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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Joshua Bell
Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Genre: Classical
 
  •  Track Listings (13) - Disc #1

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 ...  more »

     
   
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CD Details

All Artists: Joshua Bell
Title: Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 1
Label: Sony Classics
Original Release Date: 1/1/2008
Re-Release Date: 9/2/2008
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Concertos, Historical Periods, Baroque (c.1600-1750), Classical (c.1770-1830), Instruments, Strings
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 886971101324

Synopsis

Album Description
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.

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Member CD Reviews

Jeff R. (Pequod)
Reviewed on 12/17/2008...
This is a very fine performance of Four Seasons. A bit surprising considering Bell's romantic style is somewhat incongruous with Baroque music, but he definitely pulls it off. Not as good as Biondi (in my opinion), but well worth the listen.
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

CD Reviews

Well played, that's about it
Claude Greenmount | The Universe | 11/14/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)

"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 whatever we may call it) movement came to the forefront. Make no mistake, I'm no "authenticity fascist" and do not have any objection to modern instrument performances, even with a little Romantic flair added in, but this is being marketed to us as a "deeply personal" interpretation and it rather feels perfunctory, at times, bordering on the joyless. By all means acquaint yourself with this wor, but there are better, more affectionate and joyful renditions available that may not have overly hyped commercial packaging or marketing driving them."
Lukewarm
ibracadabra | Bellevue, WA | 09/19/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)

"While there's no doubt Joshua Bell is a fine violin player, his interpretation of this work feels awkward at times. His rhythm is occasionally off, and his dynamics are too exaggerated - though his pitch is almost always right on. His emotive style is much better suited for more Romantic pieces, and anyone who's listening for a good baroque interpretation of the Four Seasons would likely be disappointed."