SEASONS. ANNO OLIVER DAVIS

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2 Anno Grace Davidson soprano SEASONS Oliver Davis (b.1972) 1 I. Spring [5.23] 2 II. Summer [4.01] 3 III. Autumn [4.37] 4 IV. Winter [5.45] The Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi ( ) Kerenza Peacock violin Concerto No. 1 in E major, Op. 8, RV 269, La primavera (Spring) 5 I. [3.21] 6 II. Largo e pianissimo sempre [2.25] 7 III. pastorale [4.07] Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, RV 297, L inverno (Winter) r I. non molto [3.26] t II. Largo [1.41] y III. [3.26] u Anno Epilogue Oliver Davis [2.55] Kerenza Peacock violins Emma Heathcote viola Susie Winkworth cello Total timings: [62.16] KERENZA PEACOCK VIOLIN GRACE DAVIDSON SOPRANO TRAFALGAR SINFONIA IVOR SETTERFIELD CONDUCTOR Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, L estate (Summer) 8 I. non molto [5.04] 9 II. Adagio e piano Presto e forte [2.01] 0 III. Presto [2.51] Concerto No. 3 in F major, Op. 8, RV 293, L autunno (Autumn) q I. [5.16] w II. Adagio molto [2.28] e III. [3.25] ANNO OLIVER DAVIS In September 2014 Ivor Setterfield and I discussed the concept of an album based around Vivaldi s Four Seasons incorporating a complementary original work, perhaps for voice and strings. I decided to look for poetry based on the seasons and then set this in the form of a song cycle. Whist researching potential texts I soon discovered (as many already knew) that Vivaldi had based the Four Seasons on four existing poems; in fact some believe the poems to be by Vivaldi himself, since they very conveniently support the structure of the four concertos

3 For the recording with Trafalgar Sinfonia Ivor suggested we approach soprano Grace Davidson and I was of course delighted when she agreed to record the work. To complete the disc I wrote an additional short piece, Anno Epilogue. This quotes one of the key themes of Anno but in a more reflective mood. We recorded at All Saints, Orpington on March 4th, coincidentally Vivaldi s birthday! Oliver Davis THE FOUR SEASONS ANTONIO VIVALDI A dashing figure with long, flowing auburn hair and boyish good looks, Vivaldi was the musical pin-up of Baroque Venice. His vast musical output includes an astounding 500+ concertos, 86 solo and trio sonatas, some 46 operas and a substantial quantity of vocal music. He originally studied for the priesthood and received Holy Orders in 1703, earning the nickname Il prete rosso ( the red priest ) on account of the distinctive colour of his hair. Yet following his ordination, Vivaldi turned his back on the church and went in search of worldly musical employment. Just a few weeks later he was appointed maestro di violino at the Pio Ospedale della Pietà, one of four orphanages for girls in Venice. This was to remain his musical base for the greater part of his life, and it was for the highly gifted students at the Pietà that he composed much of his music. The Four Seasons forms the first third of a collection of twelve violin concertos published together in 1725 as Opus 8 with the overall title Il cimento dell armonia e dell inventione ( The Trial of Harmony and Invention ). The concertos broke new ground not only in terms of their detailed depiction of poetic ideas, but also their technical ingenuity most noteworthy in this regard are passages of rapid string-crossing with the bow and high-flying virtuosity for the left hand. Julian Haylock La primavera Giunt è la Primavera e festosetti La Salutan gl Augei con lieto canto, E i fonti allo Spirar de Zeffiretti Con dolce mormorio Scorrono intanto: Vengon coprendo l aer di nero amanto E Lampi, e tuoni ad annuntiarla eletti Indi tacendo questi, gl Augelletti; Tornan di nuovo al lor canoro incanto: Largo E quindi sul fiorito ameno prato Al caro mormorio di fronde e piante Dorme l Caprar col fido can à lato. Di pastoral Zampogna al suon festante Danzan Ninfe e Pastor nel tetto amato Di primavera all apparir brillante L estate non molto Sotto dura Staggion dal Sole accesa Langue l huom, langue l gregge, ed arde il Pino; Scioglie il Cucco la Voce, e tosto intesa Canta la Tortorella e l gardelino. Zeffiro dolce Spira, mà contesa Spring Springtime is upon us. The birds celebrate her return with festive song, and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes. Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven, Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more. Largo On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him. Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds lightly dance beneath the brilliant canopy of spring. Summer non molto Under a hard Season, fired up by the Sun languishes man, languishes the flock and burns the pine We hear the cuckoo s voice; then sweet songs of the turtledove and finch are heard. Soft breezes stir the air... but threatening

