ヴィヴァルディ&ヴェルディ: 《四季》

イ・ムジチ合奏団デビュー70周年記念。
9回目の《四季》新録音!

バロック音楽ブームの火付け役ともなったイ・ムジチ合奏団の四季。時代と共にメンバーも入れ替わり、その都度新たな魅力を放つ《四季》録音を世に送り出してきました。1952年にローマでデビュー・コンサートを行って70周年となる今年、通算9回目となる《四季》の新録音が登場。イ・ムジチのために特別にアレンジされ世界初録音となるヴェルディのオペラ《シチリア島の夕べの祈り》よりバレエ音楽《四季》をカップリング。
ユニバーサル・ミュージック/IMS

It isnt quite true to say listeners today wouldnt know Vivaldis Four Seasons if I Musici hadnt made the first stereo recording of the work in 1955. The rediscovery of early music was larger than any one ensemble, but I Musici arguably did more than anyone else to popularize the work, and by now, they have the right to play it any way they want. Fortunately, the groups reading of the work remains fresh after 67 years, with a variety of techniques deployed to emphasize the programmatic nature of the music. As many of these are in the orchestra as are in the solo part, and violinist Marco Fiorini does not hog the spotlight. Another novel feature of this 2022 Decca release is the music with which the Vivaldi is paired. Numerous works have filled out a program that includes the Four Seasons, but the added work here may be unique: I Musici perform arrangements, for piano and string orchestra, of four seasonal passages from the ballet music in Verdis opera I Vespri Siciliani. Its an odd combination, but as with most of the choices made by I Musici, it works, which explains why this ensemble continues to flourish while so many others have fallen by the wayside. As usual, I Musici offers a thoroughly enjoyable hour and a quarter of music here.