Track Listing

1. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 "Spring": Allegro
2. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 "Spring": Largo
3. Concerto No. 1 in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 "Spring": Allegro
4. Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": Allegro non molto
5. Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": Adagio
6. Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 "Summer": Presto
7. Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 "Autumn": Allegro
8. Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 "Autumn": Adagio molto
9. Concerto No. 3 in F Major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 "Autumn": Allegro
10. Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 "Winter": Allegro non molto
11. Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 "Winter": Largo
12. Concerto No. 4 in F minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 "Winter": Allegro

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3955 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

The definitive Four Seasons performance
Sitting here, listening to the Four Seasons performance played by Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern and the Israel Philharmonic, I've realized how important a musician is in the performance of a piece of music. While the Perlman/Stern/Zukerman/Mintz performance is wonderful to listen to, it lacks a certain something (and not to mention the horribly loud applause that interrupts the mood of the piece).

All is better in Joseph Silverstein's rendition of the piece. I remember purchasing this version on tape a few years back, and was still amazed at the beauty. Now on CD, it sounds even better. Silverstein is a master, and he rightfully plays the piece straight out. It's rather difficult to listen to any other performance of the Four Seasons after Silverstein and the Boston Symphony have played it. All in all, I'd say it is not just one of the best Four Seasons performances ever recorded... it is one of the best recorded performances of any classical piece in history. You will not be disappointed.

Stunning, beautiful recording
This is one of the first CD's I ever bought in the early 80's (my CD jacket says it was released in 1982) and I still play it constantly. Back then, I had learned to always look for the classical recordings by the Telarc label because their recording techniques were far above any other labels. I still believe that. This disk still has to be one of the best recordings of this piece ever. The accoustics are perfect and while I don't pretend to be an expert on evaluating classical music, I find the playing by the Boston Symphony ensemble breathtaking. It's just too bad this CD is buried in a huge pile of other Vivaldi recordings of the Four Seasons. It should be at the top of the stack for more visibility.

A Technical Masterpiece
I'm certainly not a music critic, so I'll simply say that this performance is the most disciplined yet passionate I've ever heard. What particularly impresses me is the engineering. The clarity and balance is incredibile. In other recordings I've heard, the harpsicord sounds like it's buried under a quilt. Here it is perfectly articulated. The bass is full yet never boomy and the strings are crisp but never raspy. It doesn't get any better than this.