4 Muove Borea improviso al Suo vicino; E piange il Pastorel, perche sospesa Teme fiera borasca, e l suo destino; Adagio e piano - Presto e forte Toglie alle membra lasse il Suo riposo Il timore de Lampi, e tuoni fieri E de mosche, e mosconi il Stuol furioso Presto Ah, che pur troppo i Suo timor Son veri Tuona e fulmina il Ciel e grandinoso Tronca il capo alle Spiche e a grani alteri. north wind sweeps them suddenly aside. The shepherd trembles, fearing violent storms and his fate. Adagio e piano - Presto e forte The fear of lightning and fierce thunder robs his tired limbs of rest As gnats and flies buzz furiously around. Presto Alas, his fears were justified The Heavens thunders and roar and with hail Cuts the head off the wheat and damages the grain. I cacciator alla nov alba à caccia Con corni, Schioppi, e cani escono fuore Fugge la belva, e Seguono la traccia; Già Sbigottita, e lassa al gran rumore de Schioppi e cani, ferita minaccia Languida di fuggir, mà oppressa muore. L inverno non molto Aggiacciato tremar trà nevi algenti Al Severo Spirar d orrido Vento, Correr battendo i piedi ogni momento; E per Soverchio gel batter i denti; The hunters emerge at the new dawn, And with horns, dogs and guns to hunt The beast flees and they follow its trail; Terrified and tired of the great noise Of guns and dogs, the beast, wounded, threatens Languidly to flee, but harried, dies. Winter non molto To tremble from cold in the icy snow, In the harsh breath of a horrid wind; To run, stamping one s feet every moment, Our teeth chattering in the extreme cold L autunno Celebra il Vilanel con balli e Canti Del felice raccolto il bel piacere E del liquor de Bacco accesi tanti Finiscono col Sonno il lor godere. Adagio molto Fà ch ogn uno tralasci e balli e canti L aria che temperata dà piacere, E la Staggion ch invita tanti e tanti D un dolcissimo Sonno al bel godere. Autumn Celebrates the peasant, with songs and dances, The pleasure of a bountiful harvest. And fired up by Bacchus liquor, many end their revelry in sleep. Adagio molto Everyone is made to forget their cares and to sing and dance By the air which is tempered with pleasure And (by) the season that invites so many, Out of their sweetest slumber to fine enjoyment Largo Passar al foco i di quieti e contenti Mentre la pioggia fuor bagna ben cento Caminar Sopra il giaccio, e à passo lento Per timor di cader girsene intenti; Gir forte Sdruzziolar, cader à terra Di nuove ir Sopra l giaccio e correr forte Sin ch il giaccio si rompe, e si disserra; Sentir uscir dalle ferrate porte Sirocco, Borea, e tutti i Venti in guerra Quest é l verno, mà tal, che gioja apporte. Largo Before the fire to pass peaceful, Contented days while the rain outside pours down. We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling. Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up. We feel the chill north winds course through the home despite the locked and bolted doors... this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights

