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On the 300th anniversary of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, broadcaster and musicologist Dr Hannah French embraces the art of listening seasonally in her exploration of this classic work.

‘A fascinating and richly informative journey, filled with personal reflections, into and around Vivaldi's descriptive masterpieces’ Michael Talbot

‘A book for all seasons’ Myleene Klass

Whether engaging with seasonal music on-the-go or with new-found focus and curiosity, listening habits can ground us in the year and remind us not only of stability amid change, but that messages of hope and comfort are always there if you stop to look for them.

The Four Seasons, Antonio Vivaldi’s famous set of highly descriptive violin concertos, was published 300 years ago in Amsterdam, but the themes it contains continue to reveal new truths to listeners today. Through the rich imagery of each concerto and its accompanying poetry, Dr Hannah French uncovers the details of Vivaldi’s personal and creative life. In conversation with fellow musicians and experts in health, nature, food, wine and science, she helps bring a new perspective to the music through our shared experiences of the joys and fears of the ever-evolving seasons.

To spend a year in the company of Vivaldi is to witness the sounds of both ancient festivals and the beauty and brutality of the natural world – a rolling year that enhances our sensory experience of the seasons today.

‘Vivaldi's Four Seasons come round as reliably as spring, summer, autumn and winter, so reliably you might think there's nothing more to say about them. Wrong. Hannah French's fascinating, seasonally-structured exploration restores their freshness, their glow, their mellowness, their chill, so effectively it is like discovering them for the first time.’ Reverend Richard Coles

Dr Hannah French is a BBC Radio 3 presenter and host of The Early Music Show. She previously spent 12 years as a lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music. A specialist in Baroque Music, she is a regular face at music and literary festivals, a presenter for the BBC Proms, and an expert commentator on radio and TV.

Dr Hannah French's book is now available for purchase from Faber & Faber.
£20 hardback | £14.99 ebook | £26.99 audio digital download.