The four concertos entitled the Four Seasons which open Vivaldi's Op. 8 date from about 1725. It was fashionable at the time to depict nature in music, and Vivaldi wrote other descriptive pieces, both suggesting moods and specific images. As a subject, the seasons have been depicted musically by many composers (Lully before him, as a ballet, Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Glazounov and others after him) though Vivaldi may have been the first to do so symphonically; but in terms of both illustrative power and pure music, Vivaldi's concertos are perhaps his greatest achievement. Featuring the well-known Itzhak Perlman on violin and conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra their performance of the Four Seasons brings the music to life. Mastered from the original Master Tapes from the Abbey Road Studios this extended resolution CD (XRCD24) from JVC brings the listener higher fidelity and improved audio quality by enhancing the process of mastering and manufacturing compact discs. This XRCD24 is compatible with all CD players.