Vivaldi and Piazzolla’s “Seasons” come together on this new album from Arabella Steinbacher and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. Juxtaposing the two composers’ season-inspired works has been done before, though a novel element here is the new arrangement of the Piazzolla by Peter von Wienhardt. Steinbacher and the Munich players also skip the period instruments trend, playing both composers’ works on modern instruments.
Wienhardt’s arrangements are more suave and mature than the popular set by Leonid Desyatnikov for violin and string orchestra, if a bit less adventurous. Wienhardt uses the whole orchestra effectively, to play tight chords beneath the solo line, or to interject with pizzicatos, snippets of counterpoint, and echoes of the solo voice. Desyatnikov’s can feel a bit scattered in comparison. At the same time, Wienhardt develops an impressive amount of heat and momentum in the solo voice, building to flashy broken chords and wild glassandi, or a dramatic accelerando from a pesante sul ponticello to a presto with the tune in octave double-stops. Steinbacher dispatches these technical challenges with supreme poise.
At the same time, she expertly shapes the emotions of the music. In Piazzolla’s Spring, she builds tension by pulling through long notes (track 1, 0’50”, 2’40”) and then lets it go with shorter phrases. Summer alternates between a feisty A section, characterized by marcato attacks and strong pulse, and a more care-free B section, where Steinbacher almost seems to improvise, shaping each phrase uniquely for its own moment. In the slow sections of Autumn, she evokes a mournful singer with just the right amount of pitch-bending (track 9, 1’20”, 3’50”). Everything feels expertly planned and executed here, and the overall effect is hair-raising.
Related Classical Music Reviews
- Review: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons – Leila Schayegh, Violin
- Review: Bach – Violin Concertos – Debretzeni, Gardiner
- Review: “Belle Epoque” – Daniel Hope, Violin
Vivaldi’s own “Four Seasons” gets a hearty but fairly reserved reading by this group, which can feel unsatisfying if heard directly against the Piazzolla. The joy of Spring feels a bit bottled-up, with tempos on the slower side and solo moments a bit too reflective for my taste. Turn to Gidon Kremer with his own Kremerata Baltica (Nonesuch, 2000) or Janine Jansen with her chamber ensemble (Decca, 2004) for more spritely renditions on modern instruments. In the slow movement, too, Steinbacher’s phrasing feels a bit static, and lacks any ornamentation. Kremer and Jansen are both a tick faster, which gives them more freedom with articulation, and Kremer experiments a bit with the melody.
Interestingly, in Winter, the same reserved quality actually works wonderfully. Steinbacher’s playing is expressive even in the most aggressive scales, perhaps emphasizing not so much the bitter cold as the sadness of winter. The orchestra handles the pizzicato raindrops perfectly, and Steinbacher evokes a cozy fireplace with beautiful cantabile playing and a slow, gentle vibrato.
Vivaldi’s Autumn gets a more upbeat performance, in which the strength of the modern instruments becomes apparent. There’s a strength and crispness to the attacks, clearly evoking the fall dance and hunt. Versions on period instruments, like Leila Schayegh’s with Musica Fiorita (Glossa 2019, reviewed here), rely on tempo for excitement and don’t generate the same clarity of sound. Steinbacher’s solo moments are energetic, and the occasional rubato isn’t overpowering.
The album notes here are a bit of a missed opportunity. I’d love to have some insight into Steinbacher’s interpretation of the Vivaldi, or into Wienhardt’s goals with arranging the Piazzolla. The acoustics on the other hand are quite good, capturing Steinbacher’s playing with detail without losing a sense of resonance for the orchestra. This album is an interesting release, and though the two works aren’t quite able to communicate, it’s certainly worth hearing each individually.
Vivaldi – The Four Seasons
Piazzolla – “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires”
Arabella Steinbacher – Violin
Münchener Kammerorchester
Džeraldas Bidva – Concertmaster
Label, CD Catalog
Vivaldi Four Seasons – Recommended Comparisons
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