BaL 17.09.16 - Vivaldi: The Four Seasons

[Bryn]

I already had the old Nige recording (£1 from a charity shop) and have now downloaded the Chandler and Biondi. I only joined the programme two thirds of the way through and found what I heard both informative and entertaining.

[Beef Oven!]

I already had the old Nige recording (£1 from a charity shop) and have now downloaded the Chandler and Biondi. I only joined the programme two thirds of the way through and found what I heard both informative and entertaining.

I can’t find the Chandler on Qobuz.

[Bryn]

I can’t find the Chandler on Qobuz.

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/the-four-seasons-concertos-for-bassoon-and-violin-in-tromba-marina-adrian-chandler/0822252234428

[Beef Oven!]

Anyone know the Adrian Chandler and the period-instrument ensemble La Serenissima?

Bump.

I actually asked this because I’d heard about this recording a little while ago and I posted without knowing it had even got mentioned on the programme - I obviously missed it.

[Beef Oven!]

http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/album/the.../0822252234428

Thank you very much indeed, Bryn. Downloading as I type.

You can’t have two many quattros

Edit: I’ve just realised it’s the very first one that comes up on Qobuz - no idea how I didn’t see it!!

[BBMmk2]

Hearing the BaL choice this morning now on Radio 3, I am quite bemused why the version chosen was picked!

[Beef Oven!]

Hearing the BaL choice this morning now on Radio 3, I am quite bemused why the version chosen was picked!

I was surprised, I said as much in post #67 concerning its candidature. But bemused? Why? It’s an excellent performance.

Using Mahan Esfahani’s own criterion for choosing a winner, ‘which one would you keep coming back to’ (or something like that), I struggle a bit with the Fabio Biondi. It can leave you rather shattered!

I’ve had a bit of a Quattro-fest, especially in the last 28 hours and I don’t think I can pick a single go-to Quattro. As it stands, as of today, I rate the Carmignola/Venice Baroque and Concerto Italiano/Alessandrini tops with Nigel Kennedy and Fabio Biondi joint-next.

Having said that, I’m on my third play-through of the Chandler/La Serenissima Orchestra that I downloaded last night and it is really getting a grip on me. I haven’t heard it enough to detail the reasons why, but it is a top-flight performance.

[MickyD]

Oh wow...I'm away at the moment and am now dying to get back to my computer so that I can listen to this BAL immediately! Happy to hear the Carmignola did well - it's been one of my favourites for a while. Did the old Harnoncourt get a mention?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yes - Esfahani gave very clear reasons for his choice - and I have to say I really enjoyed it: vigorous and inventive playing, good clear sound, and enough gentle moments to prevent it getting all a bit of a jog. I feel acceleratedly exhilarated after listening to it (and, yes - a little bit shattered; but in a good way. Rather as I imagine people who go jogging or do marathons do - and all from the comfort of my own home and without the expense of treadmills) - exactly the sort of performance that has made me love Vivaldi's Music in the past decade or so, after several years of indifference.


I'll have to listen to the Chandler version sometime - from the excerpts yesterday, it didn't appeal to me: when I was expecting it to press on, it slowed down and vice versa. I ought to enjoy these sorts of "time-bending" features, but these bits heard in isolation I was put off rather than attracted. Have to hear them in context a couple of times.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Did the old Harnoncourt get a mention?

Yes - ME loved the performance (pointing out that it pre-dated more recent ways of performing by several years) but found the recorded sound to reverberant to feature as a to count as a BaL finalist. Which he regretted.

[MickyD]

Yes - ME loved the performance (pointing out that it pre-dated more recent ways of performing by several years) but found the recorded sound to reverberant to feature as a to count as a BaL finalist. Which he regretted.

Good, glad to hear it got mentioned. I bought it recently - worth having for the other op.8 as well and the oboe playing of Jurg Shaeftlein.

[Beef Oven!]

I'll have to listen to the Chandler version sometime - from the excerpts yesterday, it didn't appeal to me: when I was expecting it to press on, it slowed down and vice versa. I ought to enjoy these sorts of "time-bending" features, but these bits heard in isolation I was put off rather than attracted. Have to hear them in context a couple of times.

I’ve just listened to the other works on the CD (RV 501, RV 221 & RV 496) Bassoon, strings, continuo, solo violin etc and it is a really excellently performed programme of Vivaldi works. Not sure why it has only just crept onto my radar.

[doversoul1]

Not sure why it has only just crept onto my radar.

Seems as if it was the case of ‘inbox full’

An excellent BaL. Mahan E. has come a long way from being the first (and still the last?) harpsichordist on the New Generation Artist.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I’ve just listened to the other works on the CD (RV 501, RV 221 & RV 496) Bassoon, strings, continuo, solo violin etc and it is a really excellently performed programme of Vivaldi works.

Yes - the programming is what most attracts me to buying this disc - who doesn't love a bit of Tromba Marina?

[Pulcinella]

Yes - the programming is what most attracts me to buying this disc - who doesn't love a bit of Tromba Marina?

I had to resort to Wiki to find out what one was!