Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, who has enchanted audiences for two decades with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare opulence, has recorded Antonio Vivaldi's concertos The Four Seasons. Widely considered as one of the premiere violinists of his generation, Bell is joined on this studio release by the celebrated musicians of the Academy of St.Martin in the Fields, who toured the work with him prior to the recording sessions. This recording of The Four Seasons is coupled with another masterpiece of Baroque virtuosity, Giuseppe Tartini's The Devil's Trill. The liner notes by Linda Kobler explain the curious genesis of Tartini's piece and the indisputable place of Vivaldi's concertos in the history of sonata composition.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Joshua Bell doesn't dissapoint!:
I am a huge fan of Joshua Bell and his interpretation of the Four Seasons is the best i've heard. If you are a huge fan of Vivaldis four seasons then do not think twice about buying this CD. Its beyond amazing and I absolutely love it!!
Wow!:
This recording is perhaps one of the finest I've ever heard. The orchestra is crisp, clear and doesn't overpower the lead violinist. Joshua Bell is simply at his best. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
well played, that's about it:
Mr Bell can rarely play in anything but an excellent and clean fashion, and the same can be said of St. Martin-in-the-Fields orchestra. But in the case of this recording of Vivaldi's most famous set of concertos, there it ends. Technically well executed, almost no understanding of this marvelous 18th c. music is evident in this performance-- it adds nothing to the countless interpretations of this music that was not already present 25 years ago or more before the EM (or HIP or music reconstruction or... more info
Seasons of the Wall Street CEO:
Vivaldi's Op. 8, 4 of the beginning of those 12 violin concerti headed 'Four Seasons' were preceded by poems depicting each in turn.
Mr. Bell's new album comes in a luxurious package in an attempt to foster the mood of the different seasons.
Alas, the outcome is vastly different from the poetic Italian setting. Rather, these are well-articulated pieces, played with mastery in terms of technique, but not interpretative skill.
First of all, Mr. Bell has not much idea about the musical... more info
Tracks:
Concerto in E Major for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269, "La Primavera" (Spring)/I. Allegro
Concerto in E Major for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269, "La Primavera" (Spring)/II. Largo
Concerto in E Major for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269, "La Primavera" (Spring)/III. Allegro
Concerto in G minor for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315, "L'estate" (Summer)/I. Allegro non molto
Concerto in G minor for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315, "L'estate" (Summer)/II. Adagio
Concerto in G minor for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315, "L'estate" (Summer)/III. Presto
Concerto in F Major for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293, "L'autumno" (Autumn)/I. Allegro
Concerto in F Major for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293, "L'autumno" (Autumn)/II. Adagio molto
Concerto in F Major for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293, "L'autumno" (Autumn)/III. Allegro
Concerto in F minor for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, "L'inverno" (Winter)/I. Allegro non molto
Concerto in F minor for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, "L'inverno" (Winter)/II. Largo
Concerto in F minor for Violin, String Orchestra and Continuo, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297, "L'inverno" (Winter)/III. Allegro
Sonata in G minor for Violin and Basso Continuo, "Devil's Trill Sonata"
Romance of the Violin by Claude Debussy, Fryderyk Chopin, Camille Saint-Saens, Franz Schubert, Vincenzo Bellini, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Alexander Borodin, Antonin Dvorak, Claudio Monteverdi, Jules Massenet, Robert Schumann, Michael Stern, Craig Ogden, Gregory Knowles, John Constable, Jacob Heringman, Stephen Orton (Audio CD)
