[calaf]

Mink recommendations are all excellent, but there is another "Italian" Four Seasons that rules them all

 
there are two reasons why I think this recording is better than Carmignola's (which is my second favorite)
1) the sonics are spectacular, hair raising realistic: you are sitting next to Alessandrini surrounded by his orchestra, and you almost feel you can reach out and play his harpsichord
2) this is an ensemble performance: the soloist is different for each of the four concertos (which says a lot about the depth of Concerto Italiano roster) and always a "primus inter pares", not a star fiddler supported by an orchestra.
Also it comes with a bonus CD, an excellent sampler of Concerto Italiano work.

 

[dex85]

thanks for all suggestions guys. i guess i'll have to do a lottery regarding what next cd should i check out 

 
i finally received Nigel Kennedy's (NK) CD a week ago, i'm not sure if it's his first or second recording. the first thing that i noticed was that NK's recording is more transparent, i could hear more subtle details and deeper into recording, violins sounded more as individuals with air between instruments as opposed to as 'a whole' sounding violins in Cho-Liang Lin's (CL) recording. it could be an effect of more violins in orchestra of latter recording. CL's CD also had slightly softer attack of leading notes and felt more closed in. nothing tragic though, both CDs sound very good, just NK's sounds exceptionally good. also NK's recording seems to be less dynamically compressed.
 
performance wise, NK sounds more refined and delicate, i particularly enjoyed slower tracks and passages (tracks 2,4,5,8,11), where musicians are playing with tones. overall i would say NK's interpretation of Four Seasons is very playful. talking of playful, track 9 is a marvel of NK's recording and easily my favorite track of that cd. CL sounds more raw and straight to the point, which has its charm too but i preferred the NK in slower tracks. however, advantage of violins number in CL's orchestra can sometimes turns into musically more inspiring composition in the faster and dynamic tracks. for example, higher tempi and pitch in the beginning of track 7 sounds very underwhelming compared to CL.
 
initially, i was going to say i would pick CL over NK, but in a week NK grew on me so much to change my decision. mainly because of superior sonics and playful interpretation. on the other hand, CL contains 6 bonus tracks that i really really like, so both CDs are definitely a keepers.

 

[chrisjackson]

Glad to see your purchase is growing on you.
 
This is naughty, but can't help finding it funny :
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67IqeB0JLs4&feature=player_detailpage 

 

[scompton]

I hate threads like this.  They cause me to spend more money.

 
The latest version I bought was Lara St. John's with Piazolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.  I'd take most of the recommendations already made over it, at least the ones I've heard, but it is interesting.
 

 

[kiertijai]

I like the Four Seasons of Janine Jansen , especially if you can get SACD one
Salvatore Accardo is also a good one and there is SACD version also

 

[Currawong]

I ended up getting the CLL recording -- I do like it. Not as lively as Nigel Kennedy's (but then, nobody was as game as him in intepreting a classical piece with that much fire) but still very good.

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

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

I second the recommendation for Il Giardino Armonico. It's a great performance that really gets rid of the cobwebs. I wish that more classical performances would be this reckless.
 
And the best thing is, their other Vivaldi recordings are just as good.
 

 

[dex85]

 
Quote:

I ended up getting the CLL recording -- I do like it. Not as lively as Nigel Kennedy's (but then, nobody was as game as him in intepreting a classical piece with that much fire) but still very good.

i'm glad you like it 

  i've been thinking about what i said with regard to number of violins in CLL's orchestra. do you feel like there are more violins involved compared to NK? i think what i considered to be more violins could be simply an effect of CLL's orchestra playing in slower tempo or lower pitch. or will increased number of violins playing the same pitch result in lower perceived pitch? it's hard for me to say since i have no musical training. 

 

[Choronzon]

Some of those already mentioned I'd agree with (and several I haven't heard); of the more recent things I've heard, though, I'll second Janine Jansen -- for small forces.  And I don't think anyone mentioned Joshua Bell, who did another really good recent one for larger forces. 
 
If I had to pick only one, though, with no contrasting versions, probably I'd second (or third or fourth) the recommendation for Il Giardino Armonico. It was a big critics darling when it came out because it really did blow out the cobwebs.  And I think it's held up.
 
(Still wish I heard several of the recommendations above, though! And first I'd want to hear is Carmignola -- who to my ear is pretty much always mindblowing).

 

[pigmode]

Seiji Ozawa / Boston Symphony Orchestra / Silverstein -  has been a long time favorite - I love the conservative tempi, and the attention given to the oft ignored harpsichord--this especially where it is brought to the fore in the third concerto.
 
 
Zubin Mehta / Israel Philharmonic Orchestra - is another mentionable with its four violinists: Stern, Zukerman, Mintz, and Perlman respectively.
 
 
Biondi /Europa Galante - I have the initial OPUS 111 release and still have not come to really appreciate this work. Well played of course, but too much panache for my sensibilities--an unusual combination (I would guess) for a baroque ensemble.

 

[ast]

 
 
This is so far my favorite.