Viktoria Mullova, Chamber Orchestra of Europe & Claudio Abbado Vivaldi Le Quattro Stagioni

180g Audiophile Virgin Vinyl Cut from the Original Masters at Emil Berliner Studio! Pressed at Pallas in Germany!
Violinist Viktoria Mullova is joined by the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado.
"The Four Seasons" is probably one of the most frequently recorded classical works. You don't want to run the risk of boring the reader with opinions, insights, figures, data and facts about Vivaldi's great work – everything there is to say has already been said about it. And yet, even three centuries after the Venetian violinist and Roman Catholic priest composed his most important work, there are no signs of fatigue – neither among the musicians nor among experts and consumers. After a long wait, the South Korean label Analogphonic is finally making the popular recording with Russian violinist Viktoria Mullova and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe conducted by Claudio Abbado available again.
Gramophone writes: "Mullova, accustomed to asserting herself in romantic "confrontations" with large orchestras, adapts admirably: the immaculate purity of her technique is self-evident, but her finely drawn tonal lines, her strictly disciplined vibrato and her sensitivity to the dimension of this music bring unexpected pleasures. There is a lot of virtuosity and bravura, not least in the needle-pointed spiccatos. But Mullova is particularly impressive in the slow movements, where her lines are often reduced to a quiet whisper, but still sound pure. Praise goes to Abbado for his great attention to detail and to the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for his attentive response to each of his requests... This superbly recorded LP is now at the top of my list of recommended "medium" versions of the famous four. It offers the most sensitive and nuanced version of the Four Seasons I've heard in a long time."
Analogphonic commissioned Maarten de Boer to edit the Universal Music master tapes. The audiophile remastering at Emil Berliner Studios does justice to the outstanding musical quality of the recording in all respects and sets new standards in terms of sound. The LP reissue of "Viktoria Mullova: Vivaldi – Le Quattro Stagioni" was pressed on high-quality 180-gram vinyl (33 rpm) by Pallas Group GmbH in Germany.
"Viktoria Mullova is one of the most versatile and charismatic violinists to have emerged in the late 20th century, demonstrating a high level of mastery in broad range of repertoires, from Baroque to Romantic and post-Romantic to jazz and crossover. She established her reputation early in the 1980s, winning both the Sibelius and Tchaikovsky competitions and going on to win the Grand Prix du Disc and a Diapason d'Or Award, as well as garnering numerous other honors. Her widely acclaimed 1987 Philips recording of Vivaldi's Four Seasons is ample proof of her sure grasp of the idiosyncrasies of the Italian Baroque, and the freshness and vitality of her playing has made her version a favorite with listeners and critics. Mullova performs with passionate musicality and technical finesse, and Claudio Abbado leads the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in a nuanced, idiomatic accompaniment." - Stephen Eddins, allmusic.com

Features:

• Audiophile 180g Virgin Vinyl
• From the original masters of Universal Music
• Audiophile lacquer discs cut by the expert "Maaten de Boer"
• Cutting at Emil Berliner Studios specializing in vinyl mastering
• Pressed by Pallas in Germany

Musicians:

• Viktoria Mullova, violin
• Douglas Boyd, oboe
• Matthew Wilkie, bassoon
• Christoph Marks, cello
• Chamber Orchestra of Europe
• Claudio Abbado, conductor

Selections:

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons)
Side A
Concerto No.1 in E Major, RV 269, "La primavera"
1. Allegro
2. Largo
3. Allegro (Danza pastorale)
Concerto No.2 in G Minor, RV 315, "L'estate"
4. Allegro non molto - Allegro
5. Adagio - Presto - Adagio
6. Presto
Side B
Concerto No.3 in F Major, RV 293, "L'autunno"
1. Allegro
2. Adagio molto
3. Allegro
Concerto No.4 in F Minor, RV 297, "L'inverno"
4. Allegro non molto
5. Largo
6. Allegro
Concerto in G Minor, RV 577, "Per l'orchestra di Dresda"
7. Allegro
8. Largo non molto
9. Allegro