Vivaldi, Le Souffle des saisons
Concertos for flute, recorder and musette
Description
Disc
Vivaldi, Le Quattro stagioni
Inspired by Nicolas Chédeville’s adaptation of the Four Seasons for musette, François Lazarevitch and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien propose six Vivaldi concertos with naturalistic programmes played with a joyous vitality, whilst reviving their colours.
The originality and spectacular alternation of the solo instruments – all played by François Lazarevitch – lead to the first metamorphosis of these atypical Four Seasons: in Spring the musette returns, as required by the whimsical yet demanding version imagined by Chédeville in 1739, while the other three concertos, adapted from the originals for strings, are given over to the recorder and traverso. These variations in timbre, their velocity and inventiveness challenge all the subtleties of the contrasting nature imagined by Vivaldi.
This festive re-reading extends to the concertos as a whole, revisited by Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien in the light of research into phrasing in early music and their conductor’s links to traditional music: through the mirror of descriptive programmes and the popularity of the works, they make the shepherds’ dances, the unleashing of the elements or the harvest song sound differently. In the end, the Italy of Vivaldi, the Versailles of Louis XV, where the musette reigned supreme, and the singular and eloquent voice of a modern-day soloist combine to transform these scores that we thought we knew so well.
The CD is available on the Alpha Classics label.
8 musicians
François Lazarevitch, transverse flute / recorder / Baroque musette
Instruments
2 violins, viola, cello, double bass, theorbo/Baroque guitar, harpsichord
Contact diffusion for France:
Les Concerts parisiens
Vincent Lafourcade
vincent@concertsparisiens.fr
+33 (0)1 48 24 16 97 / +33 (0)7 60 02 56 16
Video
« Naturalness in joy, pleasure with a constantly solar and sedate song. François Lazarevitch leads his Gardellino resolutely, treating himself and us to a luxuriant flute that rises up freely in the midst of his musicians. Vivaldi as we love him. »
La Tribune des critiques de disques
France Musique, Sunday 13 December 2020
Vivaldi, Le Quattro stagioni
- Concerto in F Major ‘La Tempesta di Mare’ – I.Allegro (2:37)
- Concerto in F Major ‘La Tempesta di Mare’ – II.Largo (1:38)
- Concerto in F Major ‘La Tempesta di Mare’ – III.Presto (2:04)
- Concerto in D Major ‘Il Gardellino’ – I.Allegro (3:49)
- Concerto in D Major ‘Il Gardellino’ – II.Cantabile (3:11)
- Concerto in D Major ‘Il Gardellino’ – III.Allegro (2:57)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – La Primavera’ – I.Allegro (3:23)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – La Primavera’ – II.Adagio sempre piano (2:24)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – La Primavera’ – III.Pastorello Allegro (3:39)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Estate’ – I.Allegro non molto (4:46)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Estate’ – II.Adagio (2:16)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Estate’ – III.Presto (3:01)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Autunno’ – I.Allegro (4:51)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Autunno’ – II.Largo (2:10)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Autunno’ – III.Allegro (3:09)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Inverno’ – I.Allegro non molto (3:18)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Inverno’ – II.Largo (1:58)
- Concerto in C Major ‘Le Quattro Stagioni – L’Inverno’ – III.Allegro (3:20)
- Concerto in G Minor ‘La Notte’ – I.Largo (1:49)
- Concerto in G Minor ‘La Notte’ – II.Presto (Fantasmi) (0:47)
- Concerto in G Minor ‘La Notte’ – III.Largo (1:06)
- Concerto in G Minor ‘La Notte’ – IV.Presto (0:57)
- Concerto in G Minor ‘La Notte’ – V.Largo (Il sonno) (1:16)
- Concerto in G Minor ‘La Notte’ – VI.Allegro (1:57)
Forthcoming
events
Programme
La Tempesta di Mare Concerto en fa majeur op 10 n°1, RV 433
pour flûte à bec alto, cordes et basse continue
Allegro – Largo – Presto
Le Printemps concerto en do majeur pour musette, deux violons et basse continue
Arrangement de Nicolas Chédeville
Allegro – Adagio sempre piano – Pastorello Allegro
L’Été concerto en sol mineur op. 8 n°2 pour flûte traversière, cordes et basse continue
Allegro non Molto – Adagio – Presto
L’Automne concerto en fa majeur op. 8 n°3 pour flûte traversière, cordes et basse continue
Allegro – Largo – Allegro
L’Hiver concerto en fa mineur op. 8 n°4 pour flûte traversière, cordes et basse continue
Allegro non Molto – Largo – Allegro
La Notte Concerto en sol mineur op. 10 n°2 RV 439 pour flûte à bec, cordes et basse continue
Largo – Presto (Fantasmi) – Largo – Presto – Largo (Il sonno) – Allegro
Press
2017
Classics Today
Jens F. Laurson
This disc opens with terrific, riveting interpretations of famous Vivaldi concertos “La Tempesta di Mare” and “Il Gardellino” – performances that absolutely fly off the page thanks to Jeremy Irons look-alike François Lazarevitch directing his band Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien while playing…
