, as a priest and musician in late 17th century Venice, simply wasn’t in the cards for him," the 2018 Avery Fisher Grant recipient said.

You can purchase the disc here.