Vivaldi: The Four Seasons - Nigel Kennedy

The 25th anniversary edition of the best-selling recording that propelled Nigel Kennedy to stardom. Classic FM Drive Featured Album, 1 September 2014

Nigel Kennedy’s version of The Four Seasons sold more than three million copies, entering the record books as the best-selling classical recording ever.

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Twenty five years on, the original ground-breaking recording is now re-released, alongside the accompanying award-winning film, images and memorabilia and a specially written account of the phenomenon that captured the imagination of the classical music world in 1989.

When the album was originally released, it was the first time that techniques normally used for marketing pop music - including TV advertising - had been used on a classical album. With the passage of time it's now possible to re-visit Kennedy's performance without the hype and hard-sell.

And it doesn't disappoint. Kennedy brings the full range of violin techniques - ancient and modern - to Vivaldi's work, creating the unequivocal ba-rock version - exhilarating and exuberant.