Vivaldi : L'estro armonico / Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
This was the great collection of 12 varied and exciting violin concertos that turned Bach on to concerto writing. In fact, he transcribed several of these works for solo harpsichord, organ--even for harpsichords and orchestra. What fascinated him most was the balanced, three-movement form, the brilliance of the solo passages, the tunefulness of the music generally, and Vivaldi's seemingly inexhaustible storehouse of invention. When a composer ventured to publish a collection such as this, he was making a major statement. This is one of the really big ones in Baroque music, and it's performed with splendid authority and an unrivaled sense of sheer joy. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

I. Allegro
II. Largo
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Adagio-Presto
III. Presto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio
III. Allegro
I. Allegro Non Molto
II. Largo
III. Presto
I. Presto
II. Largo
III. Presto
I. Allegro
II. Adagio E Spiccato
III. Allegro
IV. Largo E Spiccato
V. Allegretto
I. Allegro
II. Larghetto E Spiritoso
III. Allegro
I. Allegro
II. Largo E Spiccato
III. Allegro

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

Blown Away.......2007-02-01

There are hardly words that can describe this amazing recording.Yes, I too, stopped my car in order to absorb the moment of music. My congratulations to Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante, who possess an astonishingly unique ability to access the composer and the instrument. Bravo, triple bravo!

Excellent, imaginative interpretation.......2007-01-16

The first time I heard Fabio Biondi perform "The Four Seasons" on the radio, I did not recognize that this was the famous piece by Vivaldi - the interpretation was so original and the playing so incisive, that I thought that some more modern work was being performed (this was especially true of "Winter"). It seems that Biondi had thought through every note and nuance, so the end result is startingly original. I highly recommend this recording, even if you have other versions of "The Four Seasons".

Wow. Breathtaking........2006-11-15

Cannot help thinking Vivaldi would have loved this breathtaking rendition. Quite agree with other reviews. I too pulled off the road and scrambled to note down the recording details. Slight merging of notes as Mr.Alan Lekan notes is a minor flaw against other qualities of the recording. Simply has to heard. Bravo.

Even I can tell the difference.......2006-09-09

Everyone has already heard too much of "The Four Seasons," which comprise the first four of the set of 12 concerti presented here. At the same time, its ubiquity, coupled with its quality, makes it a necessary part of any classical starter collection. To cut to the chase: if you're going to have a classical collection, and if Vivaldi is to be part of it, make this the version you choose.

I am not an expert listener. I know little about music and can barely tell a fugue from a toccata. So I don't know what to make about complaints regarding the supposed liberties that Fabio Biondi takes with Vivaldi's written music, with the time signatures or with improvisations where they aren't called for. Nor can I comment regarding historically accurate performance practice vs. other ways of playing this music. What I do know is that even I can discern a difference - a vast, immeasurable gulf - between this music as it is played here by Biondi and his ensemble, Europa Galante, and this music as I've heard it played by anyone else. These concertos are played crisply, with an exciting sense of rhythm that makes the music seem to bounce; to take one example for comparison, Ozawa's Four Seasons on Telarc seems limp, rhythmically soft, and frankly boring. One is elevator music; the other, music to listen to.

Unless you're the sort of highly discriminating, perhaps anal-retentive connoisseur of Baroque music who can afford to nitpick Biondi and Europa Galante for their stylistic transgressions, this is the Vivaldi you need to hear. Even an ignoramus like me can tell the difference.

Knocked my socks off!.......2006-03-24

The playing of this rendition of The Four Seasons made me pull off the road just to listen. Once you hear this recording you'll fall in love with The Four Seasons all over again. It makes a great gift too.

