Jeremy Siepmann Antonio Vivaldi - An Introduction to Vivaldis The Four Seasons (115 tracks) +Album Reviews

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Jeremy Siepmann, Antonio Vivaldi
An Introduction to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"
Genres: Special Interest, Classical

Track Listings (64) - Disc #1
1. First Concerto: Spring. Intro; Opening, Upward-Pointing Figure
2. First Concerto: Spring. Answering, Downward Figure Complete The Phrase
3. First Concerto: Spring. Beginning Of Dialogue
4. First Concerto: Spring. The Nature Of Musical Conversation; Repetition, 'Echo' Effect
5. First Concerto: Spring. Upward Pointing To One 'Target' Note
6. First Concerto: Spring. 'Answer' Points To Two, Downward Notes 'And Here Is A Prong With Two Hooks')
7. First Concerto: Spring. Same Idea Repeated Three Times
8. First Concerto: Spring. The First Solo Section: Birdsong From Three Soloists, Not One
9. First Concerto: Spring. Repeat Of 'Two-Pronged' Theme In Orchestra
10. First Concerto: Spring. Orchestra Depicts Murmuring Stream, But Still There's No Real Melody
11. First Concerto: Spring. Further Illustrative 'Water Studies'
12. First Concerto: Spring. Orchestra Erupts Into Thunderstorm
13. First Concerto: Spring. Orchestral Thunder, Virtuosic 'Lightning' From Soloist - But Still No 'Tune'
14. First Concerto: Spring. Soloistic 'Birds' Return To The Air
15. First Concerto: Spring. Variant Of Opening Theme, With 'Argument' Between Two Notes, One High...
16. First Concerto: Spring. Cue To First Movement
17. First Concerto: Spring. First Movement (Complete)
18. First Concerto: Spring. Scene Setting And Main Theme Of Second Movement
19. First Concerto: Spring. Analytical Comment And Main Theme Again
20. First Concerto: Spring. Main Theme Varied
21. First Concerto: Spring. Further Var. Tracing Slow, Descending Scale-Steps
22. First Concerto: Spring. Analytical Discussion Of 'Pace' And 'Tempo'; Further Variant Of Main Theme
23. First Concerto: Spring. Vivaldi Springs A Surprise, Reversing Direction And Heightening Tension
24. First Concerto: Spring. Analytical Cue To Second Movement
25. First Concerto: Spring. Second Movement (Complete)
26. First Concerto: Spring. Undercover 'Bagpipes' Initiate The Finale
27. First Concerto: Spring. Second Part Of Main Theme: New Notes, Same Rhythm
28. First Concerto: Spring. An 'Echo' With A Difference
29. First Concerto: Spring. Reminder Of 'Echoed' Phrase In Its Original Form
30. First Concerto: Spring. Surprise Variant Provides Springboard Into New Descending Four-Note Pattern
31. First Concerto: Spring. Unexpected, 'Flowing' Entrance Of Soloist
32. First Concerto: Spring. The Use Of 'Sequence' In First Extended Solo
33. First Concerto: Spring. Vivaldi Prepares Expectation...
34. First Concerto: Spring...And Frustrates It By Bringing In A New Theme, Using His Four-Note 'Motto'
35. First Concerto: Spring. Violins Accompanied By Flowing 'Commentary' In Lower Strings
36. First Concerto: Spring. Soloist Returns With New Variant
37. First Concerto: Spring. Pace Slows As Violins Trace Another Four-Note Scalewise Decent
38. First Concerto: Spring. The Peasants Return With The Main Theme, Which Turns Unexpectedly Downward
39. First Concerto: Spring. Intensification As Harmonies Change Under Broad, Descending Four-Note...
40. First Concerto: Spring. Mini-Earthquake Transformed Into Harmonic Landslide
41. First Concerto: Spring. Critical Mood-Change In Soloist's Lonely Soliloquy
42. First Concerto: Spring. Cue To Restoration Of Main Theme In Its Entirety As The Movement Ends.
43. First Concerto: Spring. Third Movement (Complete)
44. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Scene Setting And Opening Of First Movement
45. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Expanded Groups Of Answering Phrase
46. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Upper And Lower Strings Alternately Succumb To Lethargy
47. Second Concerto: 'Summer': As In 'Spring', Soloist Enters With Birdsong
48. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Orchestra Hijacks Soloist's Material
49. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Soloist Returns, First As Turtle-Dove, Then As Goldfinch
50. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Gentle Breezes Give Way To North Wind
51. Second Concerto: 'Summer': The Storm Subsides; Soloist Enters As Weeping Peasant Boy
52. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Movement Ends As Storm Returns
53. Second Concerto: 'Summer': First Movement (Complete)
54. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Second Movement Opens With Extreme Contrasts
55. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Second Movement (Complete)
56. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Stormy Weather; Thunder
57. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Lightning From Upper Strings
58. Second Concerto: 'Summer': More Lightning; 'Heat' Lightning From Violins, 'Fork' Lightning From...
59. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Torrential Rain, Depicted By Entire Orchestra
60. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Deferred Entry Of Solo Violin, In Virtuoso Vein
61. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Peasant's Failing Resolve As Violin Spirals Down
62. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Nature Triumphant; Soloist Draws On Orchestra's 'Rain' Music
63. Second Concerto: 'Summer': The Peasant's Capitulation
64. Second Concerto: 'Summer': Third Movement (Complete)
Track Listings (51) - Disc #2
1. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Repetitiousness And Folk Music; The Movement's Opening
2. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Secondary Theme, A Closely Related Development Of The First
3. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Solo Entry Restates The Opening Theme, 'Double-Stopping'
4. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Unexpectedly, A New Theme Where A Repeat Might Be Expected
5. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': The Soloist As 'Drunkard'
6. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Further Violinistic Slips And Slides
7. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Orchestra Re-Enters With Main Theme, But Is Interrupted By The Drunkard
8. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Other Drunks Join In 'Dialogue' With The Orchestra
9. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': The Orchestral Peasants Continue Their Dancing, But Things Have Changed
10. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Enter Another Drunk, Courtesy Of The Virtuoso Soloist
11. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': The Dance Breaks Up
12. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': The Drunkard Interrupts Again, Then Falls Asleep, Breathing Heavily
13. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Conversation Amongst The Sober Peasants Leads To Their Final Dance
14. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': First Movement (Complete)
15. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Scene-Setting For Second Movement
16. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Second Movement (Complete)
17. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Similarities Between The Third Movement And The First
18. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Expection And Surprise: Vivaldi Tacks On One Bar Too Many
19. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': A Case Of Predictable Unpredictability: Novelty And Repetition
20. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Soloist's Double-Stopping Depicts Hunting Horns
21. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Orchestra Yields To Unexpected Display Of Virtuosity By Soloist
22. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Soloist Suddenly Takes The Part Of The Fleeing Beast
23. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Symmetrical Parallels With First Movement: 'Beast'/'Drunkard' Etc.
24. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Death Of The Quarry, End Of The Movement
25. Third Concerto: 'Autumn': Third Movement (Complete)
26. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Orchestral Strings Enter, Part By Part; Soloist Depicts The Biting Wind
27. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Wind Subsides And Returns, Tormenting The Trudgers Through The Snow
28. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Soloist Depicts Snow Flurries
29. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Soloist's Flurries Interrupted By Six Blasts Of Orchestral Wind
30. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Teeth Chattering, And With Stamping Feet, The Travellers Finally Reach...
31. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Cue To First Movement As Whole
32. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': First Movement (Complete)
33. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Soloist's 'Aria' Accompanied By Pizzicato 'Raindrops'
34. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': A Sequence Of Simple Scales, Accompanied By Opening Rhythm
35. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Two Scalewise Ideas For The Price Of One, Foreground And Background
36. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': New, Rising Scale-Pattern Unfurled With Ever-Greater Breadth
37. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': The Pace Increases Eight-Fold In Concluding Downwards Scale
38. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Against An Unvarying Tempo, The Pace Is Repeatedly Varied
39. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Foreground/Background
40. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Detailed Discussion Of Foreground/Background Perceptions, Analogies...
41. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Second Movement (Complete)
42. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Scene-Setting; Soloist Begins For The First Time
43. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Soloist Rises Progressively, In Sequence, Decoratively Outlining Chord...
44. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': First Orchestral Section; Pace Is Halved; The Undermining Onset Of...
45. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': The Walkers Lose Their Balance And Stylishly Fall Down
46. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Soloist Returns As The Original Solitary Walker And Strides Away From...
47. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': One Tempo, Two Rates Of Speed: Fast For The Soloist, Slow For The...
48. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Orchestra Evokes The Warm Winds Of The Sirocco
49. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Answering Blast From The Borea, The Cold Wind Of The North; Struggle...
50. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Cue To Final Movement
51. Fourth Concerto: 'Winter': Third Movement (Complete)

