Sarah Chang - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
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CD Details
Artist: Sarah ChangOrchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2007-10-02
Music Label: EMI Classics
Soundtracks:
- I Allegro
- II Largo
- III Allegro
- I Allegro Non Molto - Allegro
- II Adagio E Piano - Presto E Forte
- III Presto
- I Allegro
- II Adagio Molto
- III Allegro
- I Allegro Non Molto
- II Largo
- III Allegro
- I Allegro
- II Largo
- III Allegro
Music reviews of Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Music Review: Falling in love with Vivaldi all over again!
Rating: 5 Stars
I used to love Vivaldi. His "Four Seasons" always elicited a warm response from me. Then, over a period of many years, I was a victim of over-Vivaldization. Vivaldi was everywhere, from the elevator music, to the music in the Italian restaurants, where his music was garlic-infused. I would not complain except that the performances were of a type "just keep it even, do not get anybody musically excited, the purpose is for Vivaldi to be in the background, so that we can ride the elevator or digest our food peacefully". The bland sound of the violins, no dynamics, semi-romantic cheep effects, and the music at its worst did it for me. No more Vivaldi for me! I think that the final decision was made when I was eating somewhere in Europe a horrible watery pizza with different toppings in each of its quadrants, named "Le Quatro Staggione" ("Four Seasons" in Italian) while my ears were abused by just about the worst performance of Vivaldi in history.
Well, this was then. I was intrigued by Sarah Chang's recording of Vivaldi, with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. I got her record with the single objective: can she reconnect me with Vivaldi, can she erase bad memories of Vivaldi in the elevators and restaurants? Can she make me fall in love with Vivaldi again?
The answer is YES! Sarah Chang is a true talent, a great performer, her Vivaldi flows, full of intricate details; her sound is lush, warm, full, resonating, and definitely captivating. She is phenomenal! Her performance is memorable. She is genuine in her interpretation of Vivaldi. I particularly liked the little effects that we, amateur violinists, desperately try to produce: the smooth, yet not too smooth double stops, and the little biting sound when multiple strings are engaged by a big bow stroke. While we try to imitate (and it shows), Sara Chang not only knows these bowing delights, but she re-invents them! These "little" details make a great master performer!
The booklet which comes with the CD has the sonnets that go with each movement of these concerti, which Sarah Chang comments on as being integral to her interpretation of the music.
I am delighted with this recording, and I am sure you will be too.
Five starts, well deserved!
Description of Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Vivaldi has been accused--rather unjustly--of writing the same violin concerto over and over, but no one can deny that the Four Seasons are quite different from the others. Described as the first examples of program music, they evoke the sounds of nature so realistically that one can hear the thunder, the wind, the rain, the singing of the birds, the murmuring of the brook, the barking of a dog. One also hears the sounds of humanity: bagpipes, hunting horns, harvest dances, even shepherds snoring. To "better explain the music," Vivaldi wrote a descriptive sonnet for each Concerto, heading every section with the salient lines. The Seasons present a formidable challenge to the soloist's technical command, tonal variety and imagination; they have been recorded so many times that any violinist who wants to add to the discography must have something distinctive and personal to offer. Sarah Chang has both the brilliant technique and the extroverted personality needed to put her own stamp on the music. Her approach is essentially programmatic. She follows Vivaldi's instructions with obvious relish, using her dazzling virtuosity and all her instrumental resources to create mood and atmosphere and to conjure up vivid pictures of "seasonal" events. Tempi range from beautifully calm slow movements to fast passages at headlong speeds. Contrasting dynamics and articulation, ponticello, trills that give off sparks; colorful nuances, from unvibrated and glassy, to throbbing and passionate, serve to underline Vivaldi's imagery. The result is a dramatic, technically fearless, emotionally uninhibited performance, which, though far from baroque, is honestly felt and convincing in its own way. As an encore, Sarah Chang plays the familiar "G-minor Concerto" with charm and vivacity, and an almost romantically luxurious tone. Totally incongruous with the natural spontaneity of her playing, the booklet shows her in nine terribly affected poses, glamorously attired, amid autumn leaves and snowflakes. --Edith EislerAll Works by Vivaldi CDs
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