Vivaldi : L'estro armonico / Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante

Average customer rating:

J.S. Bach liked it and so did I !!
Perfection
Vibrant Vivaldi (Despite Biondi)
BRILLIANT
Not a good choice

Vivaldi : L'estro armonico / Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante
Antonio Vivaldi , Fabio Biondi , and Europa Galante
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Vivaldi - Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione / Europa Galante, Biondi
Vivaldi: Violin Concertos (La Tempesta di Mare)
Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini
Vivaldi: Concerti con molti strumenti, Vol. 2
Vivaldi: La Stravaganza

ASIN: B000007TKK
Release Date: 1998-07-14

Tracks:

Concerto No.2 In G Minor: 1. Adagio e Spiccato
Concerto No.2 In G Minor: 2. Allegro
Concerto No.2 In G Minor: 3. Larghetto
Concerto No.2 In G Minor: 4. Allegro
Concerto No.1 in D major: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.1 in D major: 2. Largo e spiccato
Concerto No.1 in D major: 3. Allegro
Concerto No.6 In A Minor: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.6 In A Minor: 2. Largo
Concerto No.6 In A Minor: 3. Presto
Concerto No.5 In A Major: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.5 In A Major: 2. Largo
Concerto No.5 In A Major: 3. Allegro
Concerto No.4 In E Minor: 1. Andante
Concerto No.4 In E Minor: 2. Allegro assai
Concerto No.4 In E Minor: 3. Adagio
Concerto No.4 In E Minor: 4. Allegro
Concerto No.3 In G Major: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.3 In G Major: 2. Largo
Concerto No.3 In G Major: 3. Allegro

Tracks:

Concerto No.8 In A Minor, RV522: 1. Andante
Concerto No.8 In A Minor, RV522: 2. Larghetto e spiritoso
Concerto No.8 In A Minor, RV522: 3. Allegro
Concerto No.7 In F Major, RV567: 1. Andante
Concerto No.7 In F Major, RV567: 2. Adagio
Concerto No.7 In F Major, RV567: 3. Allegro
Concerto No.7 In F Major, RV567: 4. Adagio
Concerto No.7 In F Major, RV567: 5. Allegro
Concerto No. 11 In D Minor, RV565: 1. Allegro
Concerto No. 11 In D Minor, RV565: 2. Adagio e spiccato
Concerto No. 11 In D Minor, RV565: 3. Allegro
Concerto No. 11 In D Minor, RV565: 4. Largo e spiccato
Concerto No. 11 In D Minor, RV565: 5. Allegro
Concerto No.9 In D Major, RV 230: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.9 In D Major, RV 230: 2. Larghetto
Concerto No.9 In D Major, RV 230: 3. Allegro
Concerto No.10 In B Minor, RV580: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.10 In B Minor, RV580: 2. Largo e spiccato
Concerto No.10 In B Minor, RV580: 3. Allegro
Concerto No.12 In E Major, RV265: 1. Allegro
Concerto No.12 In E Major, RV265: 2. Largo e spiccato
Concerto No.12 In E Major, RV265: 3. Allegro

Amazon.com

This was the great collection of 12 varied and exciting violin concertos that turned Bach on to concerto writing. In fact, he transcribed several of these works for solo harpsichord, organ--even for harpsichords and orchestra. What fascinated him most was the balanced, three-movement form, the brilliance of the solo passages, the tunefulness of the music generally, and Vivaldi's seemingly inexhaustible storehouse of invention. When a composer ventured to publish a collection such as this, he was making a major statement. This is one of the really big ones in Baroque music, and it's performed with splendid authority and an unrivaled sense of sheer joy. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

J.S. Bach liked it and so did I !!.......2007-04-22

The more I hear Vivaldi, the more I see the Four Seasons as a little strand of the composer's vast output and inspired work. L'estro Armonico is totally upbeat, and so much so that some pieces could even be the precursors of tango, flamenco, and polka. Don't be surprised if this music moves you to dance.

Perfection.......2007-03-05

I have been listening to Vivaldi's L'estro armonico for over 30 years, the Academy of St Martins in the Field's 1975 recording got me hooked, now it would sound a bit dull, then the Academy of Ancient Music's 1980 period instrument version was better, and still sounds pretty good, then the English Concert's version and so on. I used to dream of a perfect interpretation of this work, and on first hearing this version I knew this was it, a perfect recording of a very important work. But I guess it all boils down to whether you love or hate Biondi, I obviously love him. Baroque music is all about interpretation, not just playing the notes on a published score which was only meant as a guide for a virtuoso performer. There was little point in publishing music too difficult for a prospective buyer. I will concede that Biondi stretches it a bit sometimes, like his Opus 8, but not here.
There is little point in going on, if you prefer your Vivaldi unornamented as published, thats OK, but I think this is a wonderful interpretation, I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Vibrant Vivaldi (Despite Biondi).......2006-08-15

