Rachel Portman: Tipping Points & Vivaldi/Kerschek: The New Four Seasons CD

Release March 29, 2024

CD Edition

Violinist Niklas Liepe premieres Rachel Portman's "Tipping Points," a new 6-part suite for violin and orchestra by the award-winning composer about the effects of climate change on nature.
The studio recording with the WDR Funkhausorchester also includes a new cinematic arrangement of Antonio Vivaldi's famous "Four Seasons," made by arranger Wolf Kerschek.

For his new concept album, violinist Niklas teams up with iconic composer Rachel Portman. In "Tipping Points," a six-part suite for violin and orchestra written for this album, the Oscar-winning composer describes the endangered beauty of all elements: air, earth, water, and fire, calling for the preservation of Earth. Portman's varied orchestral soundscapes are complemented by poems by English writer Nick Drake, eloquently recited for this recording by English actress Grainne Dromgoole. Each poem enhances the listening experience by delving into natural themes, while also reflecting on how climate change jeopardizes the very elements they celebrate. "Tipping Points" is an orchestral composition as evocative as it is melodic, both easily accessible and deeply emotional. The work was recorded with the celebrated WDR Funkhausorchester under the baton of Erina Yashima and premiered at the prestigious Beethovenfest Bonn (Germany).
Rachel Portman also wrote three new arrangements of some of her favorite pieces for this album. These are: "Leaves and Trees," "Flight," and "On my Planet" from her opera "The Little Prince."
The second work on the album, also a world premiere recording, is a new cinematic orchestral version of Vivaldi's famous "Four Seasons," by arranger and composer Wolf Kerschek, recorded with the WDR Funkhausorchester under the direction of Patrick Lange.