Zubin Mehta, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra - Vivaldi: Le Quattro Stagioni (1982)

On the current CD issue you can hear just how superbly Carmirelli plays the most difficult passages, and how glowing a sound stage the engineers captured at the recording site. The fullness of so many Stradivarius string instruments creates a lavish outpouring of tones, an embarrasment of riches which quite overwhelms one. This is a classic rendition, and everyone who loves this work should hear this CD; even those who long ago found it's incessant over-playing to have spoiled it's inital freshness and beauties. This is not the latest period instrument approach, but for pure beauty of sound coupled with years of experience in this music, this performance remains a towering achievement.