Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Zubin Mehta, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra :: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

Beautiful Music, Beautiful Cello too

10/12/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Vivaldi's Four Seasons set of concerti is one of my all-time favorites, so I tried to choose a rendering that would really do this music proud, and I was not disappointed in the musicians. The artists on this recording are first-class. They work seamlessly together with a fine conductor, giving the music the nuancing, coloring, and texture changes it deserves. I especially enjoy the rich, smooth-as-silk cello. The applause at the end of each concerto is the one thing kept that 5th star out of my listening pleasure. It breaks my mood; I'm not sitting in a concert hall when I listen to this album and the intrusion of the crowd annoys me. Still, I'd recommend this album to anybody who doesn't mind the applause."

Applause?

FargoUT | Salt Lake City, UT USA | 09/21/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It's hard for me to give this CD a rating of 3 stars. The music is beautiful, but there is definitely something lacking in this rendition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Mixing four expert violinists is probably not the best idea for this music, since each violinist has their own particular style. They clash in some peculiar ways at peculiar times. If this is the only Four Seasons you ever hear, you are missing out on plenty. While there are some nice interpretations here, this CD is actually one of the most uninvolving of all the Four Seasons recordings I've heard.And applause? What is that? I'm all for live recordings, but during an orchestral arrangement, applause just pulls you out of the experience. Perhaps if the applause wasn't so loud, I wouldn't be so hard on it. But it's actually louder than the instrumentals. I burned this performance to a new CD and edited the applause out myself. It's better that way. If you can, I highly recommend doing so.But for the CD itself... there is nothing spectacular about it, which is surprising considering the talent at stake. As such, go for Joseph Silverstein and the Boston Symphony for the definitive Four Seasons performance. You will hear all that you've been missing."

Great but a bit lacking

thebestdictator | Charlottesville, Virginia United States | 05/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is in, all probability, the greatest recording of vivaldi's four seasons. You simply cannot find this many virtuosos in one cd from one performance. The Israel philharmonic is truly superb, with a rich complex sound to back up the soloists. Mehta takes a very faithful interpretation of Vivaldi in this recording: in the sense of dynamics especially, but also tempo and style. The sound quality is superb, I have never heard better than its perfect brilliance. The sound is fully up to Grammaphon standards. The only complaint i have with this is that the soloists seem to have been just a little too loyal to vivaldi when they played. All the solo parts, perhaps with the exception of Pinchas Zukerman's truly perfect rendition of the summer concerto, need a bit of embellishment; a bit of the virtuoso fireworks one would expect from stern or perlman. Personally, I think the spring movement needs drama, the fall needs more volume, and th e winter needs a faster tempo, not to mention a few more trills and other such touch ups throughout. If you are looking for a great recording, faithful to vivaldi, buy this. if you are looking for a less faithful version with more embellishment, i would recommend the version with Joseph Silverstein and the Boston symphony conducted by Ozawa"