Vivaldi: Four Seasons/Concerti

On this CD:

1. Violin Concerto ("La Primavera", The Four Seasons) for violin, strings & continuo in E ("Il cimento" No. 1), Op.8/1, RV 269
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Baroque Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Alberto Lizzio

2. Violin Concerto ("L'estate", The Four Seasons) for violin, strings & continuo in G minor, Op. 8/2, RV 315
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Baroque Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Alberto Lizzio

3. Violin Concerto ("L'autunno", The Four Seasons), for violin, strings & continuo in F major ("Il cimento" No. 3), Op.8/3, RV 293
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Baroque Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Alberto Lizzio

4. Violin Concerto ("L'inverno", The Four Seasons), for violin, strings & continuo in F minor ("Il cimento" No. 4) Op. 8/4, RV 297
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by Baroque Festival Orchestra
Conducted by Alberto Lizzio

5. Double Violin Concerto, for 2 violins, strings & continuo in A minor (L'estro armonico No. 8), Op. 3/8, RV 522
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi

6. Sinfonia, for strings & continuo in G major, RV 149
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi

7. Concerto, for 4 violins, cello, strings & continuo in B Minor (L'estro armonico No. 10) Op. 3/10, RV 580
Composed by Antonio Vivaldi

Vivaldi: Four Seasons/Concerti, Music, Antonio Vivaldi, Alberto Lizzio, Baroque Festival Orchestra, Baroque Sinfonia for Orchestra, Classical, Concerto, Concerto for Two String Instruments, Orchestral & Symphonic, Violin Concerto

Antonio Vivaldi: Concerti Op. 8
Average customer rating:

classic performances

Pina Carmirelli's Is The Best By I Musici If Not The Best Period

I-Musici + Vivaldi; wow!

Buena interpretación de I Musici

okay Four Seasons, the other concerti are not as good...

Antonio Vivaldi: Concerti Op. 8

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Vivaldi | Vivaldi, Antonio | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000416D
Release Date: 1993-10-12

Tracks:

Concerto No.1 In E, RV269 (Spring): I - Allegro
Concerto No.1 In E, RV269 (Spring): II - Largo
Concerto No.1 In E, RV269 (Spring): III - Allegro (Danza pastorale)
Concerto No.2 In G Minor, RV315 (Summer): I - Allegro non molto - Allegro
Concerto No.2 In G Minor, RV315 (Summer): II - Adagio - Presto - Adagio
Concerto No.2 In G Minor, RV315 (Summer): III - Presto (Tempo impetuoso d'estate)
Concerto No.3 In F, RV293 (Autumn): I - Allegro (Ballo, e canto de' villanelli)
Concerto No.3 In F, RV293 (Autumn): II - Adagio molto (Ubriachi dormienti)
Concerto No.3 In F, RV293 (Autumn): III - Allegro (La caccia)
Concerto No.4 In F Minor, RV297 (Winter): I - Allegro non molto
Concerto No.4 In F Minor, RV297 (Winter): II - Largo
Concerto No.4 In F Minor, RV297 (Winter): III - Allegro
Concerto No.5 In E Flat, RV253 (The Sea Storm): I - Allegro
Concerto No.5 In E Flat, RV253 (The Sea Storm): II - Largo
Concerto No.5 In E Flat, RV253 (The Sea Storm): III - Allegro
Concerto No.6 In C, RV180 (Pleasure): I - Allegro
Concerto No.6 In C, RV180 (Pleasure): II - Largo
Concerto No.6 In C, RV180 (Pleasure): III - Allegro

Tracks:

Concerto No. 7 in D Minor, RV 242: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 7 in D Minor, RV 242: II - Largo
Concerto No. 7 in D Minor, RV 242: III - Allegro
Concerto No. 8 in G Minor, RV 332: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 8 in G Minor, RV 332: II - Largo
Concerto No. 8 in G Minor, RV 332: III - Allegro
Concerto No. 9 in D Minor, RV 236: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 9 in D Minor, RV 236: II - Largo
Concerto No. 9 in D Minor, RV 236: III - Allegro
Concerto No. 10 In B Flat, RV 362 'La caccia': I - Allegro
Concerto No. 10 In B Flat, RV 362 'La caccia': II - Adagio
Concerto No. 10 In B Flat, RV 362 'La caccia': III - Allegro
Concerto No. 11 in D, RV 210: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 11 in D, RV 210: II - Largo
Concerto No. 11 in D, RV 210: III - Allegro
Concerto No. 12 in C, RV 178: I - Allegro
Concerto No. 12 in C, RV 178: II - Largo
Concerto No. 12 in C, RV 178: III - Allegro

