Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Arranged for Recorders) [Import, Original recording reissued]

Antonio Vivaldi (Composer), Flanders Recorder Quartet (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Flanders Recorder Quartet
• Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
• Audio CD (April 9, 2002)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording reissued
• Label: Hmf Classical Exp.
• ASIN: B00005UVP9
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,164 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional recording, August 13, 2008

By 

John Oconnor "Wrong Reverend Pope John the Me... (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Arranged for Recorders) (Audio CD)

Nearly everyone in my age group has played the flutophone in school. That was a cheap recorder. Today, too many think that recorder is a child's toy and not a real instrument. Prior to the Baroque transverse flute, though, all music was played on recorder. It was not unusual for even later Baroque composers to arrange their music for recorder consort. Vivaldi wrote several concertos for recorder as well. This is simply a wonderful orchestral piece rearranged for recorder consort, and as such, it is delightful to listen to. I highly recommend this CD

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Vivaldi on recorders, March 26, 2007

By 

Jocelyn Shaw (Muskegon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Arranged for Recorders) (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful interpretation of the Four Seasons. The recorder is an excellent vehicle for the work. On first hearing, you think, gee I know this piece but it sounds different, then you realize it is all on recorders. It is utterly charming.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful transcription, pastoral and soothing, March 31, 2010

By 

Discophage (France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Arranged for Recorders) (Audio CD)

I love transcriptions. I find that they shed fascinating new (timbral) light on old warhorses, sometimes in ways that go far beyond the simple kick of novelty but can be very illuminating. Among my favorites are Prokofiev's 7th Piano Sonata for brass quintet (Russian Brass!), Vivaldi's Four Seasons by the Canadian Brass (Vivaldi: The Four Seasons), Bach's Goldbergs on accordion (the fine version by Stephan Hussong on Thorofon is listed here only as MP3 download, Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variationen - Jan P. Sweelink: Fantasia; you will find the corresponding CD on the German sister company under ASIN B000027AA9) - but that, arguably, is no more a transcription than when played on the piano, and same with Scarlatti's Sonatas played on the same instrument (see my review of Vivi felice! Accordion Music by Domenico Scarlatti) - and this one. It is the reissue of a CD first published by Harmonia Mundi in 1996, which I have in its original form (Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons) - Arranged for Recorders - and as I write is it sold cheaper than the present reissue, so you might want to check it out).

On the face of it, you might think that Vivaldi's Four Seasons transcribed for recorder quintet would be quite bland and monotonous in timbral quality. Not so. The transcription (by Joris van Goethem) is cleverly and tastefully done. I have no doubt that the quarter-note glissando that opens the third movement of The Spring ("Pastoral Dance", track 3) is intended; what it means I'm not sure, dancers stretching maybe, but it is wonderful. And the quasi pizzicati at 1:33 track 9 (Hunt/La Caccia from Autumn) are incredible - what are they, bullets whistling by?

But the really unique quality that the recorder ensemble brings, even over the original version for strings, is a marvelous and irresistible pastoral mood that is entirely genuine to the music. Those many bird songs are not just brilliant imitations of birds played by the violin; because they are intoned by woodwinds, they are much closer to the authentic thing. Because of the instrument's limitations in terms of sheer decibel power (and it also has to do with the less agressive attacks), the transcription elicits a much softer and more soothing mood than the original for strings, which by comparison sounds quite aggressive (especially when played by the recent Italian baroque ensembles). The recorders' Winter is never going to be as chilling as the strings' one (track 10), and there is not going to be any screeching sul ponticello here. This is winter in an era of global warming, sounding more like a chorus of hen cackling - but no matter: it is quite poetic and evocative in its own right. Marion Verbrüggen and her ensemble add their wonderful, period-practice-informed touches of interpretation.

Any reservations? Sure! 38:37 simply isn't enough of such goodies. But at budget price let's not complain.