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CD Details

All Artists: Jeremy Siepmann, Antonio Vivaldi
Title: An Introduction to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Naxos
Release Date: 7/17/2001
Genres: Special Interest, Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Baroque (c.1600-1750), Classical (c.1770-1830), Instruments, Strings
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 636943802823

CD Reviews

The best of its kind--and at budget price!

F. Behrens | Keene, NH USA | 08/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Naxos has done it again! After beginning several new series--the lives of famous composers, introductions to operas, Shakespeare plays--they are now offering one called "Classics Explained." In the first three entries, one long or two shorter works are analyzed, practically bar by bar, on two CDs by writer and narrator Jeremy Siepmann; and from what I have heard, this is going to be the most perfect effort along these lines yet--and with a budget price, something not to be passed up. Each CD set is accompanied by a thick booklet that is divided into 15 sections: The Composer and the Work, A Biographical Sketch, Place and Importance, The Work's Reception, an Essay, the Track List, an extremely detailed analysis (all the words of which are given in the text), Challenges to the Interpreter, Structural Overview, Ways of Listening, What Music Is, What Music Isn't, Guide to the Composer's Tools, The Basic Forms of Music, and a Glossary. Obviously, some of these chapters will be the same from set to set, others specific to the work at hand. The only extra step this can go--and I have suggested this to Naxos--is to make videos of the orchestra actually playing the selections. Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" (8.558028-29) spends a good deal of time on the Spring section to show how truly complex this simple-sounding movement is, and then gives a slightly quicker overview of Winter, Fall and Summer. In Brahms' "Piano Concerto No. 2" (8.558030-31), the first CD is devoted to the first 2 movements, the second to the last 2. Finally in the Ravel set, the first CD analyzes "Bolero" and the second "Ma Mere l'Oye." In all cases, each analysis is followed by an uninterrupted playing of the entire movement or section. The music is, of course, drawn from Naxos' endless line of its own recordings. And, do not fear, the explanations are quite non-technical for the most part, and the glossary will help when the inevitable technical term (always explained by the narrator) is used. Grab them all."