Amazon.com

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is actually part of a larger group of works, the Twelve Violin Concertos, op. 8. This set, in turn, has an additional subtitle: "The Contest Between Invention and Harmony"; not that anyone is quite sure what this means. Aside from The Four Seasons there are several other works with subtitles, including "Storm at Sea," "The Hunt" and "Rapture." It's only natural that when you've composed some 600 concertos for various instruments, the ones with the catchy names will become the most popular. But the others are no less fine, and if your interest in Vivaldi goes beyond the "Big Four," then you might want to check out this excellent set. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

classic performances.......2007-07-10

"The Four Seasons" naturally tend to overshadow the other eight concertos of Vivaldi's op. 8, of which Spring, Summer, Autumn, & Winter are merely a part. That these four concertos form a suite of their own adds to the relative neglect of the other concertos; but, the other eight concertos are full of great music, even if they aren't as brilliantly conceived as their famous relatives. But what other music did Vivaldi write that can live up to the reputation of "The Four Seasons"?

For several decades beginning in the 1950's I Musici was the leading ensemble specializing in Italian Baroque music, & these performances were standard-setting in their time. They still hold up exceptionally well even though approaches to early music, driven by the period instrument revolution, have changed somewhat since then.

Perhaps the simplest way to define the differences between I Musici & more contemporary ensembles is that I Musici's approach, while spirited & completely authentic, is also refined & elegant without being extravagent, whereas more modern groups often sound scaled down & a little more earthy. Both definitely have their merits, although I find myself attracted more to I Musici's grandeur & sweep.

The stereo sound here is acceptable. The first four concerti ("The Four Seasons") date from 1959 & appear to have been recorded in a bigger hall than the other eight, which were recorded in 1961.

If you are looking for a classic set of op. 8, then I Musici is the way to go. If you looking only for "The Four Seasons," expand your horizons & buy this set.

Pina Carmirelli's Is The Best By I Musici If Not The Best Period.......2005-10-20

Although I Musici is certainly one of the best chamber groups in the world for Baroque music if not the best as claimed by Toscanini, there is also a standard of excellence for the violin soloists in I Musici itself over the past 50 years and Felix Ayo is simply not a top contender. Ayo is decent for the concerti but the crucial 'Four Seasons' is very average by the standards of I Musici itself. Although I find Ayo's interpretation better than Michelucci's with I Musici, this performance of 'The Four Seasons' itself is not I Musici's best for this piece by a long shot. I have not heard one rendition anywhere whether chamber or symphonic that even compares to the absolutely brilliant 1982 performance by I Musici and Pina Carmirelli. It is truly the clearest and most passionate performance available to date. Carmirelli's proficiency for this piece completely surpasses Ayo's rather safe and monotone interpretation. Michelucci's is even worse. With a steady but constant pace, Carmirelli swings the bow and soars the scales with impeccable clarity and proficiency: there is simply not one hesitation or moment of faltering in transitions. It is simply a breathtakingly divine performance that surpasses Ayo's rather cautious performance.

