Vivaldi The Four Seasons

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Record and Artist Details

Composer or Director: Antonio Vivaldi

Label: Philips

Magazine Review Date: 3/1987

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 0

Catalogue Number: 416 611-2PH

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 2 in G minor, 'Summer', RV315	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer (I) Musici Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Felix Ayo, Violin
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 3 in F, 'Autumn', RV293	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer (I) Musici Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Felix Ayo, Violin
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 4 in F minor, 'Winter', RV297	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer (I) Musici Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Felix Ayo, Violin
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 1 in E, 'Spring', RV269	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer (I) Musici Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Felix Ayo, Violin
Concerto for Violin and Strings, '(L')amoroso'	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer (I) Musici Antonio Vivaldi, Composer

Composer or Director: Antonio Vivaldi

Label: RCA

Magazine Review Date: 3/1987

Media Format: CD or Download

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: RD85827

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 1 in E, 'Spring', RV269	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 2 in G minor, 'Summer', RV315	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 3 in F, 'Autumn', RV293	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 4 in F minor, 'Winter', RV297	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor

Composer or Director: Antonio Vivaldi

Label: RCA

Magazine Review Date: 3/1987

Media Format: Cassette

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: RK85827

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 1 in E, 'Spring', RV269	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 2 in G minor, 'Summer', RV315	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 3 in F, 'Autumn', RV293	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 4 in F minor, 'Winter', RV297	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor

Composer or Director: Antonio Vivaldi

Label: RCA

Magazine Review Date: 3/1987

Media Format: Vinyl

Media Runtime: 0

Mastering:

DDD

Catalogue Number: RL85827

Tracks:

Composition	Artist Credit
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 1 in E, 'Spring', RV269	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 2 in G minor, 'Summer', RV315	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 3 in F, 'Autumn', RV293	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor
(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 4 in F minor, 'Winter', RV297	Antonio Vivaldi, Composer Antonio Vivaldi, Composer English Chamber Orchestra José-Luis Garcia, Violin Leonard Slatkin, Conductor

Author: John Duarte

The latest catalogue shows some 20 versions of this work and the count is by now higher. If only Vivaldi were here to collect his royalties! The performance may be filed under 'middle of the road' but not under 'literal'. This is not to say that Garcia adorns his part with any flight of fancy, for in truth he adds little more than the occasional trill where it is clearly de rigeur, but that, though the dynamics are on the whole alertly observed and the contrasts very clearly pointed, there are a few changes such as that in bars 110-15 of ''Summer'' I, where Vivaldi's pp is translated into f. Garcia is an excellent soloist, disinclined to over-dramatize the music, but though his vibrato is aptly 'reposeful' in ''Summer''/II, and toward the end of ''Autumn''/I, it is in some other places apt to be too earnestly tight and rapid.
The harpsichordist (Anthony Halstead) contributes most successfully but in Autumn''/II he is placed a little too far forward, becoming over-obtrusive when the strings reach down to their pianissimo. The ECO give an excellent, crisply controlled performance and in both the CD and LP formats the recording is as pristinely clear as the music itself.
On the Philips I Musici issue the addition of RV271, often though questionably known as L'amoroso, adding just over 14 minutes of playing time, seems the only conceivable reason for reissuing these elderly versions—which were not all that remarkable in their own time. Unfortunately, it is not quite enough to make it recommendable. There is no shortage of 'pictorial presentation', the most is made of dynamic contrasts, and the playing in general is admirably precise; though all this applies to Ayo, it must be said that his sugary sweetness, not to mention persistent 'inversion' of ornaments, now sits uncomfortably on the ear. The CD by I Musici with Pina Carmirelli as soloist (Philips 410 001-2PH, 2/83) runs for 42'29'' whereas with Ayo it stretches to over 46'00'', in line with the overall approach. The balance too leaves much to be desired, as in the slow movement of ''Winter'' with over-heavy basses and the delightful pizzicato accompaniment back-grounded. RV271, though of earlier vintage, comes out better and is in fact the only CD version currently on offer. The remastered CD sound is very good but it cannot provide what was missing in the first place.'

Vivaldi Violin Concertos

(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 2 in G minor, 'Summer', RV315

(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 3 in F, 'Autumn', RV293

(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 4 in F minor, 'Winter', RV297

(12) Concerti for Violin and Strings, '(Il) cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione', Movement: No. 1 in E, 'Spring', RV269

Concerto for Violin and Strings, '(L')amoroso'