But as the textures of period instruments are a very different world from modern instruments, I feel this performance is not directly comparable to those. This is also something brought into fashion by such period-instrument performances as Simon Standage with Trevor Pinnock leading the English Concert on Archiv, or, more recently, the downright wild performance by Il Giardino Armonico on Teldec with Enrico Onofri as the aggressive soloist. Tempo distortions abound for expressive ends, such as in the portrayal of a staggering drunk in the first movement of ‘ Autumn’, or the death of the fox pursued in the hunt that ends the same concerto.

Among modern-instrument recordings, it is certainly the classiest. Overall, it is a broad performance with moments of explosive activity but even more moments of languorous meditation. That is not to say that it necessarily is the ideal evocation of Vivaldi’s eccentric visions, but it dares to take a strong expressive stance, and that is worth a lot. Mutter’s remake is sexy and daring, much like the cover photo. The Karajan performance seems in hindsight almost dowdy, like a dowager parading down the avenue in a mink stole. But this is a performance which has learned a lesson from historically-aware performances, which is namely that Vivaldi’s music has a hot temper as red as the composer’s hair.

Mutter delights in her full, passionate vibrato (most of the time), and the corporate sound of the Trondheim Soloists equally exults in the fat, full sound of modern instruments.

For this is decidedly not a period-instrument performance. In this reconsideration, she jumps enthusiastically into a nimble (though still very plush) sports car for that trek, though some may still question the modernity of the vehicle. Mutter puts it best herself when she compares playing this work with a full symphony orchestra to trying to drive a Rolls Royce down a winding country lane.

Four seasons vivaldi best recording