15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Deal, December 27, 2007
This review is from: Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni; Concerti [Box Set] (Audio CD)
I just received this set after ordering it from Amazon, and I am pleasantly surprised to find that instead of getting 4 CDs in paper sleeves, I got a box containing 4 CDs in full size jewel cases published by Opus 111, complete with the original artwork and liner notes. Each CD is available separately at Amazon under the titles: Le Quattro Stagioni, Concerti per Vari Strumenti, Concerti per Fagotto e Oboe, and Concerto per Archi, and to buy all 4 separately would cost upwards of $40.
Aside from that, the music on each CD is alive and beautiful, and is of the same audio and artistic quality as other recordings in Opus 111's Vivaldi Edition series, such as Griselda, Orlando Furioso, La Senna Festaggiante, and Juditha Triumphans.
Highly recommended, especially at this bargain price!
(PS: I paid $14.97. Since then Amazon has raised the price to the list price of $17.98. Amazon often goes up and down on prices and an easy way to find out when they've lowered or raised a price is to park the item in the "saved items to buy later" section of your shopping cart. When the price goes up or down, a notice appears at the top of your shopping cart page to inform you of the change in price.)
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Miss These Top Performances by Some of the Best Vivaldi Players Offered at a Sensational Price!, March 13, 2008
This review is from: Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni; Concerti [Box Set] (Audio CD)
Thanks to James' accurate review I noticed this fabulous deal and promptly ordered two of these great sets, one for myself and another for an Italian friend.
As he points out, this set has four separate CDs, without shrinkwrap as is common in Europe, collected in a shrinkwrapped paper carton. To add a few helpful details to James excellent review, and to encourage buyers to order this set, below are a few further notes with leads to longer reviews of each of the recordings.
The first CD is Fabio Biondi's first go at Vivaldi's over-recorded "Four Seasons". Made in 1991, this was a justly celebrated recording. I slightly prefer this version for its wide open passion to his later second go around, a more structured and elegant performance; both are universally praised. Biondi's group brings out as much of the music's color and vibrancy as anyone and makes an easy first choice for someone wishing a recording of Vivaldi's magical work. Along with the famous work are two Concerti, RV 171, and RV 163. Both receive exemplary playing. The booklet has timings and two pages of notes in English, French, and German. You can read more involved reviews about Biondi's group and this CD and hear always helpful sample excerpts at the Amazon site below.
Vivaldi: Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons)
For listeners whose ears pick up at the word Stradivarius there remains the older gold standard alternative "Four Seasons" performance on Philips by I Musici with possibly the most distinquished of all violin soloists in this work, the under-appreciated Pina Carmirelli. This CD offers something no modern group can touch, a legendary ensemble born to this music playing on other-worldly sounding instruments - a brace of Stradavari. Old-fashioned by some standards, but what ravishing strings, the stuff that dreams are made of, or could call Eurydice back from Hades. If the Biondi performance might be likened to taking a classic light motorcycle - perhaps a Ducati Mach 1 - at nasty speeds down the twistiest switchy bits of the Amalfi Coast, the older I Musici version captivates with a joyous sense of supreme ease, a lazy Summer afternoon in the cockpit of a classic Chris Craft Cobra, hugging the shores of Lake Como trailing a long sweeping curve of surging spray. This latter is now available in a fancy CD/DVD -two perfromances, the classic version and a new lesser one set to film of Venice issued in 2006
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons [CD + DVD] or the oriignal performance in an earlier less expensive release without the additional DVD version
Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)
The second CD titled "Concerti per vari strumenti" is just exactly that, a collection of concerti for various instruments. In this case they are:
RV 559, RV 497, RV 566, RV 534, RV 548, RV 454, RV 560.
The performances are quite recent, 2004, and showcase Zefiro, a superb group of the top Italian performers. This set has far better notes than the previous CD, this time in French, English, and Italian. Further comments on this issue can be found on Amazon's listing of the CD -
Vivaldi Edition: Concerti per vari strumenti
The third CD is led by one of the most distinquished of Italian musicians, Rinaldo Alessandrini, and includes 12 more concerti for various instruments, though in this case the works are mostly for string orchestra. In this grouping are RV 115, 120, 121, 123, 129, 141, 143, 153, 154, 156, 158, and 159. This set, a favorite of mine since I first heard it three years ago, was recorded in 2003, and sports one of the best of the eye-catching covers adorning the Opus 111 series, a young person dressed in a bright blue scarf holding the famous Gazza ladra, or thieving magpie, with its striking counterpart of black and white and Kashmir sapphire-blue plumage. The adjusted price for each of these CDs, approximatley $4.50, makes a mockery of modern day inflationary gauging. Reviews of this set as well as samples can be checked out at,
Vivaldi Edition: Concerto per archi
The last CD is made up of concerti for bassoon and oboe. Those who thought Vivaldi was just a composer for strings will be surprised at how superb an orchestrator he was for the woodwinds. If the writing does not approach the shattering display pieces of Vivaldi's Dresden contemporary Zelenka, (see the phenomenal CD set
Zelenka: Trio Sonatas) these remain some of the most delightful works of their kind in the Baroque literature. Included are RV 451, 461, 481, 498, 501, and 545. I had not heard these recordings before and was impressed with the style and panache of the players. Very attractive music, and highly recommended. The CD has good notes in French, English and Italian, with a helpful historically informed essay on Vivaldi's concertos for basson and oboe. Amazon's listing of this recording along with another of Amazon top 50 reviewer J. Scott Morrison's superb reviews can be found by clicking,
Vivaldi Edition: Concerti per fagotto e oboe
If you like the concerti above you might also consider my favorite Vivaldi concert music, his concerti for mandolin. It's difficult to imagine music more steeped in the light of Venice, or capturing the essence of sounds evoking the glittering ever-shifting Venetian panopy of water, sky and villa than this album led by Fabio Biondi.
Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini
The notes in several of the CDs discuss the on-going series of Vivaldi recordings and the collaboration between Opus 111 and the Piedmont Institute.
This set makes a wonderful gift for someone just discovering classical music or music of the Baroque era!
Don't forget to check out the samples of ZELENKA! You won't be sorry!
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