MMM | The Four Sesaons Recomposed by Max Richter

To rekindle his love for the Four Seasons, Max Richter composed Recomposed in 2012. No one expected the global enthusiasm that his version triggered.

Turning old into new – a tried and tested principle, but can you do the same with Vivaldi's legendary Four Seasons? Organist Anna Lapwood's answer is clear: "Nothing is untouchable!" After the release of his album ‘Recomposed’, composer Max Richter initially expected to be heavily criticised. But the opposite happened – he hit a nerve: Over 450 million streams, concerts in classical halls as well as in clubs such as Berghain Berlin or Poisson Rouge in New York, and the distribution of individual tracks in the Bridgerton series testify to the success of the reinterpretation.

What touches people when they hear Recomposed? In this episode of Magic Moments of Music, prominent artists and contemporary witnesses embark on a journey through the music, recall playful challenges and personal highlights and explain how the British composer Max Richter put his hand to the 300-year-old work.

"For me, there is no greater music than Vivaldi's Four Seasons", says violinist Daniel Hope, "but when I held Max's score in my hand, I realised why he had to do it." Watching the film footage, concertmaster Werner Ehrhardt also remembers how difficult it was to switch off the Vivaldi autopilot.

Richter's new composition fascinates the hardcore Vivaldi fan and mandolinist Avi Avital just as much as techno producer Stimming, who otherwise has nothing to do with classical music: A new sound experience for him too.

Duration 43 min / 52 min
English series title Magic Moments of Music
Director Isabel Hahn
Producer Lily Küntzle
Executive Producer Claus Wischmann
Co-Producer Christopher Janssen
Production Company ZDF/ARTE, sounding images
Production year 2025