Antonio VIVALDI (1678-1741)
The Four Seasons (1725)
Concerto No 1 in E major, ‘Spring’, Op 8/1, RV269 [9:10]
Concerto No 2 in G minor, ‘Summer’, Op 8/2, RV315 [9:52]
Concerto No 3 in F major, ‘Autumn’, Op 8/3, RV293 [10:56]
Concerto No 4 in F minor, ‘Winter’, Op 8/4, RV297 [8:49]
Victoria Sayles (violin)
The Piccadilly Sinfonietta
rec. October 2021, St George’s Headstone, Harrow, UK
SLEEVELESS RECORDS SLV1032 [38:51]
Less than a year ago, UK independent radio station, Classic FM, published its list of ‘The fifteen most famous tunes in classical music’, where Vivaldi’s Four Seasons took sixth place. Many might dispute the validity of such a survey, but it would, I feel, be fair to say that Vivaldi’s work is probably up there somewhere in Classic FM’s popularity stakes.
The Piccadilly Sinfonietta, we are informed in the otherwise sparse CD notes, was formed in 2017, and has given over eighty concerts a year since then, under the artistic direction of its founder, pianist Warren Mailley-Smith. The ensemble has performed Vivaldi’s Four Seasons many times already, and with over twenty different soloists, so it was decided that it should showcase their debut recording, on the Sleeveless Records label. It was most fortuitous, they felt, that the soloist on this occasion, should be British violinist, and currently associate leader of London Mozart Players, Victoria Sayles.
Of course, choosing such a well-known work for a debut recording, and not even coupling it with any other work might be considered somewhat risky. Out of interest, I checked the number of available recordings, and there are currently some 310 versions, both in baroque and modern-day formats, as well as one for electric violin by Nigel Kennedy. Given this new recording comprises just the Four Seasons, and the accompanying documentation is sparse, to say the least, it will have to sink or swim solely on the merits of the individual interpretation and players’ performances, always assuming the recording itself is up to par.
There can be few listeners who have never heard of Vivaldi’s best-known work, and will know that it is a set of four solo violin concertos from the Baroque period, each of which gives musical expression to a season of the year. These were composed around 1718−1720, when the composer was the court chapel-master in Mantua, and were published in 1725 in Amsterdam, together with eight additional concerti, as Il cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione – ‘The Contest Between Harmony and Invention’. Though three of the concerti are wholly original, the first, ‘Spring’, borrows patterns from a sinfonia in the first act of Vivaldi's contemporaneous opera Il Giustino.
The Four Seasons were a revolution in musical conception, where the composer represented flowing creeks, singing birds (of different species, each specifically characterized), a shepherd and his barking dog, buzzing flies, storms, drunken dancers, hunting parties from both the hunters' and the prey's point of view, frozen landscapes, and warm winter fires. Unusual for the period, Vivaldi published the concerti with accompanying sonnets (possibly written by the composer himself), that elucidated what it was in the spirit of each season, that the music was intended to evoke. The concerti therefore stand as one of the earliest and most detailed examples of what would later be known as ‘programme music’ – music with a narrative element. He took great pains to relate his music to the texts of the poems, translating the poetic lines themselves directly into the music on the page. This can be heard, for example, in the middle section of ‘Spring’, where, while the goatherd sleeps, his barking dog can be ‘heard’ coming from the violas. Vivaldi divided each concerto into three movements (fast–slow–fast), and, likewise, each linked sonnet into three sections.
The Piccadilly Sinfonietta is a chamber ensemble of some eight players. If you are looking for a performance played on contemporary instruments, then this won’t really fit the bill, However, in terms of contemporary playing-practices, both soloist and ensemble have managed to come up with something that feels totally appropriate for 1720, but equally relevant some 500 years later. In terms of resources, it exudes all the intimate attributes of chamber music, but at many points in the performance, you really do need to pinch yourself to remind you that, while the performance can often sound decidedly symphonic, this is still essentially chamber music. The players’ finely-honed sense of dynamics and the venue’s excellent acoustic, are largely responsible for creating this impressive illusion.
Given that the booklet isn’t very informative at all, I’ve decided to fill in some of the missing information. This isn’t a ‘period’ performance, but this is always a matter of personal preference. In fact there is still some evidence here of Baroque performance practices, both from the ensemble, and particularly from Miss Sayles, in terms of ornamentation. Hers is more understated and subtle, rather than over-cooked and fussy – an adornment, rather than accretion, surely its original rationale.
