Customer Reviews

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Vivaldi's Four Seasons set of concerti is one of my all-time favorites, so I tried to choose a rendering that would really do this music proud, and I was not disappointed in the musicians. The artists on this recording are first-class. They work seamlessly together with a fine conductor, giving the music the nuancing, coloring, and texture changes it deserves. I especially enjoy the rich, smooth-as-silk cello. The applause at the end of each concerto is the one thing kept that 5th star out of my listening pleasure. It breaks my mood; I'm not sitting in a concert hall when I listen to this album and the intrusion of the crowd annoys me. Still, I'd recommend this album to anybody who doesn't mind the applause.

This is in, all probability, the greatest recording of vivaldi's four seasons. You simply cannot find this many virtuosos in one cd from one performance. The Israel philharmonic is truly superb, with a rich complex sound to back up the soloists. Mehta takes a very faithful interpretation of Vivaldi in this recording: in the sense of dynamics especially, but also tempo and style. The sound quality is superb, I have never heard better than its perfect brilliance. The sound is fully up to Grammaphon standards. The only complaint i have with this is that the soloists seem to have been just a little too loyal to vivaldi when they played. All the solo parts, perhaps with the exception of Pinchas Zukerman's truly perfect rendition of the summer concerto, need a bit of embellishment; a bit of the virtuoso fireworks one would expect from stern or perlman. Personally, I think the spring movement needs drama, the fall needs more volume, and th e winter needs a faster tempo, not to mention a few more trills and other such touch ups throughout. If you are looking for a great recording, faithful to vivaldi, buy this. if you are looking for a less faithful version with more embellishment, i would recommend the version with Joseph Silverstein and the Boston symphony conducted by Ozawa

I was just ordering a copy as a Christmas gift and read the reviews. Yes the applause is slightly annoying, however, technically this is one of the best recordings you may ever hear. You may want to order it simply to show off your sound system. The ability and artistry of the individual performers will never be surpassed. One solution may be to clap along at the end of each movement! You will not regret buying this recording! In fact you may end up like me, buying them as gifts.

The 4 violinists performing in this cd (of whose label is known for superior quality and sound) are all masterful. They are all well known. Who has not heard of Izhtak Perlman and Isaac Stern ? All great masters of the violin. And Vivaldi's 4 Seasons is one of the most celebrated and most challenging works for the violin. Calling upon strings and orchestra, Vivaldi's 4 seasons captures the perfect embodiment of the Baroque concerto. It reflects the seasons and its many moods- the violins manage to creat an atmosphere that really takes us from a lively spring time to a gloomy and chilly winter. In a sense, the 4 Seasons is the first "program " suite. It is a remarkable piece and no true classical fan cannot miss hearing it. Buy this cd since it's wonderful.

I am a Vivaldi fan, especially the Four Seasons. But when I saw the Four Masters, each doing a season, it was love all over again! I'd recommend this to any fan of the violin or Vivaldi, but especially of the wonderful performances conducted by Zubin Mehta. The Israeli Philharmonic is brilliant and flawless as well. Five stars and a some tissues for a wonderful, moving performance you will want to listen to again and again.

It's hard for me to give this CD a rating of 3 stars. The music is beautiful, but there is definitely something lacking in this rendition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Mixing four expert violinists is probably not the best idea for this music, since each violinist has their own particular style. They clash in some peculiar ways at peculiar times. If this is the only Four Seasons you ever hear, you are missing out on plenty. While there are some nice interpretations here, this CD is actually one of the most uninvolving of all the Four Seasons recordings I've heard.

And applause? What is that? I'm all for live recordings, but during an orchestral arrangement, applause just pulls you out of the experience. Perhaps if the applause wasn't so loud, I wouldn't be so hard on it. But it's actually louder than the instrumentals. I burned this performance to a new CD and edited the applause out myself. It's better that way. If you can, I highly recommend doing so.

But for the CD itself... there is nothing spectacular about it, which is surprising considering the talent at stake. As such, go for Joseph Silverstein and the Boston Symphony for the definitive Four Seasons performance. You will hear all that you've been missing.

I really love Isaac Stern and Itzhak Perlman, but I think they were both having an "off" day here--this isn't a particularly good Four Seasons. Much better, and far more inspired recording of the Four Seasons is the Trevor Pinnock/Simon Standage recording on Archiv records. Get that one!

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.

This is truly a monumental recording that stands out as one of the best ever and one that will be a gift for future generations of musicians and music lovers alike. Very seldom you get to listen to something akin to this: four violin virtuosos playing live one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. They are at home in Tel Aviv and being conducted by Mehta, you can feel they're rejoicing on themselves and on such wonderful music. Alas, the perils of a live recording are obvious and unavoidable (loud cheering and clapping and even an occasional cough) but the audience IS alive, you see. Away from studio make-up, their brilliant performance in front of such a huge audience is so exuberant, flawless and natural that it will take your breath away and bring shivers through your spine. Actually, the CD should carry a cautionary label: "Beware: if you suffer from a heart condition you should probably ask your doctor before playing this CD".

Sublime and exciting, but the applause after every concerto on this live recording is enough to ruin it for me. They should have edited it out.