Vivaldi: The Four Seasons/Tartini: The Devil's Trill

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
We've grown so accustomed to seeing violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter gracing album covers in her flowing formal gowns that this recording of Vivaldi's masterpiece may come as a shock to her fans, at least at first glance. Mutter, it appears, has been influenced by Gap culture, looking relaxed and appearing in jeans on the album cover. To coincide with this release, she even released a music video, featuring the Trondheim Soloists and herself performing the glorious work and looking like they're having a blast. Is this the shape of classical music to come? Let's hope so. Mutter's performance here, as usual, is top-notch. The opening movements of Spring sound delightful, the Summer storm sounds frenzied, and during Winter's second movement, you can practically hear the chill being warded off by a fire. Her impeccable tone is, as usual, gorgeous and the conductorless Trondheims provide a fine, if slightly obscured, accompaniment. Filling out this disc is Tartini's Sonata in G Minor (better known as The Devil's Trill), a wonderful piece of baroque violin virtuosity. There have never been so many recordings of Four Seasons available as right now; there really is no definitive version anymore. This one, however, is easy to recommend. --Jason Verlinde

Tracks:

Pachelbel: Canon
Vivaldi: Winter: Largo
Albinoni: Adagio
Gluck: Dance of the blessed spirits (Orfeo)
Vivaldi: Guitar Concerto in D: Largo
Bach: Concerto for 2 violins in D minor
Marcello: Oboe Concerto in D minor
Vivaldi: Nisi Dominus: Cum dederit delectis
Handel: Concerto grosso in A minor: Larghetto affteuoso
Handel: Organ Concerto "The cuckoo and the nightingale": Larghetto
Bach: Sleepers awake (excerpt)
Tartini: "The Devil's Trill" Sonata: Larghetto affetuoso
Bach: Obo Concerto in F: Siciliano
vivaldi: Concerto for 2 oboesin D minor: Largo
Corelli: Concerto grosso in D: Largo
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in A: Larghetto
Bach: Goldberg Variations: Aria
Handel: Ombra mai fu (Largo) (Xerxes)
Vivaldi: Nulli in mundo pax sincera (excerpt)

Tracks:

Bach: Air on a G string: Orchestral Suite No. 3
Handel: Lascia ch'io pianga
Vivaldi: Spring: Largo
Bach: Keyboard Concerto in D: Adagio
Albinoni: Oboe Concerto in D minor: Adagio
Bach: Cello Sonata in G minor: Adagio
Handel: Concerto in B flat for Harp & 2 flutes: Larghetto
Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor: Andante
Bach: Brandenburh Concerto No. 5: Affetuoso
Pergolesi: Stabat Mater: Stabat Mater
Bach: Arioso: Cantata, BWV 156
Vivaldi: Concerto in G for 2 Mandolins: Andante
Bach: Concerto for Oboe & Violin: Adagio
Vivaldi: Autumn: Adagio molto
Telemann: Oboe Concerto in D minor: Adagio
Scarlatti/Avison: Concerto grosso in D: Largo
Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in A minor: Largo
Croft: Ground
Purcell: Dido's Lament (Dido and Aeneas)

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding Collection With Exquisite Vocals.......2005-09-18

I could not agree more with the review written by Frank T. Manheim. All I would add to his comments are that the recording quality is excellent, and that there are, amongst all of the wonderful selections on this CD, two vocal selections that I found deeply moving. On the first CD, there is a powerful, yet at the same time delicate performance of Vivaldi's In Nisi Dominus, by Andreas Scholl. I had never heard this selection of Vivaldi before buying this CD and don't have other performances to compare it to, but Scholl's performance was so moving, as was the accompaniment of the musical instruments on this track, that I listened to it several times in a row. I did the same with Janet Baker's performance of Dido's Lament, by Henry Purcell, on the second CD of this 2 CD set, listening to her haunting passionate voice over and over again. As with Vivaldi's In Nisi Dominus, I had never heard this composition, nor in fact any composition by Henry Purcell before buying this CD. The emotional depth and intensity that Janet Baker brings to her performance is very deeply moving. This is, fittingly, the last track on CD 2, ending this collection on a musical and emotional level, or rather, summit, that will leave you with eyes closed, thinking of the stars. As a result of having heard Janet Baker's performance on this compilation, I bought the full recording of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. In fact, I bought several CDs of music by Henry Purcell after hearing Dido's Lament.

