[dex85]

hi,
 
i'm looking for opinions about various Four Seasons interpretations. i used to have a cd that i absolutely loved, i borrowed it to a friend and never seen it again. it goes without saying that i don't remember the title of cd 

 i tried to listen to some CDs at local shop, but none of them came near to cd that i used to have (both performance and sonics).
 
since there so many Four Seasons CDs, i thought i'll ask around here. maybe i'll even find an interpretations that i'll like better. thanks 

 

[dziendobry]

I recently listened to Sarah Chang's Four seasons and thought it was great.

 

[Lex2]

Nigel Kennedy's second recording of The Four Seasons is one of my favorites.

 

[dex85]

thanks guys, i'll check out those albums

 

[dex85]

after all this time i figured what cd i used to have. it was Cho-Liang Lin's recording of The Four Seasons. it contains 6 additional tracks of Vivalidi's Violin Concertos (i like those tracks the best, i always thought they were part of Four Seasons compilation) for total of 18 tracks,    http://www.allmusic.com/album/vivaldi-the-four-seasons-w233406/tracks
 
i have Nigel Kennedy's recording on the way, so soon i will be able to compare them.
 
 

 

[Mink]

Three that stand out in my opinion
Biondi (Virgin)
Carmignola (Sony)
Il Giardino Armonico (Teldec)

 
I favour the Il Giardino Armonico, which is a re-release of a recording made in the 90's (the new cover looks ridiculous).
The most imaginative, playful and elegant version of the three, for some listeners the tempi and contrasts can be a bit excentric.
Biondi impresses me with a very fast and powerfull Presto from the Summer, but he underplays some finer lines.
Carmignola's performance is solid and probably the one to get if you only want one recording

 

[rlmacklin]

 

Julia Fischer: The Four Seasons

 
DVD of very young Julia Fischer solo violin and conducting the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields,
filmed at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
 
Earliest release(s?) had 5.1 surround sound.
A later release 2009 had only 4.0 surround.

 

[Mink]

You have to buy 4 DVD's to get the complete four seasons? (why do you post 4 times the image of the DVD?)

 

[fatcat28037]

 

also available as an SACD hybrid

 

[otterhouse]

I have a weak spot for the 1955 Manoug Parikian version, conducted by a young Guilini.
But I don't know if this LP has ever made it to CD. There is a clip of a LP transfer on youtube:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4DJjl6IXEE
 
Rolf

 

[Currawong]

I'm going to have to try some of these albums. I'm a fan of Kennedy's interpretation as well.

 

[vcoheda]

i have about 10 recordings of this work and this one is my favorite.
 

 

[8var]

I have got this one on vinyl and it's quite good.
 

 

[rlmacklin]

Mink,
 
NO - you only need to buy one copy of the Julia Fischer DVD.
 
Something may have messed up when I initally did "preview" of my submission
and it showed 3 copies of the DVD cover photo which I had copied and pasted in just once! -
so I went back out and intended to and thought I had started a new "reply" -
the "preview" of which showed only one copy of the DVD cover, so I then clicked on "submit."
 
The Julia Fischer DVD contains two video choices - "director's cut" with stunning images of the changing seasons, filmed at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, or the "performance edit" with shots of Julia Fischer and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, in the garden's futuristic glass dome by Norman Foster.
Thanks.

 

[Mink]

I thought so, I was only joking 

 
Anyways, I heard Fischer's recording of Bach's violin concertos and I'm very impressed, similar to HIP recordings, like Manze's:  quick tempi, little use of vibrato and elegant, but with a fuller tone.
I like it