For those who are debating other options, don't be deceived into buying other performances even if they have skilled violinists such as Perlman or Zuckerman. The latter are specialized in the German Romantic and Klezmer traditions of violin and so tend to perform better with Northern European composers from the Romantic period such as Brahms or Wienawski but not with Italian ones generally and Italian Baroque violin pieces least of all! As for performances by great conductors and symphonies such as Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic or Solti and the Chicago/London Symphonies, the orchestral ensembles they use are generally too large for chamber pieces and most of the instruments used are modern. They are also recorded in too large of spaces so the performances sound like Beethoven's 9th instead of a chamber lyrical piece. There are other groups and recordings that are more faithful to Baroque techniques and traditional interpretations but their performances tend to suffer in their lyrical aspects and recording quality. The artists in such chamber groups generally come from academic backgrounds in traditional techniques and instruments instead of professional circles and so are more focused on applying the techniques instead of evoking from them the lyrical mood required by the piece. This results in clumsy and lifeless performances where each musician is so painfully struggling to apply the correct technique to their individual instrument that the entire piece comes out sounding as a cacophony instead of a symphony. Vivaldi was an innovative and demanding composer and this piece is one of the most difficult pieces to perform in the repertoire of music for the solo violin. I Musici have been world acclaimed leaders in performing Italian Baroque for over 50 years and have performed with many of the best musicians in this field. They emphasize more on a passionate Italian Romantic interpretation in its performances instead of a rigid Baroque one but reach a good balance with tradition by performing in the Italian style almost exclusively on Stradivarius instruments and within the size of a small Baroque chamber orchestra. The Stradivarius is the gem of traditional string instruments and really an instrument in and of itself that no other period instrument can even compare to. There are also really no chamber groups in existence that perform on so many Stradivari at once as they are simply too rare and even many professionals simply lack sufficient talent to play one proficiently.

Ayo's performance is not the worst in terms of I Musici but it is definitely not the best the group ever performed. He actually does quite well in the remaining concerti. It is simply not a good performance of 'The Four Seasons' which is the most technically demanding and where Ayo starts to slip. It is still better than most of those by your typical chamber groups out there however. The best for I Musici if not across the board is its 1982 performance with Pina Carmirelli. Carmirelli's performance is extremely hard to find these days and sometimes ridiculously expensive so a close match by a comparable Italian chamber group is Salvatore Acardo's Stradivarius performance with I Solisti delle Settimane Musicali di Napoli which is available in abundance here on Amazon. Accardo himself had already played several times with I Musici before making his legendary performance with Il Solisti and had cultivated his talent to mastery. That peformance is the only close contender I can think of that comes even close to Carmirelli's passionate and legendary performance. Unless you are interested purely in symphonic interpretations, I would stick to either Carmirelli's performance or Accardo's as an alternative because the quality of their performances is exponentially superior to everyone elses' without question.

I-Musici + Vivaldi; wow!.......2000-07-17

Los doce conciertos Op.8 de Vivaldi son sin duda alguna una de las obras de "música clásica" más conocidas y más desconocidas al mismo tiempo. Son las más conocidas porque los primeros 4 conciertos son las célebres "cuatro estaciones", obra de referencia obligada incluso para quienes no gustan de este tipo de música; pero son desconocidas porque los 8 conciertos restantes han pasado desapercibidos para la enorme mayoría del público, a pesar de su gran belleza. I Musici durante mucho tiempo fue considerada una de las mejores orquestas de cámara del mundo, y si a ello añadimos que también era considerada como una de las mejores intérpretes de la obra de Vivaldi, entonces tenemos que en este disco combinamos lo mejor de ambas opiniones, para obtener una colección excepcional. Quizá la única crítica que se les podría hacer es que no utilizan "instrumentos originales" como se ha puesto de moda últimamente, pero su interpretación es tan brillante que fácilmente se les perdona eso y más. Quizá la calidad de grabación deje algo que desear (estas grabaciones fueron hechas alrededor de 1960, cuando la tecnología de almacenamiento de audio aún no estaba tan perfeccionada), pero por su precio y por la calidad de la interpretación bien vale la pena probar estos dos discos.

Buena interpretación de I Musici.......2000-06-16

I Musici durante mucho tiempo fue considerada una de las mejores orquestas de cámara del mundo, y si a ello añadimos que también era considerada como una de las mejores intérpretes de la obra de Vivaldi, entonces tenemos que en este disco combinamos lo mejor de ambas opiniones, para obtener una colección excepcional. Quizá la única crítica que se les podría hacer es que no utilizan "instrumentos originales" como se ha puesto de moda últimamente, pero su interpretación es tan brillante que fácilmente se les perdona eso y más. Quizá la calidad de grabación deje algo que desear (estas grabaciones fueron hechas alrededor de 1960, cuando la tecnología de almacenamiento de audio aún no estaba tan perfeccionada), pero por su precio y por la calidad de la interpretación bien vale la pena probar estos dos discos.

