The Four Seasons
Beau Fleuve, 2021
8/10
Listen to The Four Seasons
The esteemed conductor JoAnn Falletta is aligned with the Buffalo Philharmonic here, and showcases Nikki Chooi and Tessa Lark’s violins on 2 live recordings from Buffalo’s Kleinhans Music Hall in fall of 2020.
“La Primavera (Spring)” starts the listen with swift and agile strings that dance around floating melodies, but then enter calm, melancholic moments of sublime beauty, and “L ‘estate (Summer)” follows with cautious, mesmerizing strings that abruptly shift into fast, loud swells of grace and exploration.
In the middle, the bright and upbeat “L’autunno (Autumn)” glides with an agile and uplifting spirit, and “L ‘inverno (Winter)” exits this portion of the listen meticulous, and with a sophisticated energy that has the ability to get tense, too.
The final chapter, Astor Piazzolla’s “Las Cuatro Estaciones Portenas”, then unfolds over 26 minutes, and spans furious, even percussive moments as well as cinematic swells of intricate violin thanks to Lark’s inimitable presence.
It’s certainly no surprise that Falletta is a Grammy winner, as she navigates the compositions with unparalleled precision, highlighting the immense talent from Chooi and Lark in ways that captivate.
Travels well with: Florent Schmitt- La Tragédie de Salomé; Edward Smaldone- Once And Again