Le quattro stagioni cover

Le quattro stagioni

Herbert von Karajan · 1972

43 min · 12 tracks · classical music

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
86 /100
Summit
Higher than 97% of albums we've rated

Vivaldi's sharply contrasted seasonal scenes and recurring fast–slow–fast design make a strong, coherent cycle; Karajan's lush string sound is polished but not unusually individua…

What we noticed

  • Each season runs through a fast–slow–fast sequence, giving the 12 movements a repeated frame while the mood shifts from concerto to concerto.
  • Summer's first movement holds back from a full Allegro before its Adagio and Presto turn the concerto toward a stormy finish.
  • The recording gives the string ensemble a weighty, blended sound; the solo violin remains prominent without a sharply separated period-instrument texture.
  • Winter closes the sequence with a slow Largo between two brisk movements, so the album ends by returning to the same movement pattern it began with.
Composition 25% of the score
9/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
8/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
8/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
6/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
8/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 5/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Concerto grosso in E major, PV 241 “La primavera”: 1. Allegro 3:26
  • 2 Concerto grosso in E major, PV 241 “La primavera”: 2. Largo 3:21
  • 3 Concerto grosso in E major, PV 241 “La primavera”: 3. Allegro 4:35
  • 4 Concerto grosso in G minor, PV 336 “L’estate”: 1. Allegro non molto – Allegro 5:46
  • 5 Concerto grosso in G minor, PV 336 “L’estate”: 2. Adagio 2:17
  • 6 Concerto grosso in G minor, PV 336 “L’estate”: 3. Presto 2:52
  • 7 Concerto grosso in F major, PV 257 “L’autunno”: 1. Allegro 5:27
  • 8 Concerto grosso in F major, PV 257 “L’autunno”: 2. Adagio 2:34
  • 9 Concerto grosso in F major, PV 257 “L’autunno”: 3. Allegro 3:40
  • 10 Concerto grosso in F minor, PV 442 “L’inverno”: 1. Allegro 3:28
  • 11 Concerto grosso in F minor, PV 442 “L’inverno”: 2. Largo 2:14
  • 12 Concerto grosso in F minor, PV 442 “L’inverno”: 3. Allegro 3:20

What to play next

Invitation to the Dance
Listen next

Invitation to the Dance

1972
Symphonies no. 35 “Haffner” / No. 40 “Great” / No. 41 “Jupiter”
Go back to

Symphonies no. 35 “Haffner” / No. 40 “Great” / No. 41 “Jupiter”

1971
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Reference: MusicBrainz