5 GRACE DAVIDSON KERENZA PEACOCK Grace Davidson is an English soprano who specialises in the performance and recording of Baroque music. Winner of the prestigious Early Music Prize whilst studying singing at London s Royal Academy of Music, she has since carved a successful international career working with the leading Baroque vocal ensembles of our day under the batons of Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Paul McCreesh, Philippe Herreweghe and Harry Christophers. As a Baroque soloist Grace has appeared on many of the world s most famous stages, from Purcell s Come Ye Sons of Art at London s Barbican to his Ode to St Cecilia and Bach s Magnificat at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw to Bach s St Matthew Passion at the Lincoln Centre, New York. Her discography includes a decade of CDs with The Sixteen, many of which feature her as a soloist: Handel s Jephtha (as Angel ) and Dixit Dominus, Monteverdi s 1610 Vespers and Pianto Della Madonna and the Lutheran Masses of Bach; she is also the soloist for a recording of Fauré s Requiem by Tenebrae and the LSO: Grace Davidson made Pie Jesu the simplest and most precious of gifts. The Times. Future solo performing engagements include a UK tour of Monteverdi s Vespers with Harry Christophers, and performances of Purcell s King Arthur in France and Germany for Paul McCreesh. Recording projects include Handel s Silete Venti and Gloria for Signum Records plus a recording of Dowland lute songs. Kerenza is inspired by many different styles of music. She led the Pavão Quartet on five albums and 15 years of tours throughout the world. She is a regular concerto soloist with the Trafalgar Sinfonia in St. Martin in the Fields. Kerenza s solo and chamber discs have received 5-star reviews. Also centrestage in her career is her work with alternative bluegrass band the Coal Porters. And collaborations with artists in the classical and pop worlds have led to her playing on Grammy-Award winning discs, and many no. 1 albums in the Classical and Pop Charts. Kerenza studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Howard Davis, and was a Leverhulme Chamber Music Fellow for 2 years. It was at the Academy that the Pavão Quartet met in 1998, leading to a successful recording career, and extensive radio play on Classic FM, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 2. Their disc of Elgar and Bax Quartets ( an ensemble of real depth and musical distinction Classic FM Magazine, an intoxicating warmth and emotional spontaneity The Strad Magazine), was followed by their Dreaming CD, which was described as Chamber music for a new century on Radio 2. Their Christmas CD became the soundtrack of Christmas for many people, on disc and on radio. Their concert tours took them everywhere from the Wigmore Hall to Ronnie Scott s jazz club, and to the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem and the Great Wall of China. The Quartet toured extensively with the Henri Oguike Contemporary Dance Company, and collaborated with jazz musicians including Guy Barker, Dom Alldis and Iain Ballamy

6 Kerenza released a disc of the world premiere recordings of the Holbrooke Violin Concerto and Sonatas, and was praised in Gramophone for her lithe, elegant violin-playing and her easy conquest of the virtuoso demands. Kerenza s extensive experience in the recording studio has also led to her recording for many films and for TV. As a member of bluegrass band the Coal Porters, Kerenza is enjoying recording with them and writing songs. You are just as likely to hear Kerenza playing on BBC Radio 1 as on Classic FM. At one point she was playing on all Top 3 albums in the Pop Charts, as well as on the Classical no. 1. Artists she has recorded with include Adele, Kanye West and Sir Paul McCartney. Highlights of her career so far have included performing on over 15 different Stradivari instruments and once, during an encore, tap-dancing down the aisle of St. Martin in the Fields. Kerenza is extremely grateful to Ingles & Hayday Ltd for the loan of a Peter Guarneri violin for the recording. TRAFALGAR SINFONIA Violin Kerenza Peacock Paul Barrett Anna Croad Libby Croad Matthew Elston Tetsuumi Nagata Hayley Pomfrett Kate Robinson Sarah Sexton Viola Dorothea Vogel Tom Hankey Becky Jones Cello Susie Winkworth Katy Cox Double Bass Ben Russsell Harpsichord Julian Perkins

