Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

[B. Goren.]

The Four Seasons is my favorite violin concerto. Usually the violin is not my favorite instrument but I really find this concerto exceptional and unique. I am familiar with the performance of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Zubin Mehta with Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman and Shlomo Mintz, each one of them plays another season (recorded in Tel-Aviv, 1983). I'm looking for one more performance and I wonder if any of you have listened to Sarah Chang? Any other recommendation will be highly appreciated.

Edited December 17, 2007 by B. Goren.

[medjuck]

I always think of it as the soundtrack for Jean Renoir's "The Golden Coach". On good prints it plays over the image of a curtain for for quite a while before the curtain rises and the film begins. (At least that's how I remember it-- I'm away from my Criterion DVD right now.)

[Hot Ptah]

My wife owns about 20 versions of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", including virtually all of the versions recommended highly in the Grammophone and Penguin guides. This one is her favorite, and I think that it is more compelling than most or all of the other versions:

[Stefan Wood]

I second the Biondi.

[Hot Ptah]

B.-- w/ all respect due a Black Fire man... all those choices are trash, & as, say, a Billy Taylor lp is to Andrew Hill (tho' that's not all you're missing). that said, bluntly, but necessary for the discussion to begin, you can get on the good on foot here, the full range of color, tone, heat & moisture these works-- & all good music lovers-- deserve, not the high gloss modern marketing version of the same you've only heard so far.

* Giuliano Carmignola & Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, originally on Divox, now three discs of concertos for dirt cheap on Brilliant Classics.

* Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante, recorded it twice, once on Opus 111 (now Naive), once on Virgin, flip a coin tho' Virgin gives you the rest of Op. 8

* Il Giardino Armonico on Teldec... this might have disappeared in the U.S. but should be easily available there

if you can't find those, Harnoncourt/Teldec or Carmignola's second recording, that one on Sony, during a brief, accidentally reinterest they had in Teh Baroque. (for a while they did great stuff with Vivarte but that was a different era before our pubes turned grey.)

START with these & unless it turns out you prefer Billy Taylor, or Liberace, or Floyd Cramer, you'll

1) never look back

2) thank edc

My wife has all of the versions you have mentioned, and I have heard each one literally dozens of times, sometimes when I would have preferred to hear something else. I still like the Accardo best, although you have mentioned versions which are in the upper tier, certainly. I agree that the versions you have cited are appreciably better than the two originally mentioned by B. Goren.

When you have heard this work as many times as I have, literally hundreds of times more than I would have played it on my own, you are grasping for something more in the interpretation. To me, the Accardo provides a certain intensity and interest which makes the work palatable on Listen #945.

Edited December 17, 2007 by Hot Ptah

[Larry Kart]

My wife has all of the versions you have mentioned, and I have heard each one literally dozens of times, sometimes when I would have preferred to hear something else. I still like the Accardo best, although you have mentioned versions which are in the upper tier, certainly. I agree that the versions you have cited are appreciably better than the two originally mentioned by B. Goren.

When you have heard this work as many times as I have, literally hundreds of times more than I would have played it on my own, you are grasping for something more in the interpretation. To me, the Accardo provides a certain intensity and interest which makes the work palatable on Listen #945.

Within the limits of what you want to say, why does your wife has 20 versions of "The Four Seasons" and why have recordings of the work been played in your presence literally hundreds of times? Is she a violinist who plays the work herself? (If so, I think I can understand.) Otherwise, though (and believe me, I think I'm only being curious from a human-nature, human-behavior point of view), I'm kind of baffled; though "The Four Seasons" certainly is a terrific work, it does IMO tend to reveal its attractions fairly readily and thoroughly. Now if you were to add that while she is not a violinist, this not the only work she has many versions of and plays quite often, again I think I can understand -- that kind of listening would fit within the range of my understanding of human experience. But ... well tell us a bit more, though again only if you want to. And, to repeat myself, I'm honestly not being snarky here, just curious.

[Hot Ptah]

She is not a violinist. She gets deeply into what she likes. She has hundreds of CDs by Bach, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, Albinoni, Corelli, and Vivaldi, and almost nothing else. She has no interest in Stravinsky or someone like that, none at all.