‘Spring’ (Allegro) opens in brisk, workman-like fashion, where one of the first things to notice is the inspired use of articulation within the ensemble, giving variety and textural clarity. The solo violinist proves highly adept, early on, in the effective depiction of ‘chirruping’ birds, while the first crack of thunder, by way of rapid string tremolandos, is a truly electrifying experience of almost symphonic proportions. The soloist produces just the right amount of bow-pressure and tone to allow the restful melody of the Largo e pianissimo sempre to stand out in relief over the somewhat-reduced texture, where the loudly-emphasised notes of the violas – here supplying the bassline of the ensemble – are supposed to represent a dog barking, mentioned earlier, while his goat-herding master is asleep. The well-known pastoral finale (Allegro) poses no challenge whatsoever to the soloist, whose consummate technique and precise articulation, especially where the frequent double-stoppings occur, are absolutely second to none, and a sheer joy to listen to.
In terms of familiarity, the opening movement of ‘Summer’ (Allegro con molto) must rank pretty highly. It opens in 3/8 time, suggesting ‘tiredness from the heat’, before being interrupted by a most vigorous 4/4, dominated by the soloist’s repeated notes. You can hear the cuckoo’s call in the downward phrases from the solo cello, before the opening strain returns. At this point, ‘gentle breezes’ are whipped up into a sudden storm, which prompts the solo violin to ‘complain’, here in the guise of a shepherd. Once again, if you ever needed further convincing of Miss Sayles’s immense technical prowess, this movement is a perfect example. The ensuing Adagio is particularly effective as the solo violin delivers its plaintive melody with exactly the right amount of vibrato – with the occasional peal of thunder providing an extra frisson or two along the way. By the start of the finale (Presto), the summer storm is in full rip, which manifests itself in an instrumental tour de force, not just for the soloist, but for the other players, too. The result is a movement of astonishing precision and ensemble, which absolutely thrills from the very first note to the last.
The opening of ‘Autumn’ (Allegro) is all about villagers’ harvest celebrations, where we can even hear a reveller who’d had too much to drink, depicted by a descent from the solo violin’s top register. In the ensuing Adagio, which represents ‘sleep after revelry – or, as the score so nicely puts it, ubriachi dormienti – ‘sleeping drunkards’, the strings are muted throughout, and there is no independent soloist part. Forward movement is essentially created from the harpsichord continuo, who elaborates the prevailing harmonies with quavers, or eighth-notes. Stock suggestions are often shown in the score, but, in the true spirit of the period, an individual and unique realization of each chord, such as here, really does enhance the magical effect of this slow movement. The Allegro finale is well known for its ‘hunt’ connotation, with frequent implied horn-calls, and rapid runs as the prey tries to escape, albeit in vain. Listen out for something rather unusual just after the two-minute mark – it caught me off-guard the first time, but I’ll say no more.
‘Winter’ opens with an Allegro non molto which features many instances of rapid note-repetitions, said to suggest ‘shivering, the stamping of feet and chattering of teeth’. There is already a decided chill about Vivaldi’s opening harmonies, but the players add even more to the effect by seemingly tossing little snippets of thematic material from one to another, which seems to emphasize the somewhat structurally-fragmented nature of ice itself. Particularly impressive is the way each successive crescendo peaks at exactly the right dynamic, maintaining seamless continuity throughout. The soloist’s palpable excitement here, as well as her superb technical command, both permeate and invigorate the ensemble as a whole. True it’s a pretty familiar number, by I really did enjoy this most discerning of performances.
In the Largo, Vivaldi’s use of his resources is both minimal, yet very effective. There’s the gently-falling rain, which he creates by his use of continuous pizzicato semiquavers (sixteenth-notes) from the violins, over a sustained counter-melody from the viola, and all supported by repeated quavers (eighth-note) in the bass. Of course, it is the unpretentiously charming, and immediately recognisable melody from the soloist – ‘of fireside repose’, according to the score – that has made this movement so very popular. The rhythmic subdivisions imbue it with an almost metronomic feel, where the challenge is for the soloist to play expressively, yet always with an ‘eye on the clock’. Needless to say, Miss Sayles’s musical ‘leger de main’ here manages to accommodate both demands to great effect.
From the warmth of the fireside, the finale (Allegro) takes us back outdoors, as the villagers attempt to get about on the ice, though not without some slips and falls in the process. However, if conditions did seem to be settling down, then the ever-scurrying soloist is once more kept totally occupied with all manner of rapid and intricate figurations, signifying the blustery winds that have sprung up again. Needless to say, the players continue to extract every ounce of excitement and emotion from Vivaldi’s masterpiece, as it moves towards its exhilarating dénouement
I was looking through my own CD collection, and was surprised to find that I didn’t actually own a CD recording of the work. Despite the CD’s evident short measure, unfortunately exacerbated by their chosen tempi being so well-paced, neither too fast nor too slow – and the fact that it comes with very little by way of a booklet, this will definitely now be my personal ‘go-to’ recording of the work, without even factoring in the first-rate recording process that has captured every aspect of the performance with such opulent fidelity.
As I said earlier, with all these boxes ticked, given time it could very easily emerge as one of the strongest ‘swimmers’ in a decidedly crowded pool of different versions.
Philip R Buttall
Review by Ralph Moore:http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2022/Apr/Vivaldi-seasons-SLV1032.htm
