The Best of Vivaldi

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: 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: Amazing piece, diverse, virtuoisity required for playing
Disadvantages: Not too long

...This piece of classical music has to be one of the oldest classics around. Considering it was written over 200 years ago, and yet it is still used in popular music today, it has to be the best string piece ever written. The diversity of the music within the piece is enough for commenting on by itself. Some movements, such as the 3rd movement in Summer, involve such virtuosity to be found normally only in Romantic music. The challenging music proves for an interesting listen. Especially since the music cannot even be played by the average professional violinist without a few weeks' practice. The music is a definite must for anyone who is a fan of the Baroque period or Classical music in general, and anyone who hasn't heard it who likes Classical Music, well where have you been? Buy this exceptional piece now!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful