Opéra Royal - Vivaldi / Guido: The Four Seasons

Cultural

Born around 1675, he was
is noted among the violin students at the Conservatorio della Pietà dei Turchini in Naples, then among the musicians of the Chapelle Royale until 1702.

If Guido remains a mysterious musician, it's due to a lack of archives. Born around 1675, he was listed as a violin student at the Conservatorio della Pietà dei Turchini in Naples, then as a musician at La Chapelle Royale, until 1702. It was then that he left for Paris and entered the service of Duke Philippe d'Orléans, future Regent of France and a great music lover, where he became Master of Music. He thus rubbed shoulders with Morin, Gervais and Forqueray, and helped introduce Italian music to France. He also entered the circle of financier Pierre Crozat, where he gave concerts between 1714 and 1726, joining the likes of Watteau and banker Law.

Between 1713 and 1716, Crozat commissioned Watteau to decorate his Salle à Manger with four paintings on the theme of the seasons. It was no doubt to pay tribute to this admirable new ensemble that Guido composed his Scherzi armonici sopra le quattro stagioni dell'anno around 1717, based on four anonymous poems: Les Caractères des Saisons. Each of these “musical entertainments” has ten or so movements and, although called a concerto, resembles a French suite: the music is a skilful blend of Italian and French styles.

The publication of Guido's Saisons in Versailles bears no date, but it's reasonable to assume that they were written between 1725 and 1733: they are contemporary with Vivaldi's famous Saisons, and perhaps a little earlier. So, who inspired whom?