Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Stephen Gunzenhauser, Capella Istropolitana :: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Concerto alla rustica

Too predictable

Leslie Richford | Selsingen, Lower Saxony | 08/29/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" has captivated listeners for nearly 300 years now. The reasons for this are multifarious: the descriptions of Nature are readily recognizable; the tunes of the fast movements are so catchy that one can hum along with them; the virtuoso violin playing required calls forth admiration and applause and is also good to listen to. Yet somehow I wonder if a recording like this one with Takako Nishizaki and the Capella Istropolitana directed by Stephen Gunzenhauser really does justice to Vivaldi and his position as one of the Baroque's most colorful composer-violinists. The word "baroque" means something like "bizarre", and contemporary reports make it plain that Vivaldi's violin-playing was just that, bizarre. Combine this with Italian temperament and the extremes of Mediterranean weather, and you should end up with a "Four Seasons" that makes you gasp and hold on to your seat. And that is just what does not happen here: Despite some fine violin-playing from Takako Nishizaki and a crisp, clear recording that captures all the details, the overall impression is anything but "baroque": The tempi are too predictable, the music entertains but does not shock; my feeling is that the interpreters are simply too deeply rooted in the 19th century and that they have (deliberately?) failed to learn from developments in historical performance practice.



Recordings of the "Four Seasons" are legion, and it is worth looking around for one that will get you "hooked". My personal favourite is by Monica Huggett and the Raglan Baroque Players directed by Nicholas Kraemer (on EMI/Virgin). But other names also come to mind: Simon Standage and the English Concert directed by Trevor Pinnock (Deutsche Grammophon Archiv); Il Giardino Armonico (Warner Classics); I Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca (Divox); Venice Baroque Orchestra (Sony). Or if you are looking for a budget-price recording, you may even want to try out the Collegium Aureum (BMG) with a fairly middle-of-the-road performance on period instruments or Alice Harnoncourt and the Concentus Musicus Wien directed by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, whose 1977 analogue recording for Warner Classics is possibly still the most shocking of all."

Wonderful!

Leslie Richford | 07/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This Naxos release is a truly wonderful disc. The parformances by both the orchestra and soloist are spirited, and while I'm not familiar enough with the Seasons concertos to compare them to other performances, I did really like this recording. As usual, Naxos produced a great-sounding recording. Definately recommended, especially at this bargain price!"