Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons

Mystery Ensemble are playing Turner Sims on Sunday 1 November, with Max Richter's Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons as the bill. It's a full evening of the piece, so you'll get the whole cycle in one go.

For those who know the original, the title tells you exactly what's happening. Richter took Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and reimagined it in the spirit of minimalism and postmodernism, looping and layering the familiar themes until they shift into something new. It's one of his best-known works — after its 2012 release, the recording topped the iTunes Classical Music charts in more than 20 countries. He describes the cycle as both a philosophical reflection on an illustrated calendar and a sightseeing tour of Italy, and hearing it live lets you follow that thread through all four seasons in a single sitting.

Richter is as much a film composer as a concert one. He was named best film composer by the European Film Academy in 2008 and won Best Composer for the Waltz with Bashir soundtrack; his music also appears in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island and David Mackenzie's Last Love on Earth. Beyond the screen, he's recorded 12 solo albums and played the London Barbican, the Paris Philharmonic, the Sydney Opera and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. His stage work includes the Sum opera and the Infra ballet, choreographed by Wayne MacGregor at Covent Garden.

On the night, Mystery Ensemble takes the lead on the performance. It starts at 6:30 PM at Turner Sims, University of Southampton, in the heart of the city.