“The Four Seasons” according to Théotime Langlois de Swarte

At 30, Théotime Langlois de Swarte is one of the most sought-after violinists of his generation. Last January, Harmonia mundi released his recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with his ensemble Le Consort. On November 26, joined by Les Arts Florissants, he gave a concert at the Festival International Bach Montreal marking the 300th anniversary of the work. The following day, in a review for the Canadian newspaper Le Devoir, Christophe Huss could not contain his praise: “Langlois de Swarte seems able to do anything, to allow himself anything, in the blink of an eye.” He concluded: “Not to be missed—it is unforgettable.” An interview with this violin prodigy, to whom Vivaldi seems to whisper in his ear.

Baroque music has always been a part of your life: your parents are voice teachers, and you started playing the violin at the age of four. Do you remember discovering Vivaldi’s Four Seasons?

Théotime Langlois de Swarte: It was The Four Seasons that, when I was very young, drew me to the violin and to the Baroque repertoire.

When you play The Four Seasons, don’t you feel like you’re taking the easy way out, since it’s performed so often these days?

T. L. S. : Baroque music—the kind that fascinates, moves, and touches me—needs to be rediscovered. That means reviving composers who have been forgotten since the 17th or 18th century, and whose scores have been lost or overlooked—like when I was only the second violinist to record works by Jean-Baptiste Senaillé, for example. But Baroque music also needs standard-bearers—pieces from the core repertoire that must be interpreted through a historically informed, musicological approach, allowing us to play these works as close as possible to the context in which they were first heard by their own composers. So The Four Seasons must be embraced, even though it is performed very frequently, because it remains a powerful emotional vehicle that can also reach younger audiences. I tell myself that if it worked for me, it might work for others too.

As a performer, what is left to discover in The Four Seasons?

T. L. S.: It’s one of the great masterpieces of the 18th century, but in my opinion, it’s undervalued. Even though it’s played everywhere, all the time, it’s not necessarily for the right reasons…

So, what are the right reasons, in your view?

T. L. S.: Intentionality is everything in interpretation. Intention is essential from the moment an object is created. Today, people make copies of Stradivarius violins, using the exact same materials and dimensions, yet those violins all sound different because of the maker’s intention. The will, the artistic ideal (even if they’re just ideas) completely change the result. The Four Seasons is deeply profound music that touches on many themes that are relevant today—living together, community, the climate crisis, our relationship with the living world… It’s an absolute work of art.

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