Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (Le Quattro Stagioni Op 8 Nos 1-4) /Standage * English Concert * Pinnock

Antonio Vivaldi (Artist), Trevor Pinnock (Artist), The English Concert (Artist), Simon Standage (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Archiv Produktion
• ASIN: B0000057CA
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #104,436 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vibrant period-instrument performance, May 10, 2002

By	Yi-Peng (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This DG performance of the perennial Vivaldi Seasons featuring Pinnock, Standage and company may be the only Baroque CD in my collection, but it is in essence an invigorating performance of this perennial and much-loved (and much-played) classical music cornerstone. Recorded during the advent of digital technology, it makes use of manuscript parts and brushes all cobwebs off this work, without even sacrificing drama and vibrancy, given the timbre-related and tonal limitations of the period instruments. Standage's violin-playing sounds as if he might have been Vivaldi's protige, smooth-toned yet a little virtuosic in his stylish ornamentation, and Pinnock's superbly inspired direction, not to mention harpsichord-playing, enhances the gusto of the orchestral contributions. All this is capped by a clear and well-balanced recording set amidst the atmospheric acoustics of the Henry Wood Hall.

Standage's violin-playing in this work is able to capture its many subtleties. These subtleties can be found in the lyricism of Spring, the agitation of Summer, the nimbleness of Autumn and the atmospheric feel of Winter. The Spring concerto shows him excelling in his sweet-sounding interpretations of the birdsong and the dancing nymphs, and his lyrical portrayal of the goatherd in the slow movement. Then, in Summer, he is able to take on the role of an agitated-sounding water-bird in his so-called comments on the proceedings. Here, the highlight of his violin contributions can be seen in his depiction of the troubled countryman in his first-movement lament and in his troubled second-movement sleep. But nimbleness takes over in the Autumn concerto, where his fleet-fingered bowing admirably suits the tipsy drunkard in the first movement, and the helplessly-fleeing beast during the hunting sequence of the third movement. And so does some sort of relish when Winter sets in, as he seems to make his playing sound like some sort of keen enjoyment of the season itself and its related delights, even at the expense of the biting cold.

Standage's shining, polished and confident contributions are well-matched by Pinnock's atmospheric orchestral accompaniments. From the very first opening bars of Spring, the orchestra (with Pinnock's harpsichord at the helm!) is able to make effective use of Vivaldi's tone colouring to back Standage's playing. It can be particularly loud, for instance, when depicting the various storms (to the point of creating the effect of cracking thunder) and during the hunting scene that ends the Autumn concerto, or subtle as in the sweetness of the atmosphere of Spring and in the second movement of the Autumn concerto. But no matter how they play, every string player can work effectively in the various harmony and unison passages, and they are also greatly enhanced by the subtle lute accompaniments and Pinnock's astute direction and harpsichord accompaniments.

On the whole, I would like to say that this performance of the Vivaldi Seasons is on par with the various modern-instrument recordings by Alan Loveday (with Neville Marriner and the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields), Gil Shaham and the vigorous yet sometimes self-indulgent Nigel Kennedy, but it is in a class of its own and also the period-instrument equivalent of these modern-instrument readings. In fact, I find it so enjoyable that even beginners can actually turn to this performance rather than the over-indulgent Nigel Kennedy recording should they be seeking a quality recording of the piece. The texts of the sonnets and their translations are provided in the booklet, and this can be helpful to beginning listeners in following along with the music and pinpointing what happens during each movement.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best classical CD ever!, December 30, 1999

By	Ted Thederahn "Shinnite" (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is baroque the way it was meant to be! If you have friends who say classical music is boring, just smile beatifically, put on this disc and watch their eyes pop open in awe. Trevor Pinnock intuits Vivaldi's original intent in an interpretation of this classic that is breathtakingly fresh, sharp and intense. Original instruments, including a virtuoso violin performance by Simon Standage, playing from an original score with impeccable Deutsche Grammophon production. What more can you ask? I have owned seven copies of this disc, but continue to buy it because when I see the impact on people the first time they hear it (and most of them have owned other versions of this piece) I just give them the disc! If there ever was a "desert island" disc, this is the one. Buy it and enjoy! (but you'll probably need another one soon)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great four seasons cd, June 17, 2003

By	rlsummer (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Simon Standage has been a leading violinist for the English Concert for some time. Now he is independent and records with Chandos. Nowhere more he appears scarily demonic then here in Vivaldi's Four Seasons. I actually discovered this cd much later from other Archiv cds (with Pinnock): to my surprise it proved the best version as I could hear the violinist under the shadow of excellent Pinnock wonderfully conscious of his presence. Pinnock and the English Concert-as always-conveys the unerring sense of vitality somewhat different from Hogwood's. Early digital recording nevertheless sounds better with the authentic instruments. I really highly recommend this cd not only to Vivaldi-Pinnock fans but to anyone who are interested in Vivaldi's Four Seasons.