Notes and Editorial Reviews
VIVALDI
The 4 Seasons.
Sinfonia in b,
RV 169, “Al santo sepolcro.”
Concerto for 4 Violins
,
RV 580
•
Jeanne Lamon (vn); dir; Tafelmusik Baroque O (period instruments)
•
TAFELMUSIK 1007 (53:52)
Those of us who have reached a certain age are wont to reflect on the things that are that were not. Smartphones, for example. ATMs. Central air conditioning. Power
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steering. Color TV; some of us even predate black-and-white televisions. How about
The Four Seasons
? Although Vivaldi composed this signature quartet of concertos as early as 1725, give or take a few years, and published it as a part of his op. 8 concerto collection,
Il cimento dell’Armonia e dell’Inventione
, by the middle of the 20th century it and he were largely forgotten. The first recording of
The Four Seasons
, made in 1939, rescued both from obscurity, but they didn’t hit the big time until 1969, when Alan Loveday and Neville Marriner’s Academy of St. Martin in the Fields made the recording that launched (by Wikapedia’s estimate) 1,000 calendars, so to speak. There were 168 seasons between 1969 and 2012. Do the math.
Tafelmusik’s recording of
The Four Seasons
was made in 1991, about halfway between the ASFM’s and the present. I didn’t hear it then, but it was well received at the time, and with good reason. It’s a constant delight—from “Spring”’s avian twittering to “Winter”’s stormy blast. Jeanne Lamon and friends play with utmost skill, of course, and infectious verve, but also with vivid imagination. Vivaldi’s dogs bark, his horses prance, and his wedding guests drift off into blissful sleep after their drunken revelry. His teeth chatter. Lamon makes the most of the programmatic aspects of the score, but always from a superbly musical perspective. I’ve always been fond of the Harnoncourt’s (conductor Nikolaus, soloist Alice) version, but I’m moving Lamon and Tafelmusik to the top of my personal
Seasons
list.
The mysterious Sinfonia “At the Holy Grave” and the popular Four-Violin Concerto (which Bach later recast for four harpsichords) round out this marvelous disc.
FANFARE: George Chien
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Works on This Recording
1.
Concertos (4) for Violin, Op. 8 no 1-4 "Four seasons" by Antonio Vivaldi
Performer:
Jeanne Lamon (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Tafelmusik
Period: Baroque
Written: 1725; Venice, Italy
Venue: Humbercrest United Church, Toronto, Onta
Length: 38 Minutes 28 Secs.
2.
Sinfonia for Strings in B minor, RV 169 "al Santo Sepolcro" by Antonio Vivaldi
Performer:
Jeanne Lamon (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Tafelmusik
Period: Baroque
Written: Venice, Italy
Venue: Humbercrest United Church, Toronto, Onta
Length: 4 Minutes 3 Secs.
3.
Concerto for 4 Violins and Cello in B minor, Op. 3 no 10/RV 580 by Antonio Vivaldi
Performer:
Jeanne Lamon (Violin)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Tafelmusik
Period: Baroque
Written: 1711; Venice, Italy
Venue: Humbercrest United Church, Toronto, Onta
Length: 9 Minutes 13 Secs.
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