7 Trafalgar Sinfonia was founded by its Musical Director, Ivor Setterfield and was originally created to accompany the London choirs he directed. The orchestra, comprising outstanding instrumentalists from the London music colleges, quickly developed a reputation as a virtuosic ensemble in its own right. It is now established as a professional orchestra with a regular season of London concerts and an international following. The Trafalgar Sinfonia has performed at all the major London venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Kings Place, the Barbican Hall, Cadogan Hall, and the Royal Albert Hall, and continues to display both warmth and brilliance within a truly diverse repertoire. Previous recordings by the orchestra include English String Serenades, featuring works by Warlock, Vaughan Williams, Holst and Elgar. OLIVER DAVIS Oliver studied under Justin Connolly at the Royal Academy of Music graduating in He has since composed and produced numerous concertos, albums, soundtracks and television scores working with all the major London orchestras. Oliver s debut album, Flight, was a series of violin concertos written for Kerenza Peacock. For the recording at Air Studios she was accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Paul Bateman. Released in March 2015 Flight quickly rose to number 2 in the UK Specialist Classical Charts and 16 in the US Billboard charts with 5 Star reviews in both the US and UK. In addition it was chosen as featured album of the week on Classic FM and was played daily on the station. Oliver s interest in ballet has led to collaborations with choreographer and First Artist with the Royal Ballet, Erico Montes. His work Within the Hours was performed by the Royal Ballet and reviewed by Debra Craine in The Times as beautiful new music by Oliver Davis. The collaboration continued with

8 another short ballet based upon the second movement of Flight. Recent works include the music to Chris Shepherd s film The Ringer for Canal Plus and working with Oscar nominated director Sylvain Chomet on the opening couch gag sequence for The Simpsons reaching over 6 million views on YouTube! Soundtracks include 12 television series, 15 short films and 2 Playhouse films for Sky Arts. Other collaborations include creating the music and sound design for Tate Britain art installation AnnLee You Proposes by Turner Prize nominee Liam Gillick. Oliver s studios are based in the heart of Soho where he has been writing and recording since Thanks to Debbie Reddy, Ingles and Hayday, J Anna Jacoby and Steve Harrold, Josh Radnor, Caroline Horton and Linda Drake, Emma and Isaac. Recorded at All Saint s Church, Orpington on 4th and 5th March 2015 Recording Engineer Alex Barnes Anno Oliver Davis Produced, Edited and Mixed Oliver Davis Sibelius Editing Sophia Pagoni The Four Seasons Antonio Vivaldi Produced and Mixed Alex Barnes and Oliver Davis Edited Oliver Davis Anno Epilogue Oliver Davis Produced, Edited and Mixed Oliver Davis CD Mastering by Mike Hatch Cover Design Rebecca Manley Italian Translation Emanuela Guastella Anno and Anno Epilogue are published by Eaton Music Design and Artwork Woven Design P 2015 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd 2015 The copyright in this CD booklet, notes and design is owned by Signum Records Ltd Any unauthorised broadcasting, public performance, copying or re-recording of Signum Compact Discs constitutes an infringement of copyright and will render the infringer liable to an action by law. Licences for public performances or broadcasting may be obtained from Phonographic Performance Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this booklet may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Signum Records Ltd. SignumClassics, Signum Records Ltd., Suite 14, 21 Wadsworth Road, Perivale, Middx UB6 7JD, UK. +44 (0) info@signumrecords.com

9 ALSO AVAILABLE on signumclassics Oliver Davis: Flight Kerenza Peacock violin London Symphony Orchestra Paul Bateman conductor SIGCD411 The music is full of movement and energy. It s spirited, lively, and at times reminiscent of the music of Michael Nyman. Kerenza Peacock plays with great panache and verve. Classic FM Every once in a while, I pop on a new CD that I ve never heard of, having received it from MusicWeb International, and find myself delightfully surprised by some unexpected music... it s joyful music: the kind that makes you want to press the Repeat button on your player. Musicweb International Available through most record stores and at For more information call +44 (0)