Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca / Giuliano Carmignola ANTONIO VIVALDI Le Quattro Stagioni

The fall Schwann catalog lists 77 different versions of Vivaldi's Four Seasons Concertos. There are probably an equal number no longer available for this super warhorse. Against such tremendous odds, Divox has issued a new version in their new Antiqua series by Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca, featuring solo violinist Giuliano Carmignola which sweeps the field. I've no idea how that's possible, but it's happened with this ultra-stylish, superbly virtuoso and magnificently recorded release. Besides the first four Concertos from Vivaldi's Opus 8, one for each season, the disc contains two outstanding additional works of lesser fame: Concerto in F Major, RV 551 for three violins, viola, archlute and continuo; Concerto in D minor, RV 128, for strings and continuo. Through such performance, Italy's Sonatori de la Gioiosa lays a strong claim to the title of the world's top Baroque ensemble. Their energy, poetry, scholarship and flawless virtuosity set a new standard for the entire field. Good grief, the Seasons emerge like a completely new, refreshing experience - and at a time when these Concertos stand near the top of my 'I'm damned if I'll sit through that again list'. They don't so much perform Vivaldi as resurrect him. Maybe there is some truth to the importance of blood lines. All these youthful musicians hail from the Veneto, home country to the composer's family. They capture the grand, cultivated wit of the area to a T, along with much of the regal tastefulness. Sonatori de la Gioiosa Marca («Sounders of the Merry Mark») hail from Treviso, an artistic center just north of Venice. They play on original instruments of the period, but with astounding security and natural ease. Ensemble and intonation are flawless, tempos beautifully vital - brisk in fast movements, meltingly moving in the slow ones. Their suppleness of refinements matches angel choirs in an almost superhuman way. And - and they play with no hint of whimpering sentimentality or false showmanship! The emotional depth the Sonatori musicians bring to the Winter Concertos, with its bleak landscape, and the profundity of the D Minor Concerto for Strings is unparalleled in my Vivaldi experience. Similarly, the sunny spirit of the Spring Concerto and the folksy dance quality of the Autumn Concerto make it difficult to sit still while listening. Divox's terrific 20bit technology only adds to the glory of the release. One of the 10 greatest recordings of the Century, you've got to get this. Forget all other versions, no matter how much they've pleased in the past. (Intune Magazine)