Vivaldi: The Four Seasons
Is there any way a violinist can make Vivaldi's Four Seasons not sound like elevator music nowadays? Judging by this release, the answer is "yes." Fabio Biondi leads his Europa Galante in crisp performances which do not distort the music either dynamically or rhythmically, and his playing is so clear, clean and clever that you'll hear new things amidst music you thought you, yourself, could play in your sleep. The storm is surprisingly stormy without being exaggerated, for instance, and the dance-like opening to Autumn is positively toe-tapping. The harpsichord which opens "Winter" is bone-chilling and the pizzicato strings in its second movement--taken quickly--are nicely brittle. Biondi emphasizes the lower strings elsewhere so that we experience a texture not often noticed, but obviously present. The CD is filled out with the almost equally famous "La tempersta del mare" concerto and three from "L'estro armonico," all played with the same determination and excellence. A glorious disc.--Robert Levine