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Classics Explained: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons

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Catalogue number8558028-29
Release date2001-07-16
Discs2

 
  • CD QUALITY | MP3
    File formats included in CD QUALITY | MP3
    • FLAC 16-bit Stereo
    • MP3 Stereo
$ 11.87
 
 
 
Disc 1
 
  Composer: Vivaldi, Antonio
  An Introduction to … VIVALDI: The 4 Seasons 118:43
01 Introduction: Opening, upward-pointing figure 01:33 $ 0.16 USD
02 Answering, downward figure completes the phrase 00:22 $ 0.04 USD
03 Beginning of dialogue 00:25 $ 0.04 USD
04 The nature of musical conversation; repetition; ' echo '
effect
01:26 $ 0.14 USD
05 Upward pointing to one ' target ' note 00:40 $ 0.07 USD
06 ' Answer ' points to two, downward notes 00:11 $ 0.02 USD
07 Same idea repeated 3 times 00:19 $ 0.03 USD
08 The first Solo section: birdsong from three soloists, not
one
01:53 $ 0.19 USD
09 Repeat of ' two-pronged ' theme in orchestra 00:22 $ 0.04 USD
10 Orchestra depicts murmuring stream, but still there's no
real melody
00:51 $ 0.09 USD
11 Further illustrative ' water studies ' 00:32 $ 0.05 USD
12 Orchestra erupts into thunderstorm 00:27 $ 0.05 USD
13 Orchestral thunder, virtuosic ' lightning ' from soloist -
but still no ' tune '
00:54 $ 0.09 USD
14 Soloistic ' birds ' return to the air 00:41 $ 0.07 USD
15 Variant of opening theme, with ' argument ' between two
notes, one high, one low
00:25 $ 0.04 USD
16 Cue to First Movement 00:20 $ 0.03 USD
17 First Movement (Complete) 03:29 $ 0.35 USD
18 Scene setting and Main Theme of Second Movement 01:56 $ 0.19 USD
19 Analytical comment and Main Theme again 00:57 $ 0.10 USD
20 Main Theme varied 00:41 $ 0.07 USD
21 Further variation, tracing slow, descending scale-steps 00:43 $ 0.07 USD
22 Analytical discussion of ' pace ' and ' tempo ' ; further
variant of main theme
02:51 $ 0.29 USD
23 Vivaldi springs a surprise, reversing direction and
heightening tension
00:44 $ 0.07 USD
24 Analytical cue to Second Movement 00:44 $ 0.07 USD
25 Second Movement (Complete) 02:35 $ 0.26 USD
26 Undercover ' bagpipes ' initiate the finale 01:05 $ 0.11 USD
27 Second part of Main Theme: new notes, same rhythm 00:18 $ 0.03 USD
28 An ' echo ' with a difference 00:23 $ 0.04 USD
29 Reminder of ' echoed ' phrase in its original form 00:12 $ 0.02 USD
30 Surprise variant provides springboard into new descending
four-note pattern
00:19 $ 0.03 USD
31 Unexpected, ' flowing ' entrance of soloist 00:36 $ 0.06 USD
32 The use of ' sequence ' in first extended solo 01:21 $ 0.14 USD
33 Vivaldi prepares expectation... 00:19 $ 0.03 USD
34 ... and frustrates it by bringing in a new theme, using his
four-note ' motto '
01:07 $ 0.11 USD
35 Violins accompanied by flowing ' commentary ' in lower
strings
00:34 $ 0.06 USD
36 Soloist returns with new variant 00:36 $ 0.06 USD
37 Pace slows as violins trace another four-note scalewise
descent
00:24 $ 0.04 USD
38 The peasants return with the main theme, which turns
unexpectedly downward
00:47 $ 0.08 USD
39 Intensification as harmonies change under broad, descending
four-note ' motto '
00:37 $ 0.06 USD
40 Mini-earthquake transformed into harmonic landslide 00:46 $ 0.08 USD
41 Critical mood-change in soloist's lonely soliloquy 00:42 $ 0.07 USD
42 Cue to restoration of main theme in its entirety as the
movement ends
00:22 $ 0.04 USD
43 Third Movement (complete) 04:15 $ 0.43 USD
44 Scene setting and opening of First Movement 00:34 $ 0.06 USD
45 Expanded groups of answering phrase 00:24 $ 0.04 USD
46 Upper and lower strings alternately succumb to lethargy 00:49 $ 0.08 USD
47 As in ' Spring ', soloist enters with birdsong 00:34 $ 0.06 USD
48 Orchestra hijacks soloist's material 00:40 $ 0.07 USD
49 Soloist returns,first as turtle-dove, then as goldfinch 00:50 $ 0.08 USD
50 Gentle breezes give away to North Wing 01:03 $ 0.11 USD
51 The storm subsides; soloist enters as weeping peasant boy 01:00 $ 0.10 USD
52 Movement ends as storm returns 00:17 $ 0.03 USD
53 First Movement (complete) 05:20 $ 0.53 USD
54 Second movement opens with extremecontrasts 01:34 $ 0.16 USD
55 Second Movement (complete) 02:28 $ 0.25 USD
56 Stormy Weather; thunder 00:37 $ 0.06 USD
57 Lightning from upper strings 00:22 $ 0.04 USD
58 More lightning: ' heat ' lightning from violins, ' fork '
lightning from violas
00:24 $ 0.04 USD
59 Torrential rain, depicted by entire orchestra 00:46 $ 0.08 USD
60 Deferred entry of solo violin, in virtuoso vein 00:54 $ 0.09 USD
61 Peasant's failing resolve as violin spirals down 00:21 $ 0.04 USD
62 Nature triumphant; soloist draws on orchestra's 'rain' music 01:35 $ 0.16 USD
63 The peasant's capitulation 00:23 $ 0.04 USD
64 Third Movement (complete) 03:03 $ 0.31 USD
 
