Rick Wakeman appears on ITV's Perspectives series to lend his expert analysis of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons".
Rock keyboardist Rick Wakeman reappraises Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" - one of the most popular piece of classical music of all time but often denounced as muzak for the middle classes. Wakeman thinks the critics are wrong though, and believes that the Four Seasons was so far ahead of its time that it was actually the first ever concept album, making Vivaldi the world's first rock superstar. But why did a piece written by a sickly 18th-century priest disappear into obscurity for more than 200 years after his death? Rick travels to Venice, a city with a reputation in the 18th century for debauchery. There he uncovers a tale of an almost rock 'n' roll-like scandal contributing to Vivaldi's downfall.
In the program Rick talks about the life and works of Antonio Vivaldi. Towards the end of the broadcast Rick meets with Maestro Mistheria and they discus the upcoming Vivaldi Metal Project as well as listen to some of the music already written for the project. To watch the program go here: https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/perspectives-rick-wakeman-and-the-four-seasons/series-1/episode-1-perspectives-rick-wakeman-and-the-four-seasons