okay Four Seasons, the other concerti are not as good..........2000-06-01

An overall great recording, but the Four Seasons here could be a little more energetic, but that is a matter of taste. This recording sounds just a little too slow. The other concertos are not nearly as satisfying as the big four, but the ones in minor keys are pretty good. I usually listen to the Four Seasons on other recordings and come to these CD's for No.6, No.7, No.8, and No. 10, the rest not being as interesting in my humble opinion. Of course, virtuosity and showmanship permeate all of these violin concertos. The recordings were made in 1959 and 1961, but the sound quality is relatively excellent, with great balance between solo violin, harpsichord, and orchestra. The liner notes are informative and sincerely point out that not all of Vivaldi's concertos are of equal interest, with a few hints as to which ones are considered outstanding. Whatever you do, please consider a period instrument recording of the Four Seasons too so that you hear the real Baroque sound as well as more modern interpretations, both approaches are beautiful, thanks to Vivaldi's creativity.

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Vivaldi: The Four Seasons & Concerti

Manufacturer: EMI Special Products
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005Y8ND
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Tracks:

I: Allegro - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
II: Largo - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
III: Allegro - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
I: Allegro - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
II: Adagio - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
III: Presto - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
I: Allegro - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
II: Adagio Molto - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
III: Allegro - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
I: Allegro Non Molto - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
II: Largo - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
III: Allegro - Sir Yehudi Menuhin
I: Allegro - Adagio Spiccato E Tutti - Allegro - Alberto Lysy
II: Largo E Spiccato - Alberto Lysy
III: Allegro - Alberto Lysy
I: Allegro - Alberto Lysy
II: Largo - Alberto Lysy
III: Allegro - Alberto Lysy
I: Allegro - Alberto Lysy
II: Largo E Spiccato - Alberto Lysy
III: Allegro - Alberto Lysy

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - 6 Concerti Op. 8

Average customer rating:

Pina Carmirelli's Is The Best By I Musici If Not The Best Period

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - 6 Concerti Op. 8

Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000412Y
Release Date: 1990-05-16

Customer Reviews:

Pina Carmirelli's Is The Best By I Musici If Not The Best Period.......2005-10-20

Although I Musici is certainly one of the best chamber groups in the world for Baroque music if not the best as claimed by Toscanini, there is also a standard of excellence for the violin soloists in I Musici itself over the past 50 years and Agostini is not the best but rather memorable in this performance. Agostini performs the concerti well here but the crucial 'Four Seasons' is somewhat above average by the standards of I Musici itself. Although I find this interpretation better than Ayo's and Michelucci's with I Musici, this performance of 'The Four Seasons' itself is not I Musici's best for this piece by a long shot. I have not heard one rendition anywhere whether chamber or symphonic that even compares to the absolutely brilliant 1982 performance by I Musici and Pina Carmirelli. It is truly the clearest and most passionate performance available to date. Carmirelli's proficiency for this piece completely surpasses Ayo's rather safe and monotone interpretation. Michelucci's is even worse. Agostini's however has a better graps than the preceding violinists but still can't compete with Carmirelli. With a steady but constant pace, Carmirelli swings the bow and soars the scales with impeccable clarity and proficiency: there is simply not one hesitation or moment of faltering in transitions. It is simply a breathtakingly divine performance.

