THE [uncertain] FOUR SEASONS

What will our future sound like if we don’t act now on climate change?

The [uncertain] Four Seasons is an algorithmic re-composition of Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” that uses geospatial climate modeling for 2050 to depict the impact of climate change. The geolocation-specific algorithm maps geographic variations into Vivaldi’s original score, making it possible to generate different versions for specific locations. Part performance, part community event, The [uncertain] Four Seasons is a customized artistic experience rooted in your local community and brought to life by our artistic team.

In June 2022, Classical Uprising was proud to present the U.S. premiere of The [uncertain] Four Seasons, an initiative of AKQA and Jung von Matt, composer Hugh Crosthwaite, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Monash Climate Change Communications Research Hub. Location-specific variations had previously been created for fourteen orchestras in different countries around the world but not yet brought to the U.S. The project builds on a concept first presented by the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester in 2019.

Wanting to further harness people into action, artistic director Emily Isaacson created a composite arrangement of The [uncertain] Four Seasons and The Four Seasons, including Vivaldi’s original poetry alongside new contemporary poetry. Thoughtfully splicing the old and new together, this arrangement leverages the emotional connection to the past to disquiet and motivate. The intention is to inspire action, even if just in small increments, to build a more sustainable future and protect our natural world. Like an orchestra, the action of one person can make a difference, but together we can make a movement.

WHAT: A music and spoken-word concert (45 to 75 minutes) that can be programmed with other repertoire, as a stand-alone performance, or in conjunction with presentations and engagement events by local arts, environmental, and education organizations. We can tailor programs with colleges and universities that bring together academic departments and are accessible to all students. Collaborations include:

• Theater

• Fine Arts

• Dance

• University Orchestra

• Environmental Science Symposium

• Prose and Poetry

WHO: Your chamber orchestra + GRAMMY-nominated violinist + American Prize-winning music director

• Chamber orchestra – mid-level string orchestra of at least 8 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, and 1 bass from university or arts nonprofit

• GRAMMY-nominated violinist Jesse Irons – violinist at Handel and Haydn Society and Boston Baroque; co-artistic director of the GRAMMY-nominated ensemble A Far Cry; guest-lecturer on entrepreneurship and chamber music at MIT, Yale, Stanford, Eastman, Peabody, and New England Conservatory

• Music Director and Conductor Dr. Emily Isaacson – 2018 Maine Artist of the Year; 2022 American Prize; faculty at Bowdoin College

HOW: This family-friendly, and community-centric program can be performed in indoor and outdoor venues, as a stand-alone performance or in conjunction with presentations by local arts, environmental, and education organizations. It premiered at the Portland Bach Experience's outdoor Carnival Concert with over 30 partner organizations.

Impact of The [uncertain] four seasons

Be a call to action; use the arts to make the impacts of climate change heard and felt.

Bring together local environmental organizations and businesses in one location to provide individuals with concrete ways to take action to support our planet.

Strike a tone that is motivational, empowering, and inspiring instead of overwhelming and dread-infused; to counteract what psychologists have named “climate paralysis.”

Make classical music approachable, accessible, social, and fun so that people—all people—are included in and welcomed to the art form.

PRESS:

Pioneer Press: With The [uncertain] Four Seasons classical musicians and St. Kate’s student poets tackle climate change

"Emily Isaacson's goal goes a little further, though: She wants us not just to be aware of the climate crisis, but to actually do something about it, too. The computer-generated music is a little ‘shouty,’ she said, and 45 straight minutes of it would turn people off, rather than motivating them and stirring their emotions. She and Jesse Irons took creative liberties, alternating between Vivaldi’s original score and the algorithmic version in a way that eases into the ‘uncertain’ music and better embodies the degradation of the climate. ‘It reminds me of a post-apocalyptic movie, where the cinematography is actually gorgeous,’ Irons said. ‘Like, the sky is the wrong color, but it’s weirdly beautiful.’ ”

"By bringing together music and poetry, the project helped our institution advance conversations about climate justice. Our student poets found the experience particularly meaningful and educational... I would recommend this event to any university."

-Dr. Kristen Lillvis | Professor of English, St. Catherine University

Minnesota Post: Sustainability focus at St. Catherine University ushers in climate action concerto

“ ‘We realized that listening to 45 minutes of computer generated music is not so fun,’ she said to the St. Catherine audience. ‘And one of the things that I think about a lot is climate paralysis. This issue is so enormous, so emotionally overwhelming, that it’s easier to shut down than to act.’ So Isaacson created an arrangement that would help take the audience on a narrative arc — compelling them to act without shutting them down, by combining the algorithmically created data with Vivaldi’s original. For the presentation at The O’Shaughnessy, the evening will include poetry performances by St. Kate’s students, and will be performed by Irons and members of the Minnesota Opera orchestra.”

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