Les Saisons Amusantes - Palladian Ensemble - New-Classics.co.uk

Nicolas Chédeville (1705-82) ingeniously adapted Vivaldi's The Four Seasons to create a new seasonal cycle of six concertos. They are arranged from various movements of the original but only ‘Spring' is used in its entirety. ‘Summer is omitted completely and the outer movements of ‘Autumn' embrace the central largo from ‘Winter'. The remaining material is borrowed from other concertos and simplified, with solo parts arranged for violin, recorder, the wheezing hurdy-gurdy and the musette (a variety of bagpipe). The inventiveness of this delightful novelty should appeal to anyone overexposed to to the standard Four Seasons. The Palladian Ensemble are Pamela Thorby (recorders), Rodolfo Richter (violin), Susanne Heinrich (viola da gamba) and William Carter (archlute, theorbo, guitar), with guest musicians Richard Egarr (harpsichord, organ), Nigel Eaton (hurdy-gurdy) and Jean-Pierre Rasle (baroque musette). This acclaimed period-instrument group's sparkling performance on this recording is irresistible.