Antonio VivaldiLe Quattro Stagioni
The English Concert, Simon Standage, Trevor Pinnock
Archiv 400 045-2
Not just any Le Quattro Stagioni.
Just for my own interest-though no, perhaps for that of others too-I've been looking into the phenomenon of the Four Seasons' rampaging popularity. I find that the very first LP version to be normally available in this country (which it fell to me to review in this magazine) was a 1951 mono issue by Miinchinger on Decca: there was then a gap of three-and-a-half years before a trickle of alternative recordings appeared. When, by 1962, 13 had been clocked up there was another three-and-a-half years' pause, after which the trickle became a torrent, the most prolific years being 1973 and 1977, each boasting five new recordings. The present version by Pinnock's English Concert (which had previously played the work on CRD) is the 55th to be issued; but understandable questions as to the need to have continued adding to the number were well answered by NA in his review of the LP. Not only is this a performance, on period instruments (including a theorbo), of uncommon vitality and graphic vividness, with stylish ornamentation by the soloist; it also, uniquely, uses a set of parts (now in Manchester) once belonging to Cardinal Ottoboni, which as well as being more correct over such things as accidentals also includes a few interesting variants. Add to this an extremely clear and well-balanced recording, a surface blessedly free from all extraneous noises and the removal of a stray note that disturbed NA, and the justification becomes evident. The 55th version in this form is a very strong recommendation indeed.
L.S., Gramophone Magazine
Good iterpatation
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