The history of the first recording of The Four Seasons is somewhat contested, with differing accounts about dates and personnel involved. One early version exists on compact disc, featuring violinist Alfredo Campoli. This recording was taken from acetates of a French radio broadcast, believed to have been made in early 1939. However, the first widely recognized electrical recording of the work was completed in 1942 by conductor Bernardino Molinari. While Molinari’s interpretation differs from modern performances in style and tempo, it is unmistakably a rendition of The Four Seasons. His version was originally produced for the Cetra label and first released in Italy, where it garnered attention among early collectors and enthusiasts. It was soon followed by an American edition, issued on six double-sided 78 rpm records during the 1940s, making it accessible to a wider audience beyond Europe. The recording was reissued in 1950 on long-playing vinyl, offering listeners a more continuous experience of the work. Eventually, it found its way into the digital era with a release on compact disc, ensuring its continued availability for new generations of listeners. The first American recording of The Four Seasons was made in the last week of 1947, just before a nationwide recording ban took effect on January 1, 1948. This historic session featured violinist Louis Kaufman, accompanied by The Concert Hall Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Henry Swoboda, with Edith Weiss-Mann on harpsichord and Edouard Nies-Berger on organ. Kaufman’s recording played a crucial role in reviving interest in Vivaldi’s music in both Europe and the United States, building upon earlier efforts in Italy by Molinari and others. The recording earned the prestigious French Grand Prix du Disque in 1950, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002, and was added to the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2003. Intrigued to discover that the four concertos were part of a twelve-piece collection (Op. 8), Kaufman eventually located a full score and recorded the remaining eight concertos in Zürich in 1950, completing the first full recording of Vivaldi’s Opus 8. Among the most prolific interpreters of The Four Seasons is the Italian ensemble I Musici, which has likely recorded the piece more often than any other group. Their first recording was made in 1955 with violinist Felix Ayo, followed by a 1959 stereo version—marking the first stereo recording of the work. Over the decades, they continued to revisit the concertos with different soloists: Roberto Michelucci (1969), Pina Carmirelli (1982, in a widely acclaimed performance), Federico Agostini (1988), Mariana Sîrbu (1995), Antonio Anselmi (2012), and Marco Fiorini (2021).