For those who are debating other options, don't be deceived into buying other performances even if they have skilled violinists such as Perlman or Zuckerman. The latter are specialized in the German Romantic and Klezmer traditions of violin and so tend to perform better with Northern European composers from the Romantic period such as Brahms or Wienawski but not with Italian ones generally and Italian Baroque violin pieces least of all! As for performances by great conductors and symphonies such as Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic or Solti and the Chicago/London Symphonies, the orchestral ensembles they use are generally too large for chamber pieces and most of the instruments used are modern. They are also recorded in too large of spaces so the performances sound like Beethoven's 9th instead of a chamber lyrical piece. There are other groups and recordings that are more faithful to Baroque techniques and traditional interpretations but their performances tend to suffer in their lyrical aspects and recording quality. The artists in such chamber groups generally come from academic backgrounds in traditional techniques and instruments instead of professional circles and so are more focused on applying the techniques instead of evoking from them the lyrical mood required by the piece. This results in clumsy and lifeless performances where each musician is so painfully struggling to apply the correct technique to their individual instrument that the entire piece comes out sounding as a cacophony instead of a symphony. Vivaldi was an innovative and demanding composer and this piece is one of the most difficult pieces to perform in the repertoire of music for the solo violin. I Musici have been world acclaimed leaders in performing Italian Baroque for over 50 years and have performed with many of the best musicians in this field. They emphasize more on a passionate Italian Romantic interpretation in its performances instead of a rigid Baroque one but reach a good balance with tradition by performing in the Italian style almost exclusively on Stradivarius instruments and within the size of a small Baroque chamber orchestra. The Stradivarius is the gem of traditional string instruments and really an instrument in and of itself that no other period instrument can even compare to. There are also really no chamber groups in existence that perform on so many Stradivari at once as they are simply too rare and even many professionals simply lack sufficient talent to play one proficiently.

Agostini's performance is one of the better performances by I Musici but it is definitely not the best the group ever performed. He actually does better than Ayo or Michelucci in the remaining concerti. It is not a great performance specifically of 'The Four Seasons' which is the most technically demanding and where Agostini starts to slip. It is still better than most of those by your typical chamber groups out there however. The best for I Musici if not across the board is its 1982 performance with Pina Carmirelli. Carmirelli's performance is extremely hard to find these days and sometimes ridiculously expensive so a close match by a comparable Italian chamber group is Salvatore Acardo's Stradivarius performance with I Solisti delle Settimane Musicali di Napoli which is available in abundance here on Amazon. Accardo himself had already played several times with I Musici before making his legendary performance with Il Solisti and had cultivated his talent to mastery. That peformance is the only close contender I can think of that comes even close to Carmirelli's passionate and legendary performance. Unless you are interested purely in symphonic interpretations, I would stick to either Carmirelli's performance or Accardo's as an alternative because the quality of their performances is exponentially superior to everyone elses' without question.

Average customer rating:

Strange and embarrassing

Vivaldi: Four Seasons/Concerti/Sinfonia

Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000025A4H
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

La primavera RV269 Op. 8 No. 1: I Allegro
La primavera RV269 Op. 8 No. 1: II Largo e pianissimo sempre
La primavera RV269 Op. 8 No. 1: III Danza postorale: Allegro
L'estate RV315 Op. 8 No. 2: I Allegro non molto
L'estate RV315 Op. 8 No. 2: II Adagio
L'estate RV315 Op. 8 No. 2: III Presto: Tempo impetuoso d'estate
L'autunno RV293 Op. 8 No. 3: I Allegro
L'autunno RV293 Op. 8 No. 3: II Adagio molto: Ubriachi dormienti
L'autunno RV293 Op. 8 No. 3: III Allegro: La caccia
L'inverno RV297 Op. 8 No. 4: I Allegro non molto
L'inverno RV297 Op. 8 No. 4: II Largo
L'inverno RV297 Op. 8 No. 4: III Allegro
Concerto RV553 In B Flat Major: I Allegro
Concerto RV553 In B Flat Major: II Largo
Concerto RV553 In B Flat Major: III Allegro
Sinfonia RV146: I Allegro
Sinfonia RV146: II Andante
Sinfonia RV146: III Presto
Concerto alla rustica RV151: I Presto
Concerto alla rustica RV151: II Adagio
Concerto alla rustica RV151: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Strange and embarrassing.......2001-12-04

Listen to Spring mvmt 1. Who came up with the idea to use a heavy down beat at the end of the main melodic phrase? And the canaries singing is eccentric and utterly ineffective. Listen to Summer mvmt 1. My gosh was Alison Bury totally exhausted from a late night party when she made this recording?? Her playing is totally denergizing. Listen to winter mvmt 1. Although Holloway is very good, the orchestra fails to match his playing. The mvmt completely lacks suspense. Overall this recording is uncommitted and a waste of the 4 talented, well-known violinists.