 
Disc 2
01 Repetitiousness and folk music; the movement's opening 01:17 $ 0.13 USD
02 Secondary theme, a closely related development of the first 00:28 $ 0.05 USD
03 Solo entry restates the opening theme, ' double-stopping ' 01:05 $ 0.11 USD
04 Unexpectedly, a new theme where a repeat might be expected 00:36 $ 0.06 USD
05 The soloist as ' drunkard ' 00:45 $ 0.08 USD
06 Further violinistic slips and slides 00:15 $ 0.03 USD
07 Orchestra re-enters with main theme, but is interrupted by
the drunkard
00:18 $ 0.03 USD
08 Other drunks join in ' dialogue ' with the orchestra 01:01 $ 0.10 USD
09 The orchestral peasants continue their dancing, but things
have changed
00:57 $ 0.10 USD
10 Enter another drunk, courtesy of the virtuoso soloist 00:40 $ 0.07 USD
11 The dance breaks up 00:38 $ 0.06 USD
12 The drunkard interrupts again, then falls asleep, breathing
heavily
00:56 $ 0.09 USD
13 Conversation amongst the sober peasants leads to their final
dance
00:24 $ 0.04 USD
14 First Movement (complete) 04:46 $ 0.48 USD
15 Scene-setting for Second Movement 01:08 $ 0.11 USD
16 Second Movement (complete) 02:45 $ 0.28 USD
17 Similarities between the Third Movement and the First 01:06 $ 0.11 USD
18 Expectation and surprise: Vivaldi tacks on one bar too many 00:27 $ 0.05 USD
19 A case of predictable unpredictablity: novelty and
repetition
00:36 $ 0.06 USD
20 Soloist's double-stopping depicts hunting horns 00:34 $ 0.06 USD
21 Orchestra yields to unexpected display of virtuosity by
soloist
00:38 $ 0.06 USD
22 Soloist suddenly takes the part of the fleeing beast 00:25 $ 0.04 USD
23 Symmetrical paralels with First Movement: ' beast ' / '
drunkard ' etc
00:47 $ 0.08 USD
24 Death of the quarry, end of the movement 00:17 $ 0.03 USD
25 Third Movement (complete) 03:13 $ 0.32 USD
26 Orchestral strings enter, part by part; soloist depicts the
biting wind
01:24 $ 0.14 USD
27 Wind subsides and returns, tormenting the trudgers through
the snow
00:53 $ 0.09 USD
28 Soloist depicts snow flurries 00:27 $ 0.05 USD
29 Soloist's flurries interrupted by six blasts of orchestral
wind
00:32 $ 0.05 USD
30 Teeth chattering, and with stamping feet, the travellers
finally reach their goal
01:54 $ 0.19 USD
31 Cue to First Movement as a whole 00:11 $ 0.02 USD
32 First Movement (complete) 03:24 $ 0.34 USD
33 Soloist's ' aria ' accompanied by pizzicato ' raindrops ' 00:37 $ 0.06 USD
34 A sequence of simple scales, accompanied by opening rhythm 00:33 $ 0.06 USD
35 Two scalewise ideas for the price of one: foreground and
background
00:52 $ 0.09 USD
36 New, rising scale-pattern unfurled with ever-greater breadth 00:36 $ 0.06 USD
37 The pace increases eight-fold in concluding downwards scale 00:36 $ 0.06 USD
38 Against an unvarying tempo, the pace is repeatedly varied 01:03 $ 0.11 USD
39 Foreground / Background 00:34 $ 0.06 USD
40 Detailed discussion of foreground / background perceptions;
analogies with speech
02:14 $ 0.22 USD
41 Second Movement (complete) 02:19 $ 0.23 USD
42 Scene-setting; soloist begins for the first time 00:47 $ 0.08 USD
43 Soloist rises progressively, in sequence, decoratively
outling chord of the home key
00:26 $ 0.04 USD
44 First orchestral section; ace is halved; the undermining
onset of chromaticism
00:47 $ 0.08 USD
45 The walkers lose their balance and stylishly fall down 00:22 $ 0.04 USD
46 Soloist returns as the original solitary walker and strides
away from the others
00:23 $ 0.04 USD
47 One tempo, two rates of speed: fast for the soloist, slow
for the orchestra
01:51 $ 0.19 USD
48 Orchestra evokes the warm winds of the Sirocco 00:36 $ 0.06 USD
49 Answering blast from the Borea, the could wind of the north;
struggle for supremacy
01:07 $ 0.11 USD
50 Cue to final movement 00:23 $ 0.04 USD
51 Third Movement (complete) 03:08 $ 0.31 USD
 
  Album total 118:43
ComposerVivaldi, Antonio
ReaderSiepmann, Jeremy
ProducerSoames, Nicolas

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