As Frank Manheim writes in his review, this CD can either be put on as background music, or it can be listened to intently, savoring every note. Although the title of this CD set has the work "Adagios" in it, this is no mere easy listening experience. There is plenty of musical passion on both CDs. This is a wonderful 2 CD set. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in classical, and especially, Baroque music.

Why is this beautiful set so low in Amazon sales? .......2005-09-15

While classical music is achieving a resurgence in the UK and Finland, in the U.S. the meager proportion of classical music among record store and department offerings still reflects classical's waning status. What we do find even in drugstores and supermarkets is inexpensive "mood" collections like "Romance", "Spring", "Melancholy", etc. I have no problem with this - some of the unnamed orchestras or soloists aren't bad although recording quality may disappoint.

"Baroque Adagios" is a big cut higher for both enjoyable listening, as well as background music for social occasions. The Baroque period simply overflows with memorable slow movement gems - both well-known, and rarely heard. The famous Italian tenor, Beniamino Gigli, confessed that many of his most favorite pieces came from the Italian baroque and earlier. Music of the earlier times combines emotional and melodic appeal with a restraint and depth that makes it wear well on many hearings. The only risk for background music is that the gorgeous melodies and resonant sonorities will draw people away from what they might otherwise do.

The choice of repertory is rich and varied, but this collection is particularly noteworthy for its long list of famous soloists and conductors. Besides Janos Starker, these include Heinz Holliger, Andras Schiff, Henryk Szeryng (in the Bach Double Concerto in D minor), Thurston Dart, Enrique Fernandez, Christopher Hogwood, Karl Munchinger, Neville Marriner, and many others.

I can think of few ways to better dissolve stress than to put this recording on a player and relax into a comfortable easy chair - or or put it into a car CD player on a longer trip. It makes a thoughtful present for both knowledgeable classic buffs and newcomers to classical music.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons/Tartini: The Devil's Trill

Average customer rating:

Exciting Highlights Dampened by Weak Support
Not For The Purist, But I Think This Is The Best Recording of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons"
The best 4 seasons out there.
Nasaly and scraping tones, and a bored performer
I heard the devil's trill before!!

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons/Tartini: The Devil's Trill
Knut Johannessen , Renata Kubala , Ricardo Kubala , Marit Laugen , Kristin Reigstad , Alexander Robson , Erling Skaufel , Tone Snidal , and Torodd Wigum
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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ASIN: B00002DE2L
Release Date: 1999-11-02

Tracks:

Spring: I. Allegro
Spring: II. Largo
Spring: III. Danza Pastorale
Summer: I. Allegro Non Molto
Summer: II. Adagio
Summer: Presto
Autumn: Allegro
Autumn: Adagio molto
Autumn: Allegro
Winter: Allegro non molto
Winter: Largo
Winter: Allegro
Sonata In G Minor 'Devil's Trill': Larghetto affetuoso
Sonata In G Minor 'Devil's Trill': Allegro moderato (Tempo giusto della scuola tartiniana
Sonata In G Minor 'Devil's Trill': Andante (Sogni dell'autore)
Sonata In G Minor 'Devil's Trill': Allegro assai - Andante - Allegro assai - Andante - Allegro assai - Cadenza - Adagio

Amazon.com

We've grown so accustomed to seeing violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter gracing album covers in her flowing formal gowns that this recording of Vivaldi's masterpiece may come as a shock to her fans, at least at first glance. Mutter, it appears, has been influenced by Gap culture, looking relaxed and appearing in jeans on the album cover. To coincide with this release, she even released a music video, featuring the Trondheim Soloists and herself performing the glorious work and looking like they're having a blast. Is this the shape of classical music to come? Let's hope so. Mutter's performance here, as usual, is top-notch. The opening movements of Spring sound delightful, the Summer storm sounds frenzied, and during Winter's second movement, you can practically hear the chill being warded off by a fire. Her impeccable tone is, as usual, gorgeous and the conductorless Trondheims provide a fine, if slightly obscured, accompaniment. Filling out this disc is Tartini's Sonata in G Minor (better known as The Devil's Trill), a wonderful piece of baroque violin virtuosity. There have never been so many recordings of Four Seasons available as right now; there really is no definitive version anymore. This one, however, is easy to recommend. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Highlights Dampened by Weak Support.......2007-03-08

It's easy to get used to listening to near-perfect recordings and performances of The Four Seasons. With so many recordings available, you can have your pick of styles.

