Chill with Vivaldi

Advantages: Classic Concertos for Everybody
Disadvantages: Strings only!!!no woodwind...boo!

...The Four Seasons by Vivaldi Made famous by countless car adverts and Nigel Kennedy at the Albert Hall amongst other places. This has got to the piece that all fiddle player long to play and solo in! My first exposure to this came when I was seven, we had a hat making competition at school, the Hat Parade, and dad suggested making a musical hat and came up with the Four Seasons which was a favourite of mine as a youngster. Mum and me made the hat, which turned out to be a master piece in the end (for a 7 year old anyway!) and I won first place! I was fixed with Vivaldi for a long time after! Even a novice in classical music would recognise some of the notation! Vivaldi composed in Vienna, and was born 1678 and died in 1741. In these times, most music was composed and performed by telling a story and acting and dance were very... Read review

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Advantages: Exciting playing, premiere recordings
Disadvantages: It's another Four Seasons

...Why on earth has yet ANOTHER recording of the Four Seasons been released? That's what I asked myself when this advance copy of Giuliano Carmignola and the Venice Baroque Orchestra playing Vivaldi's best-known work arrived. (Released 18th September 2000) Firstly, this recording has not only the Seasons, but also premiere recordings of three other Vivaldi Violin Concertos - RV257 in Eb, RV376 in Bb and RV211 in D. Secondly, Carmignola was given access to the original manuscripts of the Seasons and has corrected the errors commonly found in the performing scores. Thirdly, this is absolutely the best recording in recent years. The sound is crisp and bright and very 'live' - if you turn the sound up high enough you can hear the players breathing in sympathy with the music. Carmignola plays like one inspired by Vivaldi himself... Read review

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Advantages: Superb strings, Vivacious virtuoso violin
Disadvantages: None

...The Four Seasons Composer: Antonio Vivaldi Performers: Nigel Kennedy Members of the British Philharmonic Orchestra Label: Emi Classics Released: October 27th 2003 Price: £13.99 Availability: Most good record shops The Cover: Kennedy Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice in 1678, the son of a violinist. Vivaldi composed during the late Baroque period. He is an instrumentalist composer predominantly of Concertos writing a total of 500.The concerto is a musical form wherein a solo instrument is set against a larger group. More than half of Vivaldis concertos are for the solo violin. 1. Concerto For Two Violins, Strings & Continuo In A Minor, Op. 3 No.8 This Violin concerto was the eighth part of a set that Vivaldi published in 1712. He entitled the set L’Estro Armonico (Musical Fancy). The concertos were in written in the standard format... Read review

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