The pieces are of varying lengths, and are reasonably appropriate to the month for which they were written. January is "At the Fireside"; February is "Carnival"; and March is "Song of the Lark." "Lily of the Valley" brings in April, followed by "May Nights" and "Barcarolle" for June. July is "Song of the Reapers"; August is "Harvest"; September is "The Hunt." "Autumn's Song" is followed by "Troika Drive" and "Christmas." In the middle of this century, these pieces were orchestrated by Alexander Gauk, but are more often heard in the original.
Sir Edward German, John Cage and Morton Gould are other composers who have given us their versions of the Seasons. Occasional single seasons have been commemorated in symphony or song, notably Schuman and Richard Strauss.
Critic's Choice: Our critic Albert Petrak says: Almost 50 years has not dimmed the fascination of Vivaldi's pioneering account of the joys, and occasionally the discomforts ("Winter") of his four concerti grossi ("big concertos") depicting the march of nature's calendar, more commonly known as The Four Seasons. It's the first four of a total of twelve small ensemble pieces, published in Amsterdam as "The Combat between Harmony and Invention", Op. 8...the year, 1712. The first attention to this descriptive music came with the long-playing record in the early '50s...and we have not lacked for recorded versions of every conceivable variety since then, including in the past dozen years, many with period instruments.
I'd like to speak for three, giving you choices as preference dictates: TELARC 80070: The Boston Symphony Orch./Seiji Ozawa, with Joseph Silverstein, the prominent violin soloist (Standard full ensemble, fine sound). EMI 49557 - English Chamber Orch./Nigel Kennedy (Contemporary view of a British musical scofflaw). ARCHIVE 400 045 - English Concert/Pinnock (Standage, v.)...one of the most representative of the period groups.
