# Finest recording of the Four Seasons?



## Mesa

It's probably one of the few whole pieces i've heard enough (and enough versions of) to be quite critical of it, so what are TC's favourite recordings?

The Summer III and Winter I and III are the most varying i've found, with some truly horrible versions on spotify and CD compilations. Conversely, some truly astounding.

Things i've noticed are massive variations with how much harpsichord people see fit to use, wild musical conjecture concerning note length with delicate passages during Spring and Autumn, and the most irritating of the lot: treating the solo near the beginning of Winter I as a race with other violinists who have recorded the same piece.

My favourite recording is on 'Great Composers 3: Vivaldi', but as it is a compilation, lacking a part from each concerto. I can find devastatingly little about the CD, as i listen on Spotify premium, but the whole series seems to be particularly coherent and very well mastered audio-wise.

Looking for the quintissential recording of one of civilization's greatest achievements 

Bonus marks for anyone suggesting a fine vinyl recording of it too, just started the old long play collecting again.

Edit: Just found this and it seems like it has some good suggestions, but it still barely scratches the surface of the giant reservoir of versions of it.
http://www.talkclassical.com/12526-warmest-recording-vivaldis-four.html


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## realdealblues

There are a ton of recordings to be sure. I only have a few versions so I can't begin to say what some of the best out there are. I usually listen to Trevor Pinnock with Simon Standage. It's a period instrument recording from the early 80's. I like to hear period instruments when I listen to Baroque music, I don't know why...lol...I just do.

I really like Leonard Bernstein with John Corigliano. It's a scaled down New York Philharmonic and although not usually known as a Baroque conductor, Bernstein's version is a classic to me and is worth a listen. It sounds very "alive" to me, never dull or "feeling like we're just playing notes on a page". It was recorded back in the 60's.

Itzhak Perlman's version to me probably has the "lushest" more modern sound. It was recorded in the late 80's. 

I also have a few versions with Karajan conducting as well, one with Michel Schwalbe and one with Annie-Sophie Mutter. They are nice as well, but I usually come back to Bernstein or Pinnock.

All are available on LP.


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## itywltmt

My very favourite is one that is claimed to be "the first complete recording" - Louis Kaufman, violin soloist / The Concert Hall Chamber Orchestra under Henry Swoboda, Edith Weiss-Mann (harpsichord) and Edouard Nies-Berger (organ)

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC9B5E1F6349203AD


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## kv466

My favorite is still Joseph Silverstein with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.


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## Lukecash12

To start with, I'd argue that the aggressive solo violin work can actually be appropriate given Vivaldi's character, because he really was kind of mad, you could say "reckless", and stylistically free. Also, in terms of tempo I prefer brisker recordings because that is very evidently how they played at the time, in short: they focused on different compositional elements than us and while Vivaldi certainly went about making productions, the music at that time was either dance oriented or based in dance oriented forms.

I suggest these folks as the best when it comes to this work:

I Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca / Giuliano Carmignola (conductor)
http://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=h...HDEPVtOWdrMhDN8MTMzMTI1 MzM4M0AxMzMxMTY2OTgz

1994
Divox Antiqua CDX-79404 - DDD
http://www.divox.com/


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## Sid James

The *I Musici *group was among the first to record _The Four Seasons _not long after it was rediscovered, in the late 1950's.

I have THIS recording done later in 1990 by I Musici, with violinist Federico Agostini. I like how they use organ as (part of the?) continuo in one of the concertos, I think in Winter, but with the others they use harpsichord only. The first time I heard it, I was surprised by the organ which seemed to be kind of 'intruding' at first.

Maybe off topic, but of all the arrangements of this, I like Raymond Fol's one for jazz band, with Johnny Griffin on sax, HERE is_ Winter _from that, for contrast.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde




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## tgtr0660

I own around 8 versions of the work and there are quite a few fantastic ones, among them the aforementioned Pinnock/Standage, the Chung/Orpheus, or the quite excellent one conducted by Martin Pearlman with Boston Baroque on Telarc. There are also bad versions (the one with the big four stars, Perlman, Stern, Zukerman, Mintz) or bizarre ones like the extremely chaotic but interesting one with Mutter and the Trondheim Soloists.


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## smetlavich

I've never heard a performance I like better than Gil Shaham's with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.


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## Il_Penseroso

My favorite is Perlman with the London philharmonic conducted by Rodney Friend on LP , possibly because it's the first one I heard, when I was a child, but there must be plenty of superb recordings on CD ...


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## tgtr0660

This is one of the best (Pinnock/Standage pic already posted)


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## GoneBaroque

One of the most delightful is the recording by the group Red Priest Here they are playing from the Autumn movement.






I also have a recordng I greatly enjoy by the Amsterdam Recorder Quartet.


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## kv466

My fav is still in my FP but Julia Fischer with the Academy does a beautiful job.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde

For the *worst recording*






Disgusting. I hate it with a passion.


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## Mesa

Cheers folks! Listened to the Pinnock/Standage version on spotify and i'm impressed, i think i'll locate the vinyl. Particularly enjoyed Summer.

Next on the list are Perlman, Carmignola and Bernstein/Corigliano


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## neoshredder

I like I Musici's version. Will have to disagree with you there. I like the video as well.


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## Llyranor

kv466 said:


> My favorite is still Joseph Silverstein with Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra.


I have this disc. It was fine, but I wasn't enamored by it - I thought it was just the compositions themselves.

Then I listened to the interpretation by Il Giardino Armonico, which completely floored me. I mean, the palpable intensity from the very first notes here, wow:





I've since proceeded to order almost everything this group has recorded by Vivaldi. Amazing interpretations.

I've realized that I absolutely love more brisk Baroque performances with period instruments (and have had to slowly rebuild my Baroque collections somewhat).


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## beethovenian




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## Vaneyes

Europa Galante with Biondi.

View attachment 3769


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## thetrout

I have two.

Although it is on a budget label, this is probably my favourite:










Reinhold Barchet (soloist) with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Karl Munchinger. It is a beautiful version, quite orchestral. Highly recommended.

I also have Nigel Kennedy's:










A more sparse soloistic performance than the above. Being Kennedy, it is aggressive and heavy on - unorthodox - ornamentation. It is also very good version.


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## scarbo

Harnoncourt's old complete op. 8 set still has that incredible freshness and wonderful fantasy of playing. IMHO, it has never been surpassed though the Drottningholm came close...


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## Rabbit

Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Christopher Hogwood. ☺


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## Josquin13

My 10 favorite Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, in two categories--period & modern instruments--listed more or less in order of preference (though I find it difficult to rank them):

I. On period instruments,

1. Giuliano Carmignola, Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, Divox Antiqua digital (which I slightly prefer to Carmignola's later Sony version, with the Venice Baroque Orchestra, led by Andrea Marcon--as Carmignola plays better on the 1st recording, in my opinion: 



.)

Divox Antiqua: 




2. Simon Standage, The English Concert, led by Trevor Pinnock, DG Archiv digital: 




3. Christopher Hirons, John Holloway, Alison Bury, & Catharine Mackintosh--each season played by a different violinist, The Academy of Ancient Music, led by Christopher Hogwood, L'Oiseau-Lyre/Decca digital: 




For less conservative interpretations,

4. Adrian Chandler, La Serenissima, Avie digital: 




5. Nils-Erik Sparf, Drottingholm Baroque Ensemble, BIS digital:













Honorable mention: Enrico Casazza & La Magnifica Comunitá, Fabio Biondi & L'Europa Galante (two versions: K. 617 & Virgin). I've liked Stefano Montanari & Accademia Bizantina (led by Ottavio Dantone) more in their "L'Estro Armonico" Op. 3 set (where they'd be my top pick: 



 ) than I did in their 4 Seasons.

I've not heard Enrico Onofri's recent recording with the Imaginarium Ensemble (on a CD entitled "Into Nature": 



). Nor have I heard Rachel Podger, Monica Huggett, or Elizabeth Blumenstock in this music. (Though I have enjoyed another one of Blumenstock's Vivaldi recordings with the Philharmonia Baroque, led by Nicholas McGegan: https://www.amazon.com/Vivaldi-Dive...enstock+vivaldi&qid=1580496766&s=music&sr=1-1.)

II. On modern instruments,

1. Iona Brown, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Philips analogue (which I slightly prefer to Brown's 2nd recording for Hännsler):













2. Alan Loveday, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner, Decca/Argo analogue: 



.

3. Gidon Kremer, London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado, 1980, DG analogue: 



. However, I slightly prefer Kremer's 1981 video recording with the English Chamber Orchestra: 

















4. Salvatore Accardo, I Solisti Di Napoli, Philips digital: 



.

5. Joseph Silverstein, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seiji Ozawa, Telarc digital (both CD & Hybrid SACD--a good audiophile choice): 



.


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## Jakeoclubs

I have not had a chance to delve into your list but because "L'Estro Armonico" Op. 3 no. 8 is my favorite piece of music I thought I would give the Stefano Montanari & Accademia version of that a listen on your recommendation. I was not disappointed. Do you have the rest of that list posted?

I have a music understanding that falls in the Dunning-Krueger valley, enough to know I am woefully inadequate. Fortunately, with music, if someone points me in the correct direction, I can find true enjoyment in the best pieces, so all is not lost! 

Thank you!


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## Geoff48

I know that it is perceived wisdom that all performances of Vivaldi are supposed to be historically informed and that there is no virtue in listening to recordings made in the dark ages of Chamber orchestras using modern instruments but I’m sorry to disagree. The H.I.P brigade made be technically adept and may play faster and with great accuracy but the older performances often play with greater affection.
Which is why I always seem to come back to Barchet/Munchinger recorded in the early fifties and arguably the first widely available version in the U.K. Slower and plainer than many which followed but still very listenable. And if you want ornamentation then try Loveday/Marriner, the final concerto starts with really chilling preludial broken chords and a glorious slow movement with a sweetly singing cantabile played straight over a recorded pizzicato accompaniment. And organ rather than harpsichord as continuo.
Now I have H.I.P versions in my collection, difficult not to have if you collect multi disc anthologies, Hogwood and Pinnock amongst others but however good and recommended they are none of them match their forebears for me.
And I am currently reminding myself of Tomosow and Janigro with the Zagreb Soloists which was my own introduction to the work and really enjoying it. Sometimes the streaming services can be a great aid to nostalgia particularly when playing them through audio utilising Bluetooth.


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## premont

Geoff48 said:


> Which is why I always seem to come back to Barchet/Munchinger recorded in the early fifties and arguably the first widely available version in the U.K. Slower and plainer than many which followed but still very listenable.


Yes, violinist Reinhold Barchet certainly was a distinctive voice. In his short recording career he recorded much Vivaldi and Bach and with his quartet Mozart. His playing was energetic, natural and unaffected. He recorded the seasons three times, the one with Münchinger being my favorite of the three. He was born 1920 and died from heart attack 1962 barely turned 42.


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