![]() Two unusual recordings of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons Indeed, whether in Spring’s multi-beaked violin twitterings or the viola barking of the slow movement’s dog, it’s striking just how many soloistic opportunities Vivaldi offers the ensemble,’wrote Paul Riley. ‘Part of the freshness stems from the interaction between Podger and her one-to-a-part ensemble. ![]() This recording is evocative and colourful, embodying Vivaldi’s music on its own terms. Despite its size, the chamber ensemble achieves a rich, weighty sound that converses beautifully with Podger’s light, airy solo lines. Like Jansen, Rachel Podger’s Four Seasons recording is an intimate experience, with single string accompaniment from Brecon Baroque. Rachel Podger (violin) Brecon Baroque Channel Classics CCS SA 40318 (2018) ‘This fresh approach grows out of the work itself, and as a period instrument ensemble La Serenissima fully understands what an imaginative continuo section can bring to the table.’ ![]() ‘The resulting freshness incinerates the cobwebs of familiarity in the heat of La Serenissima’s proselytising zeal,’ wrote BBC Music Magazine’s Paul Riley. Performing with period instrument ensemble, La Serenissima, Chandler milks his authority as soloist and director with delightful, dramatic rubato and with precision second only to Nigel Kennedy. Standing out from the ocean of Four Seasons recordings is a challenge, but Adrian Chandler brings originality to the table by creating his own new edition of the concertos from Vivaldi’s rare surviving source material. La Serenissima/Adrian Chandler (violin) Avie Records AV 2344 (2015) Read our full review of this recording here ‘Jansen possesses the ideal combination of intonational purity and tonal allure,’ wrote BBC Music Magazine’s reviewer Julian Haylock, ‘and is beguilingly responsive to the music’s shifting moods, creating the uncanny impression of a series of vividly drawn characters passing before our eyes as we listen.’ This chamber-sized ensemble, including Jansen’s brother and father on cello and harpsichord respectively, is expressive and soloistic in its own right while still allowing Jansen to shine as the work’s star. Janine Jansen, Candida Thompson, Henk Rubingh (violin), Julian Rachlin (viola), Maarten Jansen (cello), Stacey Watton (bass), Elizabeth Kenny (theorbo), Jan Jansen (organ, harpsichord) Decca 475 6188 (2004)ĭutch violinist Janine Jansen offers an intimate Four Seasons performance, reducing a traditional orchestra accompaniment down to single instruments. Kennedy has since released The New Four Seasons (2015), a modern interpretation of the concertos, infused with jazz as well as the violinist’s love for Jimi Hendrix. We named Nigel Kennedy one of best rule-breaking musiciansĮssential listening for all Vivaldi enthusiasts, few recordings display the same level of vivacity as this collaboration between Kennedy and the English Chamber Orchestra – the matchless energy of their full-throttle performance doesn’t mean lack of precision, however. Released in 1989, Kennedy’s recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons spent nearly two years at the top of the UK classical album chart and sold over 2 million copies, making it the best-selling classical recording at the time. It comes as no surprise that Nigel Kennedy’s record-breaking disc makes this list. Nigel Kennedy (violin), English Chamber Orchestra Warner Classics 5562532 (1989) This is not to say that it lacks drama – far from it, in fact, as Brown and Marriner expertly capture the dynamic highs and lows of each season. Often thought of as the first definitive recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Iona Brown and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields display an exceptional lightness of touch throughout that makes the performance compelling yet easy to listen to. Her Four Seasons is arguably her finest achievement on disc. ![]() Though she left the orchestra in 1980, just a year after this recording was released, she continued collaborating with them. Over the next decade, she would work her way to the top of the orchestra, reaching principal soloist and director by 1974. Iona Brown joined the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 1964. Iona Brown (violin), Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Neville Marriner Philips 9500 7 17 (1979) The best recordings of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons In chronological order, here are our recommendations of the freshest interpretations and pioneering performances. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of recordings. All four concertos are widely familiar today and regularly appear in popular culture, from films and TV to choreographed sport such as ice skating.
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