Antonio Vivaldi Christopher Hogwood Academy of Ancient Music - Vivaldi The Four Seasons (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

Search - Antonio Vivaldi, Christopher Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music :: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi, Christopher Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Genre: Classical

Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
1. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
2. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
3. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
4. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
5. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
6. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
7. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
8. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
9. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
10. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
11. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto
12. The Four Seasons (Il quattro stagione), concertos (4) for violin, strings & continuo ('Il cimento' Nos. 1-4) , Op. 8/1 - 4: Concerto

CD Details

All Artists: Antonio Vivaldi, Christopher Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music
Title: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: L'oiseau-Lyre
Original Release Date: 1/1/2007
Re-Release Date: 10/9/2007
Album Type: Original recording remastered
Genre: Classical
Styles: Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Baroque (c.1600-1750), Instruments, Strings, Symphonies
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 028947590989

CD Reviews

Spellbinding from start to finish

A. B. Crockett | Colorado USA | 12/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having listened to, and owned, many versions of Vivaldi's the Four Seasons, I can state unequivocally that this is one you must own, unless you're completely opposed to original instrument versions. While some newer releases with original instruments may have eased into a generally sweeter tone (which Simon Standage with Pinnock had even as contemporaries of Hogwood and his crew), nothing that I've heard can match the energy, beauty, and magic of this release. It's the only one I know of that has a different lead violinist for each season, but all are top notch and widely recorded as soloists. (I do recall one recording, possibly with Salvatore Accardo, that had a different Stradivarius violin for each season; that was the only thing the recording had going for it.)

Far from the frenetic pace of Fabio Biondi's Seasons or of the Il Giardini Armonico version (with the utterly tasteless cover art of a bullet shattering a violin), the Hogwood version doesn't leave you gasping for breath at the end. It does, however, leave you almost searching for words to describe it. "Wow" comes to mind.

Rather than my trying to describe some of the specifics of the performance, just click on the individual tracks and listen for yourself. Unless you like the romantic style of violin performance for these enduring and endearing pieces (of which there are far too many versions), this is the one you will reach for again and again."