When autumn started creeping in, I started creeping out (2 cents)

I was really looking forward to a performance of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons at the Church of the Epiphany today, to be performed by nine musicians, led by violinist Elizabeth Field, playing on baroque instruments.

Before the performance began, Field gave a very interesting introduction, talking primarily about the differences between contemporary and baroque instruments, both with respect to their structure and to their acoustic qualities. She explained that the instruments being played today were not 300 years old, but were built to replicate those standards.

She then said that Vivaldi had composed this piece to follow along a particular poem and that original manuscripts had the words of the poem over specific measures. She had someone read (poorly) portions of the poems, and had the orchestra play the corresponding themes at the start of each of the four movements (sort of like Peter and the Wolf, I am afraid). I found that quite offputting.

I listened to Spring and Summer, and whether it was the musicians, the arrangements, the instruments, or me, I don't know, but I was not enjoying the performance at all. And I cannot imagine that a good performance of this piece can ever be unenjoyable. I think that some of the musicians were having trouble controlling the sounds of their instruments (or was this the instruments and if so, did it say something about these particular instruments, or baroque instruments in general?), and from time to time, the pacing of work seemed off, both slow and uneven.

At any event, as summer became history, and autumn was creeping in, I crept out.