Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Ton Koopman, Andrew Manze :: Antonio Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

Inventive and Playful

12/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra is one of the most skilled period orchestras in existence today. Formed in 1977 and under the direction of Dutch harpsichordist and organist, Ton Koopman, the Amsterdam Baroque has been recording all two hundred plus cantatas of J.S. Bach. This recording, one of the pinnacles of Baroque concerti, represents a delightful and fascinating break.Spring contains playful and fanciful embellishments in Koopman's less-than-conspicuous harpsichord part. The effect is akin to a child attempting to discover the effects he can elicit from a new toy on Christmas morning. In the second movement, soloist Andrew Manze often deliberately wanders from his musical line as the goatherd drifts further and further into deep sleep, but each time he does, the barking of the dog on the violas pulls him out of his reverie.The Summer storm is perfect. Manze's virtuosity has a nervous quality that adds just the right touch and the harpsichord is never loud or jarring, something that often occurs in many versions of this movement. The most fascinating thing about this movement is its unique ending, consisting of a sudden diminuendo evocative of the naturalness with which a summer storm suddenly ends. Manze again displays tremendous virtuosity in his ability to drift in and out of reverie. The final storm sustains itself with great energy and never seems to tire.In the opening of Autumn, Koopman is playful, as he often is, and the strings sound slightly off key. This, however, is not meant as a criticism and is no doubt due to the special temperament of the Baroque-tuned instrument. Koopman, as expected, showcases his marvelous harpsichord abilities to the fullest in the middle movement, but he does so with a fascinating and distinctive voice.The Hunt is particularly interesting. The harpsichord trills along although Manze sounds a bit sharp, no doubt again due to the special qualities of the Baroque instrument. This movement, as a whole, is filled with delightful surprises and touches, the best occurring near the end: a little diminuendo, a "drunken" meandering from Manze and a somewhat humorous effect from the strings, all decorated with Koopman's delightful continuo.It is in Winter, however, where Manze really shows his technical skill as his tone mellows to suit the movement's mood. His notes are full and rounded in the Largo. The raindrops, however, seem far too disciplined for nature and the pizzicato might seem hurried to some. As the movement ends, the notes are played short, with a perfect amount of "holding back." This gives Winter a fierce end, even more fierce than the end of the storm that closed Summer.This is a truly wonderful CD and a truly wonderful rendition of The Four Seasons. It is due, mostly, to the playful inventiveness of both Koopman and Manze, who nevertheless, hold to the atmosphere of the concertos. One word of caution: those listeners who cannot tolerate the tonal idiosyncrasies of the Baroque violin (and they do exist) should take care."