[1/27/12] Preview: Given the resources at his disposal, Vivaldi's musical storms may be the most remarkable of all (continued)

The storm movement from Vivaldi's Winter again, in more expected form -- with soloist Itzhak Perlman and Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic


HERE ARE THE FOUR SEASONS STORM MOVEMENTS,
WITH RELEVANT BITS OF THE ACCOMPANYING POEMS

The performances are the same ones we heard of the individual movements of the concertos in the November 2010 Four Seasons post, but of course there we heard a whole bunch of other performances of the complete concertos, not to mention the complete Four Seasons.

VIVALDI: Il Cimento dell'armonia e dell'invenzione (The Contest Between Harmony and Invention), Op. 8: Nos. 1-4, Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons)

Concerto No. 1 in E, Spring:
i. Allegro

Then come, covering the air with a black mantle,
lightning and thunder, chosen to herald her,
and when they cease, the tiny birds
take up again their melodious song.

Josef Suk, violin; František Xaver Thuri, harpsichord; Prague Chamber Orchestra, Libor Hlaváček, cond. Supraphon, recorded Apr. 13-16, 1975

Alan Loveday, violin; Colin Tilney, harpsichord and organ continuo; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields, Neville Marriner, cond. Argo/Decca, recorded September 1969

Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Summer:
iii. Presto

The heavens thunder and lighten, and hail
lops the ears of corn and the proud wheat.

Josef Suk, violin; František Xaver Thuri, harpsichord; Prague Chamber Orchestra, Libor Hlaváček, cond. Supraphon, recorded Apr. 13-16, 1975

Alan Loveday, violin; Colin Tilney, harpsichord and organ continuo; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields, Neville Marriner, cond. Argo/Decca, recorded September 1969

Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Winter:
iii. Allegro non molto

Trembling, frozen in black frost
in the icy blast of a bitter wind,
Hurrying, stamping your feet at every step;
with chattering teeth because of the excessive cold . . .

Josef Suk, violin; František Xaver Thuri, harpsichord; Prague Chamber Orchestra, Libor Hlaváček, cond. Supraphon, recorded Apr. 13-16, 1975

Alan Loveday, violin; Colin Tilney, harpsichord and organ continuo; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields, Neville Marriner, cond. Argo/Decca, recorded September 1969


IN THIS WEEK'S SUNDAY CLASSICS POST

We have musical storms by Ferde Grofé, Richard Strauss, Edvard Grieg, Benjamin Britten, and Gioacchino Rossini (plus an oddly un-stormy thunder display from the pen of Johann Strauss II).


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