No sleigh bells or interpolations of Adeste Fideles, few extreme tempos instead, the habitual degree of care over balance in the arrangement and unanimity of musicianship. The straightforward performance on this disc is that of Corelli’s “Christmas” Concerto. Astor Piazzolla wrote four tangos inspired by the seasons-they have been arranged for strings and recorded by Gidon Kremer alongside the Vivaldi concertos-but here Red Priest goes one step further and achieves a synthesis. Biting staccatos usher in the chill of “Winter,” but the most surprising choice is in the central Largo movement where the violin’s theme is cushioned by a ågentle calypso accompaniment. The hunt is graphically portrayed in the finale, which closes once again with a studio fade. A few bars of God Save the King appear out of the blue in the first movement, perhaps signifying a drunken, spontaneous oath of allegiance. “Autumn” arrives imbued with spirit of the alcoholic kind, as the quartet evokes a village band with a distinctly queasy violin Bishop’s slides also add a hint of bluegrass. A momentary harpsichord cadenza during the summer storm recalls Rimsky’s bumblebee, while the spirited tempest itself comes and goes in no time flat. “Summer”’s stifling heat is intensified by a barking dog (violin) and the occasional ritard, one deliciously in waltz time, as energy ebbs away. ![]() ![]() “Spring” opens with improvised birdcalls and the third movement, a rustic dance, includes an enthusiastic whoop from the musicians. "The Four Seasons concertos’ immense popularity seems to have spurred Red Priest on to even greater idiosyncrasy.
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