Formed in 1990 as one of Italy's pioneering period instrument ensembles, Europa Galante (with its leader Fabio Biondi) is decidedly in the "subjective" camp of period instrument performers - those who believe that creating an exciting experience for modern-day listeners is more important than pure "authenticity". They have succeeded in cultivating a distinctively Italian period-instrument sound - more vibrato and legato than most baroque players - that seems a natural outgrowth of the sounds of the Italian language. At their best, they produce an incredibly warm, sweet, vocal string sound, such as can be heard at the beginning of the D major violin concerto on this set (track 14 of disc 2). In addition to following standard baroque orthodoxies, they often take great liberties with their music, using extreme changes of tempo and dynamics and the percussive effects of a prominent continuo section to create a dramatic experience. Since these players are Italian, Vivaldi is their birthright, and their passionate interpretations could not be more different from the anemic sound that sometimes comes from northern European period players.

Although he brings a welcome Italianate flair to the music, to my taste Fabio Biondi's style on this recording is simply too eccentric: he feels the need to play every phrase with different articulations and amounts of vibrato, and to cram in superfluous ornaments at incredibly fast tempos (to say nothing of his un-beautiful execution of trills). I almost feel that he concentrates on surface thrills and sensual aspects of the music at the expense of structural clarity and coherence, and that he plays with the music rather than plays it. He is obviously trying to bring the music alive, but at its worst his approach comes off as fussy and flaky. To be fair, my unfavorable impression may be due partly to the rather dry, thin, constricted timbre of his violin on this disc; I own other Biondi/Europa Galante CD's that show him to much better advantage.

As might be expected, the strongest tracks on this set are the concerti grossi and the concertos for multiple violins, where Biondi's eccentricities are tempered by his colleagues, and the efforts of the band as a whole cohere to produce vibrant, exciting, meaningful performances. That not many complete recordings of Vivaldi's Opus 3 on period instruments are available may mean that this mid-priced set will be a viable choice for many listeners. For my part, I have decided that I can live with Biondi's shortcomings and love Europa Galante and Vivaldi.

BRILLIANT.......2006-05-24

This is clearly one of my favorite baroque albums; it is some of the best music Vivaldi ever wrote. The performance is splendid.

Not a good choice.......2004-07-01

I had 3 excellent versions of Vivaldi's opus 3 (I Solisti Veneti, I Musici and N. Marriner), but I wanted a new version to enjoy it with real DDD sound. Unfortunately, I'm very dissapointed by this CD. Although I have listened it many times to see if can get used to it, I cannot like this performance. Europa Galante is an excellent ensemble, but in my opinion the problem here was the conductor.

Apparently Biondi tried to be "original" at any cost, so in each concerto he needs to add some fancy "effects" as he thought this music needs to be made more interesting. As a result you hear a sharp attack of the notes in one bar, the next bar is played legato, the following bar is with dotted notes, now the next bar is pianissimo,and now the following is fortissimo and so on... There is never a steady moment where the music can expand and you can feel the Harmony. You are just shaken around. The dynamics is exaggerated (huge and senseless dynamic jumps), the duration of some silences is exaggerated, he adds some annoying ritardandos that destroy the natural progression of the melodic line, etc. In addition, there are a lot of unnecessary 'embellishment' notes, much beyond what the music can stand.

These concertos contain very beautiful slow tempos that are treated here without respect. In some of them the chords are played so forte that it sounds as if someone were slashing the violins, destroying the subtle atmosphere of the music; in others, the soloist insists with his melismatic ornamental notes that trivializes the music up to a point of making it sound almost vulgar. I recognize that there are some good movements and the continuo part is very good, but I had a hard time for most of this disc because of the hyperkinetic and frantic style. For some moments I felt so annoyed that if this had been a live performance I would have tempted to stand up and shout: Could you please just play it how it was written! This CD will not show you L'Estro Armonico as Vivaldi deserves. It seems as if the soloist is much more interested in just showing of his fingering dexterity, no matter how much damage to the music is done. Finally I gave away this CD and purchased the version by C. Hogwood. That one was definitely better.

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