[11/7/10] Sunday Classics: I wonder whether Vivaldi would be surprised by the still-growing irresistibility of his "Four Seasons" (continued)

1. Spring:
ii. Largo

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

1. Spring:
iii. Danza pastorale (Pastoral Dance): Allegro

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons: 1. Spring
(i. Allegro, ii. Largo, iii. Pastoral Dance)

Gil Shaham, violin; Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord and organ continuo; Orpheus (chamber orchestra). DG, recorded December 1993

2. SUMMER

Beneath a harsh season kindled by the sun,
man, his flock languish and the pine burns;
the cuckoo gives voice, soon echoed
by the song of the dove and the goldfinch.

The breeze blows gently, but challenged,
the north wind moves suddenly near;
and the shepherd boy weeps, for he fears
a violent squall hovering, and his fate uncertain:

His weary limbs are robbed of sleep
by the dread of lightning, savage thunder
and raging swarms of flies and bluebottles.

Ah, alas, his fears are well-founded,
the heavens thunder and lighten, and hail
lops the ears of corn and the proud wheat.

Concerto No. 2 in G minor, RV 315,

L'Estate (Summer)

The fraught openings of both the first and second movements suggest the unease with which our musical observer anticipates the physical discomforts of Summer, and of course in the finale all hell breaks loose. Yes, Beethoven carried the idea of a musical storm to even greater heights in his Pastoral Symphony, but Vivaldi showed the way.

2. Summer:
i. Allegro non molto

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

2. Summer:
ii. Adagio; Presto

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

2. Summer:
iii. Presto

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons: 2. Summer
(i. Allegro non molto, ii. Adagio; Presto, iii. Presto)


Gil Shaham, violin; Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord and organ continuo; Orpheus (chamber orchestra). DG, recorded December 1993

3. AUTUMN

The country lad celebrates with dancing and singing
the great pleasure of a fine harvest
and so many, flushed with the juice of Bacchus,
and their enjoyment in sleep.

The temperate air which gives pleasure
makes everyone abandon song and dance,
it is the season which invites so very many
to enjoy to the full the sweetest sleep.

Huntsmen ride out for the chase at first light
with horns, guns, and hounds.
The beast flees, and they follow the scent;

Already frightened and wearied amid
the din of guns and hounds, wounded, it tries
weakly to escap, but, overcome, it dies.

Concerto No. 3 in F, RV 293,

L'Autumno (Autumn)

With temperate Autumn our musical observer is back in his comfort zone, as reflected most notably in the rollicking outer movements. The joyful (sorry, the word just seems inescapable) hunt movement was one of my early favorites in The Four Seasons, and I wonder now whether any poor creatures are even caught. There seems to be just such pleasure in all that out-of-doors activity.

3. Autumn:
i. Allegro

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

3. Autumn:
ii. Adagio molto

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

3. Autumn:
iii. La Caccia (The Hunt): Allegro

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons: 3. Autumn
(i. Allegro, ii. Adagio molto, iii. The Hunt)


Gil Shaham, violin; Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord and organ continuo; Orpheus (chamber orchestra). DG, recorded December 1993

4. WINTER

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,

Spending quiet, contented days at the fireside
while the rain outside soaks to the skin;
walking on the ice, treading slowly
and carefully for fear of falling;

Slipping and sliding, falling down,
then again along the ice and racing
until the ice breaks and opens;

To feel, rushing out of closed doors,
south and north wind and all the winds at war --
this is winter, but such that it brings joy.

Concerto No. 4 in F minor, RV 297,

L'Inverno (Winter)

With the tempests of Winter the composer pulls out all the dramatic stops to bring his Seasons to a bracing climax. But as I noted in the caption up top, for me there's nothing quite like the hearthside pleasure of curling up by the fire inside.

4. Winter:
i. Allegro non molto

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

4. Winter:
ii. Largo

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

4. Winter:
iii. Allegro

Gil Shaham's commentary:

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

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons: 4. Winter
(i. Allegro non molto, ii. Largo, iii. Allegro)


Gil Shaham, violin; Robert Wolinsky, harpsichord and organ continuo; Orpheus (chamber orchestra). DG, recorded December 1993

NOW WE HAVE A COMPOSITE PERFORMANCE
OF THE COMPLETE FOUR SEASONS

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons

1. Spring
(i. Allegro, ii. Largo, iii. Pastoral Dance)

Knut Johannesen, harpsichord; Trondheim Soloists, Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin and cond. DG, recorded in Copenhagen, May 1999
2. Summer
(i. Allegro non molto, ii. Adagio; Presto, iii. Presto)

Arthur Grumiaux, violin; Les Solistes Romands, Arpad Gérecz, cond. Philips, recorded Nov. 10-12, 1978
3. Autumn
(i. Allegro, ii. Adagio molto, iii. The Hunt)

Joseph Siilverstein, violin; Mark Kroll, harpsichord; Boston Symphony Orchestra members, Seiji Ozawa, cond. Telarc, recorded Oct. 10, 1981
4. Winter
(i. Allegro non molto, ii. Largo, iii. Allegro)

Berlin Philharmonic members, Nigel Kennedy, violin and cond. EMI, recorded April 2002


AND NOW WE HAVE WHAT MAY BE THE ONLY
FOUR SEASONS YOU'LL EVER NEED

Renewing acquaintance with this extraordinary performance has been a joy and a wonder -- not least for the wonder of how much joy it packs. It's uncanny how richly each of these 12 movements is imagined and how vividly and richly expressed. There are other musical choices to be made, but none many that sing more, well, joyfully, and it would be hard to imagine playing more beautiful and alive than Szymon Goldberg offers both as soloist and as steward of his fine chamber ensemble, or a more beautiful recording job.

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons

No. 1, Spring
(i. Allegro, ii. Largo, iii. Pastoral Dance)

No. 2, Summer
(i. Allegro non molto, ii. Adagio; Presto, iii. Presto)

No. 3, Autumn
(i. Allegro, ii. Adagio molto, iii. The Hunt)

No. 4, Winter
(i. Allegro non molto, ii. Largo, iii. Allegro)

Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Szymon Goldberg, violin and cond. Philips, recorded Oct. 22-26, 1973


BONUS CONCERTO: "THE" VIVALDI A MINOR CONCERTO

This one's for all onetime student violinists -- and the unlucky souls who had to live around them -- who've done time with "the" Vivaldi A minor Violin Concerto, or an arrangement thereof. Here's the original, from the same set as the A minor Concerto for two violins and cello we heard last night.

VIVALDI: L'Estro armonico, Op. 3:
Concerto No. 6 in A minor, RV 356
i. Allegro
ii. Largo
iii. Presto

Arthur Grumiaux, violin; New Philharmonia Orchestra, Edo de Waart, cond. Philips, recorded Sept. 1-5, 1970


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