Customer Reviews

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is what I think whenever listening to this album. Two years ago, I heard the last allegro of Winter from this album on a classical radio station. I bought it immediately (after I caught my breath). It was and still is one of the most amazing things I have ever heard - The Four Seasons played pizzicato on guitars. The trio's execution is flawless. The dynamic changes they somehow surprisingly master make this, I think, far more moving than the traditionally instrumented version we've all heard ten thousand times. I have had this disc for two years, and I still catch my breath. I am grateful that such skilled artists had the idea to present this work to us.

I am a sucker for acoustic guitar music. I used to be a fair guitar player in the (ugh) 1960's and '70's but them days are gone. I heard this first on NPR and grabbed it off Amazon the first chance I could. It's been in my car's CD player for weeks and I think it's wonderful. Yeah, a full orchestra version is richer, fuller and more complex. But you don't always eat Haut Cuisine do you? (If you do, call your cardiologist, your bypass is ready.) Some times you eat BBQ or a lobster roll right? This is a fun, different take on a familiar work. My car pool guy is stuck in the Don Johnson 1980's (think Miami Vice music) but he actually liked listening to these guys. Not exactly a rave, but an interesting side note.

Listen to the samples on the web and make your decision. I bet you reach for the plastic.

I heard this recording on my friends rca sound test cd. I went online the next day and found the album and bought it. It is the most amazing way I have ever heard the Four seasons played in my whole life. Anyone who loves the four seasons will love this cd. I actualy like this cd so much that I plan on buying 3 more copys for my friends as gifts.

I love transcriptions. They offer a new and ear-catching timbral view of the old warhorses, and a new kick to the old routine. Sometimes transcriptions can even be illuminating, and reveal things about the composition that weren't apparent in the original, especially in the keyboard works of Bach, were assigning widely differentiated timbres to the different voices brings out the contrapuntal writing. I have numerous CDs of transcriptions, from Bach's Goldberg Variations (accordion, organ, string trio, saxophone quartet, brass ensemble, overdubbed guitar, synthesizer, jazz piano, jazz trio, cimbalom duet - and I'm still missing marimba, and harp - and that is leaving aside the piano) to, say, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition (and I'm not talking here about Ravel's or anyone else's orchestration, but versions for two accordions: Duos for Classical Accordions, brass ensemble: Pictures at an Exhibition: Night at the Bare Mountain or chamber ensemble: Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin / Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition, and of course Tomita's for synthesizer, Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition - Tomita) and Prokofiev's 7th Piano Sonata (a stupendous transcription for Brass Quintet, which I think I like even better than the original, Russian Brass).

With the Goldberg Variations, Vivaldi's Four Seasons has been a popular candidate for transcriptions. I have versions for brass quintet (Vivaldi: The Four Seasons), recorder quartet (Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons) - Arranged for Recorders) and even Japanese Koto Ensemble (The Four Seasons, Water Music Suite, Royal Fireworks Suite (New Koto Ensemble of Tokyo); the Koto is a kind of Japanese cither), which comes closest timbrally to this one for guitar trio. On the face of it, the guitar trio doesn't necessarily seem to be the best medium for transcribing the Four Seasons. Even though the original is written for the relatively timbrally homogeneous string orchestra, Vivaldi elicits from it such a diverse and evocative range of colors, that it seems difficult for three like-instruments, and as timbrally limited as the guitar (thousand apologies fans of the guitar!), to come even close to emulating it. Rather than enriching the original composition by shedding a new timbral light on it, one could fear that the greyish guitar trio would rather impoverish it.

Cautionary expectations not met, I am happy to report. The beauty of Vivaldi's music comes through, the original colors are beautifully suggested, and the sound of the guitars convey a dreamy and pastoral sweetness of their own (the atmosphere of Alexandre Lagoya playing the famous tune "Jeux Interdits" from the René Clément film came to mind) that I find much in situation and very endearing in its own right, without falling into the saccharine sentimentality of the version for Koto ensemble.

A very pleasant and soothing 41-minute panorama, whose main shortcoming is that it is way too short. It took me about that time to write the review. Now, I can listen again, and with undiminished pleasure.

I wonder how it would sound played on mandolins. Probably even better, and more genuinely Venetian. Any mandolin trio out there reading this review?

If you want to hear habitual "Four seasons" you will be disappointed. Music on this CD is something special. Sharp, crystal clear guitars voices make the amazing musical picture - not like a traditional performance. I very recommend this CD for people who likes pleasant surprises and guitar music.

Let's face it. Everybody has heard Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" so often that it has lost its freshness, grace, and awe. To rediscover it, try this guitar version of the piece. Awesome is the only way to describe the performance. I don't know how they did it. What stands out in my mind is that the music sounds so fresh, even original. I even believe the moods of the seasons come out more clearly in guitar. That's particular true for the effect of "rain." Yes, this is one of those CD's that that I simply cannot recommend highly enough. For another variation, the "New Koto Ensemble of Tokyo" does an equally brilliant translation of Vivaldi' Four Seasons...another 5 star recording.

Well...It's really a good and noteworthy work.You can't find such good music arrangements often in guitar.These people made a great job by playing one of the greatest works of Vivaldi besides don't forget it is a concerto for violin which makes it harder to perform on guitar, they really handled it well.But I warn you as you can see the title this CD includes extraordinary well guitar NOT VIOLIN.If you like something original or traditional you better buy the violin one.

Of the many renditions of the Four Seasons, this is among the best and it is one of my all time favorites. And it has topped my list of classical music in my collection.