Title : Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Author : Vivaldi, Antonio
Release Date : 19901025
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $16.98
Amazon.com Price : $14.16
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Editorial Reviews : While it may not be the most rewarding way to approach this music in the long run, having four star violinists dish up a season apiece is a lot of fun, especially if you're interested in comparing styles and sounds. Mintz is bright and wiry; Perlman rich, brilliant and intense; Zukerman dark and suave; and Stern has that marvelous, warm, 'old-school' sound with an almost vocal vibrato. And the violins of the Israel Philharmonic? They play as though every one of them could step up and take a solo, no doubt because having four luminaries on the stage made them want to give of their best. While the interpretations, individually and collectively, don't offer much that is new or remarkable, the sense of occasion is palpable. DG's live recording, made at the Huberman Festival in Israel in 1982, is nicely balanced and quite atmospheric. --Ted Libbey
Buyer Reviews : The Four Seasons is a Baroque masterpiece, at paar with all the classic compositions from Bach and Handel. Antonio Vivaldi created, without knowing it, in theory, the first musical tone poem. He was describing through music (primarily a string orchestra) the four seasons-winter, spring, summer and fall, describing what could have been the lines of a poem, or four different scenes. On this recording, with the prestigious label and the virtuouso violinists Iztak Pearlman and Isaac Stern, the experience is the best. Baroque perfection. As is the case with all my reviews, I will discuss the structure of the piece and give my thoughts as to the quality of this particular recording. I have already judged it terrific, and truly the best recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Now it's up to you to hear the recording and get the desire to listen to the whole thing, not just for leisure, but for inspiration and for music appreciation.
The winter movements are appropriately slow, bleak, chilly, you can almost feel the frost on the ground and the snow falling slowly over hazy skies. The faster movements denote a snowstorm, there is no one out in such invernal conditions. The adagio movement is a description of a house with a warm fire burning during the cold front. The soothing strings and the faint quality of the piece can be like a dream. It's truly Vivaldi's most romantic piece.
The spring movement is by far the most joyful. The trees are full of leaves again, the snow has melted and the flowers bloom in the fields. The country folk return to their activities and romance seems to be in the air. The allegro movement is the most famous of the movements, an elegant, virtuosic and brilliant piece for strings, with an accent on the continuo. The spring movement is best heard over a relaxing state- drinking tea, a bubble bath, a dinner, and the same thing can be said about the slower movements of all the Four Seasons. Finally, the summer and fall movements are chalk-full of rich melody, the summer 'storm' movement dark and lush, its theme on the rapid violin scale has been featured in films and Deberrs Diamonds commercials. Full of counterpoint, flowing melodies, charming adagios, the Four Seasons makes up the best of Baroque. Vivaldi's creed was forever made upon this composition. I strongly suggest you get this recording. It is for music lovers, for classical music collectors and perfect to relaxe to after a long day at work. Take my word for it. I teach music and dance. Five stars well deserved and kudos to the great masters of the violin, Pearlman and Stern.