I remember confidently ordering tickets for a local group's performance of The Four Seasons in Salzburg one summer. How could I go wrong? The performance started off in fine fashion. The soloist was huge, confident, and energetic. The rest of the group was solid and enthusiastic. But after about 12 minutes, the soloist began to come apart at the seams. He couldn't complete the difficult sections in Summer. The group would restart and restart. I was fascinated.

I had almost forgotten that experience when I first listened to this recording. Such violin soloist flubs are unknown in the mature Anne-Sophie Mutter's recordings. But I was astonished to find that her supporting cast of Trondheim Soloists (led by Bjarne Fiskum and including soloists Byvind Gimse, and Knut Johannesen) was apparently playing a different piece, and not very well. Ms. Mutter is also credited as conductor. I suspect that she should have scheduled many more practices.

The recording also has moments when another take would have been in order.

But I learned something valuable from listening to Ms. Mutter soar about the muddled noise: It matters who else is playing with you for The Four Seasons.

If you are an Anne-Sophie Mutter fan (as I am), you'll undoubtedly want to listen to this CD. But I think you'll be more pleased if you limit yourself to the first allegro from Spring from The Four Seasons for 3 minutes and 36 seconds during which the Trondheim Soloists perform okay in the Simply Anne-Sophie CD. Good editing choice there.

I graded Anne-Sophie's playing as a five, the recording quality as a four, and the Trondheim Soloists as a 1.

Not For The Purist, But I Think This Is The Best Recording of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons".......2007-01-25

Only a die-in-the-wool traditionalist will dislike this fine Deutsche Grammophon recording of Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", which I regard as the best recording of it that I've heard, surpassing classic ones from the likes of I Musici. Indeed, the venerable Penguin Guide to Classical Music not only has given it its highest starred rating, but has noted succinctly that this recording is among the best available. And it's no wonder, considering the superb playing from the great German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the Trondheim Soloists, especially from harpsichord player Knut Johannesen, whose own splendid musicianship ranks favorably with, for example, Trevor Pinnock. I was quite impressed that musically, this relatively unknown Norweigan chamber music ensemble could offer a performance as memorable as any from the English Consort and I Musici, but to their everlasting credit, they have done so in this rather fresh, quite vivid interpretation of Vivaldi's most popular works for harpsichord and strings. As for Mutter, she shows substantial dynamic range in her own virtuoso playing, offering, for example, in "L'Inverno" (Winter), a truly impassioned, yet icy, performance. Unlike the Penguin Guide, I was equally impressed with Mutter's playing and the Trondheim Soloists's interpretation of Tartinai's "Devil's Trill" Sonata in G minor. Without question, this fine recording remains among Mutter's best, and one which I look forward to hearing frequently for years to come.

The best 4 seasons out there........2006-12-23

The title says it all. This is the cd to compare to all other performances of this work. Very similar to Karajan's interpretation. So if you like his then you'll love this.
Mutter is at her best and pulls off the visual images in her playing better than any other I've heard. You can feel the summer storm and the chill of the winter concerto. the Trondheim Soloist keep pace and drive the performance in a grand way.
One of my favorites.

Nasaly and scraping tones, and a bored performer.......2006-06-17

Given the number of 5 star reviews here, it's clear that the majority of these people haven't heard the recording by Hugh Bean and Stokowski. Once you do, nothing else will do, unless you are a period performance fan. This cd has the most ridiculous packaging I've seen. All to promote the sexy, come hither looks of Mutter. One would hope for a remotely sexy performance, but it's not to be. I'm literally shocked at the poor intonation and the scraping noises of her violin (especially on Winter, track number 10), it makes my teeth grind. One wonders what the rest of the musicians were thinking when they recorded this. Did they think the scraping sounds were good? The Trondheim Soloists sounds like a second rate group, one that obviously needs more cohesiveness to make their group sound better. They sound under rehearsed and they struggle to keep up with Mutter's pace. Then there's Mutter the conductor. Sure her performance with Karajan was a mess, and he knows how to conduct. So here we have Mutter thinking she can do it better. This is a better performance, but it's still a terrible one. Avoid this and get the one by Stokowski and Hugh Bean.

