大象传媒

Mahan Esfahani for Building a Library comes up with a personal recommendation for Vivaldi's The Four Seasons from among available versions.

Pity Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, debased as Muzak in lifts and shopping malls; the infuriating hold music as one waits for an elusive human being on the other end of a phone line; hacked through in second-rate performances. So it's easy to forget the true musical worth of this charming and often thrilling set of violin concertos which graphically depict rustic scenes set in the Italian countryside. In fact, after two centuries of neglect, the Four Seasons was largely responsible for the post-War Vivaldi revival and became a 'must-record' for seemingly any and every violinist. The hundreds of recordings spanning over seven decades represent not only a who's who of violinists but also a fascinating record of changing fashion in performance styles.

Top recommendation:

VIVALDI: Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione - 12 concerti Op. 8
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (conductor)
ERATO 5454652 (download)

Vivaldi Concertos
VIVALDI: Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione - 12 concerti Op. 8; L'estro armonico - 12 concerti Op. 3
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi (conductor)
VIRGIN 6484082 (4CD)

Other recordings:

Below is a shortlist of other recordings which Mahan Esfahani also liked, although we can鈥檛 guarantee the availability of these discs.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons; Bassoon Concerto, RV 501 in B flat major 'La notte'; Bassoon Concerto, RV 496 in G minor; Concerto For Violin In Tromba Marina, Strings & Continuo In G, RV 311; Concerto For Violin In Tromba Marina, Strings & Continuo In D, RV 221
Peter Wheelan (bassoon), Adrian Chandler (director/violin), La Serenissima
AVIE AV2344 (CD)

Nigel Kennedy: The Four Seasons
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons
Nigel Kennedy (violin, director), English Chamber Orchestra
WARNER CLASSICS 2564628814 (CD)

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