I also have a few versions with Karajan conducting as well, one with Michel Schwalbe and one with Annie-Sophie Mutter. Itzhak Perlman's version to me probably has the 'lushest' more modern sound.

It sounds very 'alive' to me, never dull or 'feeling like we're just playing notes on a page'. It's a scaled down New York Philharmonic and although not usually known as a Baroque conductor, Bernstein's version is a classic to me and is worth a listen. I really like Leonard Bernstein with John Corigliano. I like to hear period instruments when I listen to Baroque music, I don't know just do. It's a period instrument recording from the early 80's. I usually listen to Trevor Pinnock with Simon Standage.

I only have a few versions so I can't begin to say what some of the best out there are. There are a ton of recordings to be sure. Looking for the quintissential recording of one of civilization's greatest achievementsīonus marks for anyone suggesting a fine vinyl recording of it too, just started the old long play collecting again.Įdit: Just found this and it seems like it has some good suggestions, but it still barely scratches the surface of the giant reservoir of versions of it. I can find devastatingly little about the CD, as i listen on Spotify premium, but the whole series seems to be particularly coherent and very well mastered audio-wise. My favourite recording is on 'Great Composers 3: Vivaldi', but as it is a compilation, lacking a part from each concerto. Things i've noticed are massive variations with how much harpsichord people see fit to use, wild musical conjecture concerning note length with delicate passages during Spring and Autumn, and the most irritating of the lot: treating the solo near the beginning of Winter I as a race with other violinists who have recorded the same piece. The Summer III and Winter I and III are the most varying i've found, with some truly horrible versions on spotify and CD compilations. It's probably one of the few whole pieces i've heard enough (and enough versions of) to be quite critical of it, so what are TC's favourite recordings?

Vivaldi four seasons best recording