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Saturday, June 25, 2016

Antonio Vivaldi - The Four Seasons; 3 Violin Concertos (Giuliano Carmignola)


Information

Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
  • (01-03) Concerto in E major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 "La Primavera"
  • (04-06) Concerto in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 "L'estate"
  • (07-09) Concerto in F major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 "L'autunno"
  • (10-12) Concerto in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, R. 297 "L'inverno"
  • (13-15) Concerto in E flat major, RV 257
  • (16-18) Concerto in B flat major, RV 376
  • (19-22) Concerto in D major, RV 211

Giuliano Carmignola, violin
Venice Baroque Orchestra
Andrea Marcon, conductor
Date: 1999
Label: Sony Classical


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Review

As sharply focused as any Four Seasons in the catalogue and better played than most. But be sure to batten down the hatches for Carmignola’s ‘Winter’

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, like nature’s, come and go in their various moods and meteorological vicissitudes. We’ve had ochre sunsets from Louis Kaufmann, Harnoncourt’s Breughel-style rusticity and the provocative Nigel Kennedy, to mention but a scant few. Giuliano Carmignola’s primary claim on our attentions (this is his second shot at the piece) is, aside from a delightfully woody-sounding baroque instrument, a keen narrative flair. Furthermore, he knows the musical period, understands principles of embellishment and doesn’t hesitate to enrich his performances with added colour and rhythmic thrust.

‘Spring’ arrives in rude high spirits, toying with birdsong (slowly at first then speeding up) and with thunder thrashing between violin desks. The violas’ ‘barking dog’ is worryingly prominent (that is if you don’t like dogs) and the finale contrasts a swelling legato against sparkly solo passagework. The ‘impetuous weather’ of ‘Summer’ has power enough to keep the National Grid up and running and I loved the diverse winds of the multi-faceted opening Allegro of ‘Autumn’ and the way the harpsichord holds its own in the second and third movements. The cruel weathers of ‘Winter’ inspire the expected bursts of virtuosity while the Largo’s raindrops unexpectedly seep through to the busy bass line (most versions don’t allow for the leak). Varieties of plucked continuo help fill out textures and Carmignola himself plays with immense brilliance.

The three additional violin concertos are all said to be first recordings and reveal a rather different aspect of Vivaldi’s style. Generally speaking, they sound more formal than the Four Seasons, almost pre-classical in RV257’s opening Andante molto e quasi allegro and with sideways glances at Rameau in the opening of RV211 (which also includes a brief first-movement cadenza). Dance rhythms again predominate.

Great sound, by the way, full and forward and with every instrumental strand given its proper due. Thinking in terms only of the Four Seasons, good rivals are so plentiful that comparative discussion becomes less a question of ‘who gets it right’ than how you like your birds and storms. There are countless period-instrument options and almost as many that use modern instruments but take heed of period performing practice. Up to now, my own favourites have been Il Giardino Armonico and Harnoncourt’s Concentus Musicus Wien, but I see no reason why this new version shouldn’t join their hallowed ranks. It certainly deserves to.

-- Rob Cowan, Gramophone

More reviews:
ClassicsToday, reviewed by David Vernier ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10
ClassicsToday, reviewed by David Hurwitz ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10
https://www.amazon.com/Antonio-Vivaldi-Concertos-Carmignola-Orchestra/dp/B000051Y3D

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Antonio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher and cleric. He is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and known mainly for composing many instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of other instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more than forty operas. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons.

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Giuliano Carmignola (born 1951 in Treviso) is an Italian violinist. He studied with his father, and then with Luigi Ferro, Nathan Milstein, Franco Gulli and Henryk Szeryng. In 1973, he was awarded a prize in the International Paganini Competition in Genoa. His recording releases have won many important awards such as Diapason d'Or and Choc du Monde. He plays the Stradivarius Baillot of 1732.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giuliano_Carmignola

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