Vivaldi and Bach

Sunday 20th July 2025

11am The Royal Albert Hall

An 11am matinee prom - probably the earliest time I’ve ever attended the RAH for a concert in all the years I’ve been attending rock concerts there. At first I thought the hall was not going to fill up in the same way it had done the night before, but more people continued to pour in, and it looked like nearly a full house.

Before the musicians took to stage, the first thing I noticed was that the empty space on the stage benches - in other words, this was not going to be a full orchestra, but centered rather on just string instruments and a harpsichord. I’m not sure what this outfit is called, but I recognise it as typical of interpreting the baroque (Vivaldi/ Bach) period.

The show started with the main man, Théotime Langlois de Swarte, standing at the top of the stage area, playing some solo violin to begin, soon being joined by the rest of Le Consort. I am reminded of just how well the Royal Albert Hall’s acoustic set up allows for this type of music: every nuance of soft pizzicato can be heard a crisp.

Many of the pieces - although by famous composers - I had not heard of, but I enjoyed them all the same. Each was played with elegance and, as already mentioned, the hall’s acoustics enabled every person in the room to hear every note, regardless of where they were sitting.

Of course, the one I had been waiting for was the mega-famous opening of Summer, from Vivaldi’s four seasons. As this was playing I took a quick look away from the stage and at the hall as a whole - a very powerful moment.

There was a lovely melancholic encore, along with a reprise of Summer - which pleased the entire room!