Max Richter
's
The Four Seasons
and
Philip Glass
'
Seasons
were both composed as companion pieces for
Vivaldi
Four Seasons violin concertos
, and both have been successful in this capacity, in concert and on multiple recordings. It is less common, however, to hear them divorced from the
, and this may be the first recording to pair them with no
present. They have much in common; violinist and director
Etienne Gara
writes that the two works "cast an artistic blur over our perception of things we have always seen as given and immutable: the seasons with their familiar weather patterns, our perception of time and space, and
Four Seasons
." Yet the two works differ in some fundamentals:
Glass
does not quote
directly, preferring to draw a wider analogy between
's motoric style and his own, and his violin soloist has a stronger personality than that of the chilled-out
Richter
. On balance, the two pieces make an interesting dialogue, exploring both the ways
is heard these days and the differences between these two prominent and popular minimalist composers. The performances by the
Delirium Musicum
contemporary music orchestra are strong by any standard, precise and punchy. An intriguing release for fans of any of the composers involved. ~ James Manheim