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The Four Seasons
Concerto in E major, op.8 no.1 RV269 "La primavera" (Spring) Concerto in G minor, op.8 no.2 RV315 "L'estate" (Summer) Concerto in F major, op.8 no.3 RV293 "L'autunno" (Autumn) Concerto in F minor, op.8 no.4 RV297 "L'inverno" (Winter)
Coupled with...
Salvatore Accardo violin
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[67'43"] mid price
Sonnets not included.
by René Chia
In this performance of The Four Seasons, Spring comes across as a conventional reading with blah (drab, dull, uninteresting - you get the idea) string playing, but with some very original decorations from the harpsichordist, Bruno Canino. Recordings of the Seasons are now just as interesting for the continuo as the soloist. Summer here is a mild one while Autumn is mostly a relaxed affair. Again the harpsichord's parts are unobtrusive, complementing the soloist perfectly. At best, his embellishments to the score are a delight, while his solo in the middle movement of Autumn is thoughtful and musical. Most astonishingly, at the end of this movement, Canino produces an original reading of the final bars either by plucking the harpsichord strings directly or somehow dampening them. The result is a poetic picture of a dying autumn, heralding the arrival of winter. Yet again in Winter, Canino steals the limelight from the soloist with his ingenious additions to the harpsichord score. Like the lute in the I Musici version, Canino echoes the soloist's melody in a gorgeous rendition of the "Winter Largo", except that he does an even better job!
This performance of this Four Seasons is marked by faultless playing at the expense of originality, of which the saving
grace is the harpsichordist Bruno Canino, who has just the right touch with lots of creativity thrown in. In response to the comment below, I still find nothing original about Accardo's solo violin line *as compared* to recent
versions. Perhaps for a recording made in 1987, his may be considered an original interpretation, but the interpretation
and ornamentation of Baroque music has progressed very far in the last decade, and Accardo's interpretation can
hardly be considered "imaginative" now. Compared to Andrew Manze's performance with the ABO, Accardo's "Hunt" is
more conservative. Listen to the solo violin episode near the end (before the reprise of the opening theme) of their
versions to see what I mean. Another simple comparison can be made with the "Winter Largo", where the soloist's
interpretation of the melody is completely exposed. Accardo really is completely straight-faced if you compare his
version to the delightfully ornamented interpretation by Jeanne Lamon and Tafelmusik. Coincidentally, the two versions I
have picked here are both period-instrument versions. And this is not surprising because it is the period schools which
were most responsible for reviving interest in innovative interpretation and ornamentation of Baroque music beyond
what is written on the score.
This is the CD you might want to get if you wish to own only one well-played, modern-style Four Seasons without much
variation from or decoration of the basic orchestral score. Alternatively, if you want a version of the Seasons in order to
examine closely the harpsichord's versatility and potential in the score, you could try this one.
Philips hoped to promote the original full-price issue of this CD (Philips 422 065) by virtue of its soloist's use of a different Stradivarius violin for each concerto. Salvatore Accardo plays well, but if you are looking for an authentic/period-style performance of the concertos, be warned that this is
not one. It is a modern-style performance recorded "live" at the Fifth Cremona Festival in 1987, using a modern instrument orchestra, despite the big label on the old cover proclaiming "Performed on instruments by Antonio Stradivari"... in gold letters. Philips blatantly emphasized this by filling the CD sleeve with notes and photos of the violins, with only a passing reference to Vivaldi or the concertos.
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V I V A L D I
Four Seasons A Year |
This disc is available at or can be ordered from Tower (Pacific Plaza & Suntec City), HMV (The Heeren), Sing Discs (Raffles City) or Borders (Wheelock Place).
René Chia discovered her "long lost talent" of cubism during a very boring SSO concert. She had totally lost her sense of perspective.
Back to the Classical Index!... or read more Baroque music reviews from the Inkvault Archives!
127: 24.1.98. up.11.6.1999 ©René Teo
Readers' Comments
From: Lionel Choi (lionelc@singnet.com.sg)
This has been an interesting survey of what is probably the most-often-recorded work in the CD catalogues today. However, I am rather perturbed by this comment from the writer, which seems to me to be rather off-the-mark: "This performance of this Four Seasons is marked by faultless playing at the expense of originality..." The interpretation of Accardo & Co is anything but unoriginal. In fact, I found the many subtle, intricate differences that the whole ensemble revealed most refreshing and creative. Internal blend is impeccable, neither spare and gritty as with pure period performances, nor too dense like with a modern string orchestra. And each movement of each season is strongly characterised in a way quite unlike other accounts. I take the liberty of arbitrarily selecting an extract to illustrate my point -- the last movement of Autumn. Accardo's musical depiction of the game is one of the most imaginative I've ever heard, while the hunters and their dogs, wonderfully portrayed by the rest of the ensemble, too give chase in a mood and manner that is different from other conventional performances. And to top it off, instead of marching and swaggering triumphantly home, a subito piano and an elegant finish in the final phrase round off the hunters' victory in an unusual but musically valid way. Accardo's playing is above all aristocratic yet imaginative. I urge the reviewer to re-listen and rethink these interpretations in the light of my comments, and hopefully, she will discover these wonderful, subtle dividends in this unique performance that stands out in my collection of various "Four Seasons" recordings. Cheers!
From: Rene Chia (belladomna@hotmail.com)
I wish to reemphasize that in my review, I have commented on Accardo's playing and the ensemble's separately. I agree that the many subtle and intricate differences that the whole ensemble has revealed in the music are most refreshing and creative. However, praise meant for the ensemble should not be shifted onto Accardo. Perhaps for a recording made in 1987, his rendition may be considered an original one, but the interpretation and ornamentation of Baroque music has progressed very far in the last decade, and Accardo's style can hardly be considered "imaginative" now. I do not feel that each movement of each season is strongly characterized on this disc. This is especially so if you compare his recording to Jeanne Lamon's (Sony) or Andrew Manze's (Erato, both reviewed here). Compared to Manze's performance with the Amsterdam Baroque , Accardo's "Hunt" is very conservative. The subito piano effect in the Hunt is not unusual. The Amsterdam version also does it. Another simple comparison between Lamon's and Accardo's decoration of the exposed solo violin line in the "Winter Largo" will demonstrate Accardo's plain performance. I have re-listened this recording and re-thought and I still feel that his performance does not stand out at all in my collection. Accardo does not imbue special feeling into his playing, and lacks sensitivity towards the nuances in the score. He does not capture the poetic essence of the Four Seasons and shows no enthusiasm nor commitment to the sonnets.
From: Karen (tdwt@shreve.net)
I am looking for the concerto by Vivaldi entitled "LeQuattro Stagioni". Can you help me. It was the wedding in song in the movie "Father of the Bride". Thank You. [Dear Karen: "Le Quattro Stagioni" is simply the Italian name for "The Four Seasons", so you've found it! In French, it is "Les Quatre Saisons" and in German "Die vier Jahreszeiten". - Ed.]
From: Donal Conlan (donalconlan@hotmail.com. / Saturday, May 29, 1999 at 04:29:38)
I am an A level student in the U.K. and I wish Inkpot would do an in- depth analysis of the Four Seasons by Vivaldi and the Brandenburg Concertos by J.S Bach as these are on my course syllabus.Many thanks!
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