The Nordic Seasons: From a Terrace in Capri to the Arctic Circle
Some projects begin with years of planning. Others begin with a conversation.
The idea for The Nordic Seasons was born during a discussion on the terrace of Villa San Michele in Capri. Looking out over the Bay of Naples, surrounded by Mediterranean light and warmth, we found ourselves speaking not about Italy, but about Sweden.
As Camerata Nordica travels increasingly often beyond Sweden’s borders, we began asking ourselves a simple question: if we could bring one piece of Sweden with us wherever we go, what would it be?
The answer was not a famous landscape, a historical figure, or even a particular tradition. It was the changing rhythm of the seasons. The long Nordic winter, the first signs of spring, the endless summer evenings, and the colours of autumn are experiences that shape life in Scandinavia and leave their mark on those who live here.
From that conversation emerged the idea of a new commission. We asked violinist, composer and arranger Hanna Helgegren to create a work inspired by Nordic folk traditions and by the changing moods of the year. At the same time, we wanted to explore a visual dimension that could travel alongside the music and deepen the audience’s experience.
The result became The Nordic Seasons, a work in four movements: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer.
Capturing Sweden on film
The musical commission soon evolved into something larger.
To accompany the work, Camerata Nordica partnered with filmmaker Jack Walton to create a visual journey through Sweden’s landscapes. Over the course of many months, filming took place across the country, from the forests and coastline of southern Sweden to the dramatic mountains and Arctic landscapes of Lapland.
Some of the most memorable filming days took place in the far north.
In Abisko and Nikkaluokta, winter offered both extraordinary beauty and considerable challenges. Temperatures dropped well below freezing, equipment had to be protected from snow and ice, and daylight was limited. Yet the reward was a landscape unlike any other: frozen rivers, vast mountain ranges and a silence that seemed to embody the very essence of the music’s winter movement.
Other seasons required patience of a different kind. Waiting for the right light, the arrival of mist over a lake, or the precise colours of autumn became as important as the filming itself. The project gradually became not only a portrait of Sweden’s seasons but also a reflection on time, nature and our relationship with the landscape around us.
A Piece of Sweden Abroad
From the beginning, the ambition was not simply to create a new composition.
We wanted to create a project that could travel.
Whenever Camerata Nordica performs abroad, The Nordic Seasons allows us to share something deeply connected to our home. The combination of music and film offers international audiences an opportunity to experience Sweden not as a destination on a map, but as a living landscape shaped by light, weather, silence and change.
The work has become an artistic calling card for the ensemble and a celebration of the environment that continues to inspire us.
