The Four Seasons (Italian: Le quattro stagioni) is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1723, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces of Baroque music. The texture of each concerto is varied, resembling its respective season. For example, "Winter" is peppered with silvery staccato notes from the high strings, calling to mind icy rain, whereas "Summer" evokes a thunderstorm in its final movement. The first recording of it is a matter of some dispute.
The concertos were first published in 1725 as part of a set of twelve, Vivaldi's Op. 8, entitled Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione (The Contest between Harmony and Invention). The first four concertos were designated Le quattro stagioni, each being named after a season. Each one is in three movements, with a slow movement between two faster ones. At the time of writing the Four Seasons, the modern solo form of the concerto had not yet been defined (typically a solo instrument and accompanying orchestra). Vivaldi's original arrangement for solo violin with string quartet and basso continuo helped to define the form.
Press Reviews for I MUSICI
"Consistently stylish champion of modern instrument Baroque performances for the last 40 years, the Italian string players of I MUSICI brought their individual brand of music-making to Orchestra Hall"--Chicago Tribune
"I MUSICI are ever since a model for all similar groups. They play without a conductor and each member is a soloist - It means that every performance they give is a true expression spontaneous and meticulously polished of the talent of 12 artists - In every style they bring the essential impulse of life - The result is playng of verve, stylistic purity and impeccable artistry - One is constantly impressed by their ability to achieve the full sonority of a string orchestra without sacrificing the clarity and the utter precision of a string quartet - I MUSICI achieve the most delicate nuances of shading, of balance, of phrasing - Never does the rhythmic impulse falter, never is a note out of place."--Robert Sherman, New York Times
"I MUSICI, nowadays, still represent one of the best examples of the italian instrumental civilization."--Verniero Rizzardi, Nuovo Di Venezia
"The brilliant ensemble and subtly handled dynamics of this renowned group, which has defined the art of string-playing for more than 50 years."--Rocky Mountain News
"The inimitable sound of those ancient instruments — impossibly suave and golden — in hands that are infallibly precise yet free and spontaneous gave the music a special luminosity. I've heard these works many times, but never with such zest, freshness and buoyancy."--The Reading Eagle
"I MUSICI earns standing ovations with powerful playing."--The Cincinnati
Edited by Zhang Xinjie
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