She used to like jazz more than she does now, and went to over 100 concerts with me, digging Sun Ra and Lester Bowie, among others. Sje just really goes deeply into what she is exploring.

[Chuck Nessa]

My tastes differ.

[Larry Kart]

She is not a violinist. She gets deeply into what she likes. She has hundreds of CDs by Bach, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, Albinoni, Corelli, and Vivaldi, and almost nothing else. She has no interest in Stravinsky or someone like that, none at all.

She used to like jazz more than she does now, and went to over 100 concerts with me, digging Sun Ra and Lester Bowie, among others. Sje just really goes deeply into what she is exploring.

Sounds like you've got quite a partner there; give her my best. And thanks for taking my word that my question was an honest one.

[Chuck Nessa]

I've moved on to the 5 seasons. 6 seemed too large a leap for my conservative tastes. I'd go back to 3 if I could.

[Hot Ptah]

My tastes differ.

Mine too. She never plays my Varese or Ives, ever.

[Chuck Nessa]

My favorite is the CRD version by Standage/Pinnock but live with the the DG remake. I have fond memories of the earlier Accardo version but think the original instrument movement has moved me elsewhere.

[B. Goren.]

... all those choices are trash..

Trash???

With all respect, I think you tend to underestimate some of the great violinists of our era (and I'm not talkin about Sarah Chang). Please correct me if I'm wrong.

And many thanks for your recommendations.

[Kalo]

I've moved on to the 5 seasons. 6 seemed too large a leap for my conservative tastes. I'd go back to 3 if I could.

I'm partial to "Indian Summer."

[BruceH]

I like "A Patch Of Blue."

[jazz1]

I also have a few "4 seasons" and the one that keeps on impressing me is the one by

Nils-Erik Sparf playing the baroque violin with the Drottningholm Baroque ensemble

The cherry on the cake is that the recording is unbelievably good.

These guys are playing in my house type of thing.

it is on the Bis label and the cat no is CD-275, give it a listen!

[brownie]

If you want to hear a jazz version of the Vivaldi classic, you may check this CD from the Jazz in Paris series:

Good version with Johnny Griffin and Art Taylor among the musicians!

[B. Goren.]

Thanks again clem.

[alocispepraluger102]

If you want to hear a jazz version of the Vivaldi classic, you may check this CD from the Jazz in Paris series:

Good version with Johnny Griffin and Art Taylor among the musicians!

i own that one.

[Larry Kart]

B.-- w/ all respect due a Black Fire man... all those choices are trash, & as, say, a Billy Taylor lp is to Andrew Hill (tho' that's not all you're missing). that said, bluntly, but necessary for the discussion to begin, you can get on the good on foot here, the full range of color, tone, heat & moisture these works-- & all good music lovers-- deserve, not the high gloss modern marketing version of the same you've only heard so far.

* Giuliano Carmignola & Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, originally on Divox, now three discs of concertos for dirt cheap on Brilliant Classics.

* Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante, recorded it twice, once on Opus 111 (now Naive), once on Virgin, flip a coin tho' Virgin gives you the rest of Op. 8

* Il Giardino Armonico on Teldec... this might have disappeared in the U.S. but should be easily available there

if you can't find those, Harnoncourt/Teldec or Carmignola's second recording, that one on Sony, during a brief, accidentally reinterest they had in Teh Baroque. (for a while they did great stuff with Vivarte but that was a different era before our pubes turned grey.)

START with these & unless it turns out you prefer Billy Taylor, or Liberace, or Floyd Cramer, you'll

1) never look back

2) thank edc

Carmignola and friends playing the presto from "Summer" on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_vvecNmvCg

Looks and sounds like they're having a good time.

[Joe G]

Burnin'!

[randyhersom]

I've moved on to the 5 seasons. 6 seemed too large a leap for my conservative tastes. I'd go back to 3 if I could.

Try Maine.

1) Snow

2) Mud

3) Fourth of July

[danasgoodstuff]

I'm reminded of a Molson's add re Canada: 2 seasons, winter & July. And it was there, in saskatoon to be exact, that I saw/heard my favorite performance of the Vivaldi piece in question, at noon in, high school, by S'toon's own brilliant Mozart Group (fromerly Mozart and the Wolf Gang), complete with a harmonica solo.

[MomsMobley]

Edited December 2, 2014 by MomsMobley