In September we announced that British composer Max Richter will be releasing his ‘recomposed’ version of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons on October 29. The project is the latest contribution to Deutsch Grammophon’s ‘Recomposed’ series, which sees contemporary composers and DJs reinventing iconic classical works to appeal to a wider audience. Although Richter has re-composed 90 per cent of Vivaldi’s score, the essence of the much-loved original piece is retained.

As part of the same enterprise, Richter will be ‘hijacking’ the in-house soundsystems of London stores and public spaces for a ten-minute ‘Classical Takeover’ this month. Participants will include Selfridges, audio store Bose and luxury brands such as Crabtree & Evelyn, with more to be announced shortly.

‘The Classical Takeover is an innovative way to bring classical music straight to the public,' the composer explains. ‘It is every bit as radical and interesting as the "Recomposed" project itself.' 

Four days over October will be dedicated to each of the four Seasons: Friday 19, (Spring), Sunday 21, (Summer), Tuesday 23 (Autumn) and Saturday 27 (Winter). 'Classical Takeover' will culminate in a one-off live performance on October 30 by Richter himself, and The Four Seasons violinist Daniel Hope at the Apple Store, Regent Street. It will be followed by the official CD launch gig at the Barbican Centre on October 31.

Follow the Classical Takeover on Twitter: @ClassicTakeover, and via the #Recomposed hashtag.

Click here to listen to an excerpt on the Gramophone Player.

Rachel Coombes