Into Nature: Vivaldi Seasons
Into Nature - Vivaldi Seasons and Other Sounds from Mother Earth. Imaginarium Ensemble, Enrico Onofri, violin, director. Passacaille, (p) 2019; Time: 64:00; Rating: (5/5).
Vivaldi's Four Seasons, the first four concertos from his opus 8 collection of violin concertos, are included here after an introduction from a folly of other pieces from the likes of Biagio Marini, Tarquinio Merula, Marco Uccellini, and Clément Janequin. These pieces all pre-date the seasons, but the titles and themes contained within play off the themes of nature.
Onofri has already recorded the Four Seasons with Il Giardino Armonico. While I do not have a booklet available for my copy (via Qobuz streaming, 96kHz/24 bit), my take is that Imaginarium have organized themselves as more of a chamber group than the IGA recording that appeared in 1994. In reviews of what are unquestionably Vivaldi's most famous violin concertos, I'll ask the same question: Do we need another recording of these pieces?
I'm not sure we do. But when one of your favorite violinists records the concertos (again), I'm not going to turn-down the opportunity to listen again.
The first thing that struck my about this recording was the sound. The IGA recording, by comparison, is not nearly dynamic sounding. In fact, that recording sounds flat in comparison. And despite using a smaller ensemble, this recording seems well-balanced, top-to-bottom. And as we might expect, it's very transparent.
Onofri's playing style is easy to recognize, perhaps more so than other baroque violinists. He often uses a slow vibrato as an ornamental effect which appears in this recoding. He is perhaps more free in this version than in his earlier recording, evidenced with improvisational additions.
Spring, Summer and Winter stand out because of the organ used as the keyboard instrument in the continuo line. Phrasing from the ensemble is sometimes altered from what we're used to hearing. A great example of this is heard from the tutti playing in the first movement of Winter in the sequence of descending fifths. It's a subtle shift in rhythm that is purely interprative. It recalled, for me, Onofri's modifications in phrasing when he conducted Mozart's 40th symphony. Onofri is also open to playing with tempo, picking things up for dramatic effect. I think it works well.
Of special note is the forwardness in this recording of the bass lute. It has a presence that stands out in the texture that sounds good. What also sticks out is the viola in the slow movement of Spring. In IGA's recording, it was perhaps the first that treated the viola line as a true barking dog, as referenced in the poetry that Vivaldi published alongside his music. Onofri carries this idea into this recording as well, perhaps even more fearcely. His solo line atop both the ripieno violins and solo viola provide us a different line, improvised with great relish.
While I think Imaginarium does a fine job with Vivaldi's Four Seasons, the seven tracks presented before are perhaps the real reason to acquire this new recording. The chamber pieces are the fodder for how Imaginarium is best known; they make exquisite interpetations that come alive with this recording's excellent sound quality. Of special note is Merula's fugal "canzon," La Lusinguola, that presents a unique fugue with a repeated note figure that almost goes too far until you realize that, yes, this composer is doing that. And that he's made it work. In fact, all these chamber pieces are new to me, and welcome additions to the repertoire. I cannot think of any musicians more capable of bringing these interesting gems to life than Imaginarium.
Warmly recommended.
