The airy energy of the Vivaldi to the the lush, sultry Piazzolla material

The Citizen, Bruce Dennill

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is a perennial favourite and the playing in this version by English violinist Daniel Rowland and the Stellenbosch University Camerata is particularly spirited and heartfelt (often you can hear someone – presumably Rowland – breathing in at the beginning of a phrase, the better to pace and ingest the piece).
What makes this recording special, however, is the combination of the Vivaldi with the Four Seasons compositions of Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla.
It’s a common enough grouping, but one that will thrill first-time listeners as the musicians move from the airy energy of the Vivaldi to the the lush, sultry Piazzolla material.
It’s a wonderful package, and at just over an hour, it will actually end too soon for most.