Kanon und Gigue in D Major: For 3 Violins and Basso Continuo
Kanon: Sostenuto
Gigue: Scherzando
Wolfgang Meyer: Cembalo
Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons
Concerto in E Major (RV 269) SPRING
1. Allegro
Spring's awakening – Song Of The Birds – The Springs Gush Out – Song Of The Birds
2. Largo
The Sleeping goatherd – Rustling of the Foliage and Plants – The Dog Barks
3. Allegro
Country Dance
Concerto in G Minor (RV 315) SUMMER
1. Allegro non Molto – Allegro
Languor Caused by the Heat – The Cuckoo – The Turtle Dove – The Goldfinch – Gentle Zephyrs – Various Winds – The North Wind – Young Countryman's Lament
2. Adagio
Flies and Bluebottles
3. Presto
Summer Storm
SIDE 2:
Antonio Vivaldi
The Four Seasons
Concerto in F Major (RV 293) AUTUMN
1. Allegro
Danceand Song of the Country Folk – The Toper – The Sleeping Drunkard
2. Adagio molto
The Sleeping Drunkards
3. Allegro
The Hunt – The Fleeing Beast – Guns and Hounds – The Fleeing Beast is Slain
Concerto in F Minor (RV 297) WINTER
1. Allegro non molto
Frozen Shivering in the Icy Snow – Dreadful Storm – Running and Foot Stamping Because of the Cold – Winds – Chattering of Teeth
2. Largo
Rain
3. Allegro
Crossing the Ice – Moving Carefully and Anxiously – Falling to the Ground – Striding Boldly On – The Sirocco – The North Wind and All Other Winds
The patent for the recording is 1972, but this was a 1985 release in that "signature" series. The vinyl isn't unusual for the kind of thing you'd find in the eighties... where you get the sense of a more finely automated process of mass produced vinyl.
It's perfectly good, just not the same as the older, thicker vinyls, and it's just in these lower reaches I feel it's a little light ( but as I did... you can twist yer knobs to compensate!).
Hi MM, PRS Hannover = PolyGram Record Service in Hannover, the vinyl manufacturing plant. I wonder if your vinyl is a bit light because this is a lower-priced reissue, and they probably didn't take as much care, or use as much vinyl, as they would have on a full-price new issue?
And you do notice it has a real lack of depth and weight compared to the older, thicker Deutsche Grammophon vinyls, but this is lighter, airier music, and so it isn't as much of a concern as it would be with a heavier brand of music perhaps.
...But there are more dramatic moments that underpin the more strident passages that I felt could have done with some extra heft.
This is very good as far as spacing and separation are concerned, and brilliant with the higher end elements of which there is naturally a lot of in this music... the fluttering notes of violins and vigour of the cellos are picked out great detail... very precise.
But as I say, it can't reach as deep as other vinyl (Or as you'd like it to), in a way you can feel in your stomach-and to be honest, I prefer the kind of music that makes me feel like I've been run over by a truck anyway- but I suppose you could always sit on the washing machine during the spin cycle while listening to it if that floats your boat!
(Oo-er!)
The recording itself is just a tad on the quiet side too, and I just had to nudge my recording level up a smidge, and give the bass knob a bit of a tweak to give it a little extra.
I just noticed by chance too, that there's an logo stamp impression on the back cover when it caught the light, that says: "PRS Hannover" - if that means anything to anyone.
The four seasons are nicely bookended by a couple great tunes too, that you's probably be familiar with (Another couple I know!... but didn't know that I knew... if only I'd known!), and all in all, it's a bit of a light middleweight pressing... it's quick on it's feet, has quick hands, and has a snappy punch but not quite enough to knock you out.
(Good jab - Great right hook, but no leverage in the uppercut, and doesn't really go to the body).
ICE had a hell of a time with this cover... the tapered borders down the sides that fade away toward the bottom it perceived as depth, and bent the photo accordingly!
added the two extra scans (triangular sections across the length of each side) to straighten it out.