{"product_id":"vivaldi-the-four-seasons-3","title":"Vivaldi: The Four Seasons","description":"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eVIVALDI \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003eThe 4 Seasons. \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eSinfonia in b,\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e RV 169, “Al santo sepolcro.” \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12b\"\u003eConcerto for 4 Violins\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eRV 580 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eJeanne Lamon (vn); dir; Tafelmusik Baroque O (period instruments) \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e TAFELMUSIK 1007 (53:52) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThose 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 steering. Color TV; some of us even predate black-and-white televisions. How about \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Four Seasons\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e? 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, \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eIl cimento dell’Armonia e dell’Inventione\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, by the middle of the 20th century it and he were largely forgotten. The first recording of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Four Seasons\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e, 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. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eTafelmusik’s recording of \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eThe Four Seasons\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e 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 \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style:italic\"\u003eSeasons\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e list. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eThe mysterious Sinfonia “At the Holy Grave” and the popular Four-Violin Concerto (which Bach later recast for four harpsichords) round out this marvelous disc. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight:bold\"\u003eFANFARE: George Chien \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Tafelmusik","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49606760562968,"sku":"880513100721","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1957527.jpg?v=1777641946","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/vivaldi-the-four-seasons-3","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}