In January of 2013, Anne Akiko Meyers was awarded exclusive lifetime use of the legendary 1741 Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesu, which has been dubbed the Mona Lisa of violins. It is legendary for its peerless sound and near-pristine condition, and is believed to be the most expensive violin ever purchased.The violin has been guarded for centuries, and has not been in the recording studio until now. Composed around 1723, The Four Seasons is today one of the most beloved musical compositions. Originally written and performed by Vivaldi and the chamber orchestra he formed at a girls orphanage in Venice, these concerti were largely forgotten after the composer s death until their rediscovery in the 1920s and subsequent recording in the 50s. A set of sonnets, likely penned by Vivaldi himself, accompany the score and describe the natural settings that inspired the music.This album follows Ms. Meyers chart-topping eOne releases including Air: The Bach Album one of the top-selling classical albums of 2012 as well as Seasons...dreams and Smile.
Anne Akiko Meyers does it once again; she takes well know works and breathes new life into them. One such work is Antonio Vivaldi's Le Quattro Stagioni (The Four Seasons). This is not only part of the main repertoire of many chamber orchestras but parts of it have been heard in movies, soundtracks and outdoor cafés. It begs the question, why another recording? I can think of three reasons - it's a lovely piece and deserves to be..
