The Four Seasons violin concertos of Vivaldi and the Cuatros Estaciones Porteñas (Buenos Aires Four Seasons) -- "Porteños" are residents of Buenos Aires -- have been paired several times in the past. The pairing seems natural enough, and it has worked well, for example in the classic recordings of Gidon Kremer. When examined closely, however, the idea tends to break down. Piazzolla's Four Seasons were not a set; they were written at different times and have different flavors and structures. This version by Argentine ...
Read More
The Four Seasons violin concertos of Vivaldi and the Cuatros Estaciones Porteñas (Buenos Aires Four Seasons) -- "Porteños" are residents of Buenos Aires -- have been paired several times in the past. The pairing seems natural enough, and it has worked well, for example in the classic recordings of Gidon Kremer. When examined closely, however, the idea tends to break down. Piazzolla's Four Seasons were not a set; they were written at different times and have different flavors and structures. This version by Argentine violinist Andrés Gabetta and his Cappella Gabetta chamber orchestra, with bandoneón player Mario Stefano Pietrodarchi, has the virtue of diverging from the others and drawing the lines of connection a bit more clearly. Arranger Roberto Molinelli retains the bandoneón in the Piazzolla pieces but adds a violin and rewrites the ensemble parts for string orchestra. Then everything is taken at high velocity: sample one of the Vivaldi fast movements, perhaps the first movement of the "Summer" concerto, to see if you're comfortable with the speeds. This is not the languid, midnight Piazzolla but an approach that emphasizes the angular jazzy rhythms in the music. And the same is done with Vivaldi, minus the jazz. Your mileage (kilometers?) may vary with this approach, but even those who don't buy it will find that the best is saved for last: an original composition by Molinelli that merges Piazzolla and Vivaldi ingeniously. Recommended. ~ James Manheim, Rovi
Read Less
Add this copy of Tango Seasons to cart. $18.33, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2019 by Sony Music Classical.
Add this copy of Tango Seasons to cart. $18.56, new condition, Sold by Speedyhen rated 1.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hialeah, FL, UNITED STATES, published by Sony Classical.