Vivaldi Seasons



Composers

Vivaldi seasons piano

A Venetian composer in the 1700s, Vivaldi’s work for the Ospedale della Pieta, a home for abandoned children was renowned for excellence in music education for its time. His famous work, “The Four Seasons” gives musical expression to a season of the year and provides one of the earliest examples of music with a narrative element! And that is why most religions have festivals during the start of Spring (Easter) and the winter equinox (Christmas) Now regarding Vivaldi. Vivaldi probably didn't give it a thought why he chose 'Spring' as the first season, since this is the way we normally think of the seasons. Starting with Spring. Today, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is ubiquitous, so that few of us can even recall the first time we heard it; but it’s a relatively late entry into the canon. Although it may have been broadcast as early as 1939, it was virtually unknown before the release of a recording made in late 1947 by violinist Louis Kaufman. Vivaldi's Four Seasons were written between 1716 and 1717 and were published in Amsterdam. This is a compilation of all the four seasons. Please like, share. Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons is a composition that features on a 2012 album by neo-classical composer Max Richter, released on August 31, 2012 on Universal Classics and Jazz (Germany), a division of Universal Music Group, and Deutsche Grammophon, and further recorded by Fenella Humphreys and released on Rubicon Classics in 2019.

Antonio Vivaldi

March 04, 1678 - July 28, 1741

Antonio Vivaldi was born in Venice, Italy, which is where he spent most of his life. His father taught him to play the violin, and the two would often perform together.
Antonio continued to study and practice the violin, even after he became a priest. He was called the 'Red Priest' because of his flaming red hair. However, after a while, his bad asthma kept Antonio from saying Mass.
After that, Vivaldi spent all his time writing music and teaching. He taught at an orphanage for girls, and wrote a lot of music for the girls to play. People came from miles around to hear Vivaldi's talented students perform the beautiful music he had written.
Many people think Vivaldi was the best Italian composer of his time. He wrote concertos, operas, church music and many other compositions. In all, Antonio wrote over 500 concertos. His most famous set of concertos is The Four Seasons.

Vivaldi seasons julia fischer

Music by Vivaldi:

The Four Seasons: Spring

Duration: 3:33
Composed in 1723 (Baroque Period)
Performed by Capella Istropolitana; Stephen Gunzenhauser, conductor

Shows about Vivaldi:

Vivaldi Seasons Piano

Lesson Plan

Educators, there is a Lesson Plan available on this site for Antonio Vivaldi. Click here to learn more.


Vivaldi four seasons spring analysis
THE FOUR SEASONS:

1: Concerto No.1 in E Major, RV 269, 'SPRING'
Allegro / Largo / Allegro (Pastorale dance)

2: Concerto No.2 in g minor, RV 315, 'SUMMER'
Allegro non molto - Allegro / Adagio – Presto – Adagio / Presto (Summer Storm)

3: Concerto No.3 in F Major, RV 293, 'AUTUMN'
Allegro (Peasant Dance and Song) / Adagio molto (Sleeping Drunkards) / Allegro (The Hunt)

4: Concerto No.4 in f minor, RV 297, 'WINTER'
Allegro non molto / Largo / Allegro

One of the earliest uses of music was in the accompaniment of theatrical dance and story-telling, so it is natural that composers should from time to time produce what we know as 'program music' – music written to portray events, activities or moods such as pastoral scenes or storms. Music representing the moods of the four seasons has always been popular, and baroque composers such as Werner and Fischer among others produced cycles of concertos representing the fours seasons. But none were to do so in such precise pictorial detail as Antonio Vivaldi in his Four Seasons concertos.

As a descriptive basis for his Four Seasons, Vivaldi took four Sonnets, apparently written by himself. Each of the four sonnets is expressed in a concerto, which in turn is divided into three phrases or ideas, reflected in the three movements (fast-slow-fast) of each concerto. The published scores (by Estienne Roger of Amsterdam in 1725) are marked to indicate which musical passages are representative of which verses of the sonnet. It is advisable, at least during the first few hearings, to follow the sonnets and music together, for they are bound up with one another to an extent rarely heard in any other programmatic pieces either of the baroque period or subsequently.

Vivaldi Seasons Summer

Spring – Concerto in E Major

Allegro
'Giunt' è la Primavera e festosetti
La Salutan gl' Augei con lieto canto,
E i fonti allo Spirar de' Zeffiretti
Con dolce mormorio Scorrono intanto:
Vengon' coprendo l' aer di nero amanto
E Lampi, e tuoni ad annuntiarla eletti
Indi tacendo questi, gl' Augelletti;
Tornan' di nuovo al lor canoro incanto:'

Largo
'E quindi sul fiorito ameno prato
Al caro mormorio di fronde e piante
Dorme 'l Caprar col fido can' à lato.'

Allegro
'Di pastoral Zampogna al suon festante
Danzan Ninfe e Pastor nel tetto amato
Di primavera all' apparir brillante.'

Spring – Concerto in E Major

Allegro
Springtime is upon us.
The birds celebrate her return with festive song,
and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over heaven,
Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once more.
Largo
On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him.
Allegro
Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds lightly dance beneath the brilliant canopy of spring.