I heard the devil's trill before!!.......2005-07-18

I heard the devil's trill in an anime show called YAMI NO MATSUEI!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Original Four Seasons And The Devil's Trill Sonata / Vanessa-Mae

Average customer rating:

Sloppy and vapid
Barely Deserves 1 Star
Childish, Mischievious,Ludicrous !
Moving, Beautiful and Powerful
Not my favorite recording of the 4 Seasons

The Original Four Seasons And The Devil's Trill Sonata / Vanessa-Mae

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000I7JM
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

SPRING: I. Allegro
SPRING: II. Largo e pianissimo sempre
SPRING: III. Allegro
Summer: I. Allegro non molto
Summer: II. Adagio
Summer: III. Tempo impetuoso d'Estate
Autumn: I. Allegro
Autumn: II. Adagio
Autumn: III. La caccia
Winter: I. Allegro non molto
Winter: II. Largo
Winter: III. Allegro
The Devil's Trill Sonata: I. Larghetto, ma non troppo
The Devil's Trill Sonata: II. Allegro moderato
The Devil's Trill Sonata: III. Grave - Allegro assai - Grave - Allegro assai - Grave - Allegro assai - Cadenza - Andante - Largo
Devil's Trill
Reflection

Customer Reviews:

Sloppy and vapid.......2007-05-17

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm not truly sure that there is such a thing these days as a good recording of the Four Seasons (Original or otherwise --- I'm not sure what "Original" is supposed to mean here). Of the many warhorses to be found in the repertoire, it is (for me at least) one of the more annoying & shallow. Nonetheless, the gazillions of violinists who have recorded it have, for the most part, turned in performances that at least have a reasonable amount of energy to them. Such is not the case here.

All of the concerti have a homogenized quality to them and are oftentimes quite lethargic. I didn't think one could make these pieces more bland, but Vanessa-Mae has proved me wrong. Apparently the only time of year the Seasons are supposed to capture are the Dog Days of Summer...humid & stagnant.

Going from bad to worse, Vanessa-Mae then tackles Tartini. Unlike Vivaldi, Tartini actually did write interesting music & revolutionized the use of double stops, among other things. Sadly, Vanessa-Mae has no earthly idea of what she is trying to say as she plays this, and once again, the music just slogs along with a stultifying sameness. The odd arrangement of the continuo parts hardly helps.

She would be well-advised to stick to the pre-fab crossover confections in which she has specialized, because this album demonstrates that she really doesn't have the chops for the challenges of the classical genre, even with relative lightweights like Vivaldi. Thus far, her forays into the classical world have been uninspiring, at best. Continue to rely on that which has made you wealthy, dear child. Stop trying to earn our respect, because you'll never get it with pablum like this.

Barely Deserves 1 Star.......2006-05-26

I think that this "interpertation" of Vivaldi's Four Seasons is a stupid experiment gone wrong. Her Inventions and "Improvisations" might be a nice idea, but to a real musician this recording is a mockery of good musicianship.

Childish, Mischievious,Ludicrous !.......2005-07-29

It sound like a 5year old mischievious girl fooling with violin for pure curiosity! it make no sense to serious classical music but probabily still sounds 3stars if you take it for a vivaldi-pop.

Moving, Beautiful and Powerful.......2005-07-21

The Original Four Seasons and Devil's Trill Sonata by Vanessa-Mae is my favorite CD. I bought it 4 years ago because I wanted to add violin music to my diverse collection of CDs. I listen to a variety of music, including jazz, rock, blues, modern, and opera. I never expected to enjoy Vanessa's CD as much as I do.. It's moving and beautiful and has the power to transform an average day into an exceptional day.

Not my favorite recording of the 4 Seasons.......2005-07-08

I am a violinist, and truthfully don't really like the way Vanessa plays the 4 seasons. Her tone is fine, but she just seams to be lacking in certain areas. It doesn't sound like the rich, beautiful 4 seasons I know. I relize that it is baroque and shouldn't sound TOO rich and sappy, but she should take more time with them, truley get to know the pieces instead of just playing through them. I would definitley prefir the standard 4 seasons the way Vivaldi wrote them, rather than Mae's version- with her out-of-place sounding artificial harmonics(which didn't sound so good tone-wise) and her strange sounding double stops and octaves. If you think Vanessa's 4 seasons sound "cool in a newer way", great- buy them. But if you truley have a trained classical ear, consider a different version of the 4 seasons.

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