Tracks:

The Four Seasons-Spring: Allegro
The Four Seasons-Spring: Largo E Pianissimo Sempre
The Four Seasons-Spring: Danza Pastorale (Allegro)
The Four Seasons-Summer: Allegro Non Molto
The Four Seasons-Summer: Adagio-Presto
The Four Seasons-Summer: Presto
The Four Seasons-Autumn: Allegro
The Four Seasons-Autumn: Adagio Molto
The Four Seasons-Autumn: Allegro
The Four Seasons-Winter: Allegro Non Molto
The Four Seasons-Winter: Largo
The Four Seasons-Winter: Allegro
Con in C, RV 443: Allegro - Jiri Stivin
Con in C, RV 443: Largo - Jiri Stivin
Con in C, RV 443: Allegro Molto - Jiri Stivin
Fl Con in D 'Il Cardellino', Op.10, No.3, RV 428: Allegro - Jiri Valek
Fl Con in D 'Il Cardellino', Op.10, No.3, RV 428: Cantabile - Jiri Valek
Fl Con in D 'Il Cardellino', Op.10, No.3, RV 428:Allegro - Jiri Valek
Con in C, RV 450: Allegro Molto - Stefan Schilli
Con in C, RV 450: Larghetto - Stefan Schilli
Con in C, RV 450: Allegro - Stefan Schilli

Celestial Christmas 3: A Special Collection of Seasonal Works

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Celestial Christmas 3: A Special Collection of Seasonal Works

Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

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General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

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Christmas Concerti

ASIN: B0000007X3
Release Date: 1992-11-03

Tracks:

Con Grosso Op.6 No.8 in g Christmas Con: Vivace-Grave
Con Grosso Op.6 No.8 in g Christmas Con: Allegro
Con Grosso Op.6 No.8 in g Christmas Con: Adagio-Allegro-Adagio
Con Grosso Op.6 No.8 in g Christmas Con: Vivace
Con Grosso Op.6 No.8 in g Christmas Con: Allegro
Con Grosso Op.6 No.8 in g Christmas Con: Pastorale
Sinf from Christmas Oratorio BWV 248
Con Grosso Op.3 No.12 in C Christmas Con: Largo
Con Grosso Op.3 No.12 in C Christmas Con: Largo
Con Grosso Op.3 No.12 in C Christmas Con: Allegro
Pastoral Symphony Pifa from The Messiah
Con Grosso Op.8 No.12 in d Christmas Con: Grave-Vivace
Con Grosso Op.8 No.12 in C Christmas Con: Largo
Con Grosso Op.8 No.12 in C Christmas Con: Vivace
Canon
Con Grosso Op.1 No.8 in f Christmas Con: Largo-Grave-Vivace
Con Grosso Op.1 No.8 in f Christmas Con: Grave
Con Grosso Op.1 No.8 in f Christmas Con: Largo-Andante
Con Grosso Op.1 No.8 in f Christmas Con: Andante
Con Grosso Op.1 No.8 in f Christmas Con: Pastorale
Winter from The Four Seasons Op.8 No.4: Allgro non molto
Winter from The Four Seasons Op.8 No.4: Largo
Winter from The Four Seasons Op.8 No.4: Allegro

Album Description

This special collection of seasonal works includes over an hour of the most moving and beautiful Christmas compositions of Europe's Baroque era. The instrumental music of Celestial Christmas 3 is a fabulous addition to any listener's compilation of Christmas recordings. Baroque instrumental music is distinguished by the all-pervasive basso continuo: an instrumental bass line played on a low melody instrument, with expressive harmonies created on keyboard, strings, or plucked instruments. Baroque music came to its pinnacle with the Italian and German composers of the seventeenth to mid-eighteenth centuries. Celestial Christmas 3 includes eight of those pre-eminent composers. Four Italian composers, Arcangelo Corelli, Francesco Maria Manfredini, Giuseppe Torelli and Pietro Locatelli, each provide a glorious Christmas Concerto. These are interspersed with three shorter pieces from German composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel and Johann Pachelbel. The spectacular montage comes to a grand conclusion with Antonio Vivaldi's stunning Winter from The Four Seasons. Each of the pieces is tremendously emotional; together, they are powerfully stirring. Even though the composers intended them as Christmas music, most listeners would not want to limit Celestial Christmas 3 to that season alone. Not only is the music itself gloriously gratifying, but the European orchestra and its conductor perform each piece with remarkable virtuosity.