Summer – Concerto in g-minor

Allegro non molto
'Sotto dura Staggion dal Sole accesa
Langue l' huom, langue 'l gregge, ed arde il Pino;
Scioglie il Cucco la Voce, e tosto intesa
Canta la Tortorella e 'l gardelino.
Zeffiro dolce Spira, mà contesa
Muove Borea improviso al Suo vicino;
E piange il Pastorel, perche sospesa
Teme fiera borasca, e 'l suo destino;'

Adagio e piano - Presto e forte
'Toglie alle membra lasse il Suo riposo
Il timore de' Lampi, e tuoni fieri
E de mosche, e mossoni il Stuol furioso!'

Presto
'Ah che pur troppo i Suo timor Son veri
Tuona e fulmina il Ciel e grandioso
Tronca il capo alle Spiche e a' grani alteri.'

Summer – Concerto in g-minor

Allegro non molto
Beneath the blazing sun's relentless heat
men and flocks are sweltering,
pines are scorched.
We hear the cuckoo's voice; then sweet songs of the turtle dove and finch are heard.
Soft breezes stir the air….but threatening north wind sweeps them suddenly aside. The shepherd trembles, fearful of violent storm and what may lie ahead.
Adagio e piano - Presto e forte
His limbs are now awakened from their repose by fear of lightning's flash and thunder's roar, as gnats and flies buzz furiously around.

Presto
Alas, his worst fears were justified, as the heavens roar and great hailstones beat down upon the proudly standing corn.

Autumn – Concerto in F Major

Allegro
'Celebra il Vilanel con balli e Canti
Del felice raccolto il bel piacere
E del liquor de Bacco accesi tanti
Finiscono col Sonno il lor godere'
Adagio molto
'Fà ch' ogn' uno tralasci e balli e canti
L' aria che temperata dà piacere,
E la Staggion ch' invita tanti e tanti
D' un dolcissimo Sonno al bel godere.'
Allegro
'I cacciator alla nov' alba à caccia
Con corni, Schioppi, e canni escono fuore
Fugge la belua, e Seguono la traccia;
Già Sbigottita, e lassa al gran rumore
De' Schioppi e canni, ferita minaccia
Languida di fuggir, mà oppressa muore.'

Autumn – Concerto in F Major

Allegro
The peasant celebrates with song and dance the harvest safely gathered in.
The cup of Bacchus flows freely, and many find their relief in deep slumber.
Adagio molto
The singing and the dancing die away
as cooling breezes fan the pleasant air,
inviting all to sleep
without a care.
Allegro
The hunters emerge at dawn,
ready for the chase,
with horns and dogs and cries.
Their quarry flees while they give chase.
Terrified and wounded, the prey struggles on,
but, harried, dies.

Winter – Concerto in f-minor

Allegro non molto
'Aggiacciato tremar trà neri algenti
Al Severo Spirar d' orrido Vento,
Correr battendo i piedi ogni momento;
E pel Soverchio gel batter i denti;'
Largo
'Passar al foco i di quieti e contenti
Mentre la pioggia fuor bagna ben cento'
Allegro
'Caminar Sopra 'l giaccio, e à passo lento
Per timor di cader gersene intenti;
Gir forte Sdruzziolar, cader à terra
Di nuove ir Sopra 'l giaccio e correr forte
Sin ch' il giaccio si rompe, e si disserra;
Sentir uscir dalle ferrate porte
Sirocco Borea, e tutti i Venti in guerra
Quest' é 'l verno, mà tal, che gioja apporte.'

Winter – Concerto in f-minor

Allegro non molto
Shivering, frozen mid the frosty snow in biting, stinging winds;
running to and fro to stamp one's icy feet, teeth chattering in the bitter chill.
Largo
To rest contentedly beside the hearth, while those outside are drenched by pouring rain.
Allegro
We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling.
Then turn abruptly, slip, crash on the ground and, rising, hasten on across the ice lest it cracks up.
We feel the chill north winds coarse through the home despite the locked and bolted doors…
this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights.

Vivaldi Seasons Imslp

BMC 19
ANTONIO VIVALDI (1678-1741):
The FOUR SEASONS
The Modena Chamber Orchestra,
Leader, and solo violin, Francesco Calvi
Caterina Montanari, harpsichord continuo

GLORIA in D, RV 589
Mimi Coertse & Ina Dressel, sopranos / Sonja Draxler, alto
Vienna Academy Chorus & State Opera Orchestra
Conductor Hermann Scherchen
This lyrical performance by the Modena Chamber Orchestra under Maestro Calvi reflects every detail of the original sonnets.... the birds of spring, a summer storm, the peasants' revelries when the autumn harvest is completed, the chattering teeth as the winter wind blows. English text of the sonnets is enclosed with the CD.

'Four Seasons' recordings are usually accompanied on a CD by some similar string concertos. The Baroque Music Club CD however has taken the opportunity to offer something different and a complete contrast in sound, with Vivaldi's magnificent Gloria in a wonderful performance full of sensitivity and detailing.

Here on one CD is something familiar, something perhaps a little less known. The Gloria will certainly prove a revelation to those unfamiliar with it.

Total Time: 74:51.

Click the image for full information and music samples.

Vivaldi Seasons Winter

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