Vivaldi – Les Quatre Saisons – Ensemble Gli Incogniti, Beyer (2008, WAVpack)

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Tracklist:

1 Concerto pour deux violons et violoncelle RV 578 I. Adagio e spiccato 1:25
2 I. Allegro 2:21
3 II. Largo e spiccato 2:45
4 III. Allegro 1:57
5 Concerto pour violon RV 372 ‘Per Signora Chiara’ I. Allegro molto e spiritoso 5:09
6 II. Largo ma non molto 3:04
7 III. Allegro 4:14
8 ‘La primavera’ Concerto pour violon Op. 8 no. 1 RV 269 I. Allegro 3:18
9 II. Largo 2:15
10 III. Allegro 3:35
11 ‘L’estate’ Concerto pour violon Op. 8 no. 2 RV 315 I. Allegro non molto 4:44
12 II. Adagio 2:00
13 III. Presto 2:41
14 ‘L’autunno’ Concerto pour violon Op. 8 no. 3 RV 293 I. Allegro 4:39
15 II. Adagio molto 3:21
16 III. Allegro 3:02
17 ‘L’inverno’ Concerto pour violon Op. 8 no. 4 RV 297 I. Allegro non molto 3:09
18 II. Largo 1:42
19 III. Allegro 3:01
20 Concerto pour violon RV 390 I. Andante molto 1:00
21 II. Allegro non molto 5:12
22 III. Larghetto 2:28
23 IV. Allegro 3:55

Musicians:

Amandine Beyer (violon solo & direction)
Alba Roca (violon)
Flavio Losco (violon)
Berangere Maillard (violon)
Marta Paramo (alto)
Marco Ceccato (violoncelle)
Baldomero Barciela (violone)
Francesco Romano (theorbe & guitarre baroque)
Anna Fontana (clavecin & orgue)

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———- Post added at 03:26 AM ———- Previous post was at 03:26 AM ———-

[/COLOR]We do get the Four Seasons but excellently performed and I would stick my neck out and say I have never heard one that satisfied me better. Michael Talbot – BBC3 radio Cd review with Andrew Mac Gregor The first of two new CDs of Vivaldi’s most famous creation With so many discs of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons already available, why the need for another? According to violinist Amandine Beyer, who performs here with the ensemble Gli Incogniti, ‘It was the work’s nature as a visionary masterpiece that prompted us to contemplate "yet another" recording, since music of such magnificence still permits entirely new interpretations’. This CD also includes a previously unknown Vivaldi concerto, which has been specially edited for this world premiere recording. Classic FM website.

There are several interesting aspects to these performances : the first is a determination to take the programme of each concerto seriously, and make the most of Vivaldi’s effects…. the storm in the final movement of Summer has incredible energy and the icicles in Winter are truly freezing… then there is the number of players used, just one to a part, but there isn’t any loss of sonority : that’s due to the vibrancy of the playing as well as the generous church acoustic. Finally, there is considerable rhythmic freedom in the improvisatory style of the performances… this gives the music an inner life which is extremely attractive, helped by imaginative continuo playing… Martin Cotton – BBC Music Magazine August 2008

Gli incogniti and Amandine Beyer bring a fresh approach to Vivaldi’s masterpiece. But what impressed me most were the two world-premiere recordings on the album, in particular the concerto for two violins which surprisingly has never been recorded before. Nick Bailey – Classic FM Amandine Beyer, die 2001 im Turiner Vivaldi-Wettbewerb triumphierte, zeichnet eine fulminante Version der "Vier Jahreszeiten", spielt aussederm Konzerte, die noch nie aufgenommen wurden – un legt in profunder Kenntnis der historischen venezianischen Praxis kompromisslos Feuer : grandios ! S�chsische Zeitung Dresden – Freitag 24 october 2008