Vivaldi's The Four Seasons - Giuliano Carmignola
Giuliano Carmignola
Pobable Portrait of Antonio Vivaldi, c.1723
Carmignola conducts the Venice Baroque Orchestra, to take you on a journey beginning with the revitalising freshness of Spring, through the languor and passion of Summer and the radiance of Autumn, all the way to the deep heart of Winter.
The orchestra play fast, with a passion and energy that allow the full range of power and emotion of the faster movements to be conveyed, and the whole has a harmony and unity with many idiosyncracies that really bring out the romanticism of the work.
Particularly moving (and my favourites), are the third movements of Summer and Winter. Carmignola's rendition of the former is a masterpiece in itself; played at a blistering speed with passion and fire. Vivaldi's description: "The heavens thunder and fulminate" is fully realised. His rendition of the latter I find particularly affecting; surging with emotion and during the final third, as the strings become faster and deeper, I am overcome with a sense of terror; time speeds up and passes by, as the impending spectre of Death looms close. You awake from the piece experiencing a sublime catharsis, having travelled through time and space, season by season. But Vivaldi's intention was to end on a happier note, and, after reading his Sonnet, I whole-heartedly agree, "This is Winter but such as brings joy."
The rich sound of the baroque instruments resound with clarity, and the recording itself has an airiness coupled with an elegance and luxury unrivalled by other recordings. Incredibly detailed, it's recorded with a transparency that reveals every intake of breath.
This is by far my favourite recording of Vivaldi's famous work; others sound lifeless by comparison, lacking the depth and passion infused by Carmignola. I would highly recommend this recording over any other, and I think it would make an excellent introduction to classical music for anyone thinking the Art Form is slow, boring, and passive, because this recording demonstrates that classical music can be anything but.
Below are Vivaldi's Sonnets accompanying each season, translated by Dr. Mary O'Neil.
Spring
Allegory of Spring, Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter
Allegro
Spring has come and festively
The Birds salute it with joyous song;
And the streams, caressed by the breath of the Zephyrs,
Flow on with a gentle murmuring.
Thunder and lightning, elected to announce its arrival,
Cover the sky with a black mantle;
And then, when these fall silent, the little birds
Return again to their melodious song
Largo
And so, on the flowery meadow
To the gentle murmuring of fronds and leaves,
The goatherd sleeps, his faithful dog by his side.
Danza Pastorale
To the festive sound of bagpipes,
Nymphs and shepherds dance beneath the beloved roof
At the joyous appearance of Spring.
Summer
Allegory of Summer, Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter
Allegro Non Molto
Beneath the harsh season burnt by the sun
Man languishes, the flock languishes,
and the pine tree burns;
The cuckoo releases its voice, and as soon as this happens,
The turtle dove sings, and the goldfinch also.
Sweet Zephyrus blows but suddenly
Boreas challenges his neighbour;
The shepherd weeps, for he senses
A fierce tempest looming — and his destiny.
Adagio
His weary limbs are deprived of their repose,
By the fear of lightning and thunder
And by the furious swarming of flies and bluebottles.
Presto
Alas! His fears prove only too true
The heavens thunder and fulminate, and hailstones,
Decapitate the corn and other grains.
Autumn
Allegory of Autumn, Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter
Allegro
The countryman celebrates with dance and song
The great pleasure of a bountiful harvest,
And, fired by Bacchus' liquor,
Slumber brings an end to their festivities.
Now the mild air gives pleasure
And makes everyone renounce both dance and song,
And the season increasingly invites
The joy of sweet slumber.
Adagio Molto
At the new dawn the hunters set out
With horns, guns, and dogs;
The quarry flees, and they follow its tracks.
Allegro
Already dismayed and exhausted from the loud noise
Of guns, and dogs, and wounded,
It tries wearily to escape but is caught, and dies.
Winter
Allegory of Winter, Jerzy Siemiginowski-Eleuter
Allegro Non Molto
Frozen and trembling in the freezing snow
At the horrid wind's icy breath;
Running and stamping your feet continuously
Teeth chattering with the frightful cold;
To spend calm and contented days by the fireside
While the rain pours down;
Walking on the ice, with tentative slow steps
For fear of falling.
Largo
Going faster, slipping, falling to the ground;
Getting up on the ice again, and running hard
Until the ice cracks and breaks open.
Allegro
Hearing, emerging from iron-clad doors,
Sirocco, Boreas, and all the winds at war —
This is winter but such as brings joy
Listen to the whole work on YouTube or Spotify.
Buy on CD or as a digital download.
Giuliano Carmignola
